DIGITAL MODULATION

INFO 3180 – WIRELESS NETWORKS

HAO MA
DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEM

Transmitter Antenna

Digital Power
Encode Modulation
Data Amplifier

Receiver

Digital Power
Decode Demodulation
Data Amplifier
Antenna
ADVANTAGE OF DIGITAL
COMMUNICATION

• Immunity to noise and external interference (easier to be regenerated)

• Security

• …
REVIEW
Modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a
periodic waveform, called the carrier signal, with a modulating signal

(information-carrying signal) that typically contains information to be

transmitted.

More generally, you can also understand modulation as the general

technique of shaping a signal to convey information.

REVIEW
Analog modulation is to transfer an analog baseband
signal, for example an audio signal or TV signal, over an
analog bandpass channel at a different frequency, for
example over a limited radio frequency band or a cable TV
network channel.

Digital modulation is to transfer a digital bit stream over an

analog bandpass channel, for example over a limited radio
frequency band.
REVIEW

Analog Signal (continuous amplitude)

t

Digital Signal (discrete amplitude)

1 0 1 0 1 10 1 t
REVIEW

|𝑋(𝑓)| |𝑋(𝑓)|

𝑓 𝑓

Baseband signal Passband signal

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

[1]
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

PART 1
ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSION
A-D CONVERSION
A-D conversion includes
• Sampling
• A continuous-time analog signal is transformed into a discrete-
time signal.

• Quantization
• A discrete-time signal is transformed into a series of binary bits

This process (A-D conversion) is also called Pulse Code Modulation (PCM),
here you can understand modulation as the general technique of shaping a
signal to convey information.
 A-D CONVERSION

A-D conversion

Analog Signal Digital Signal

Sampling Quantization

011000110…
t t
SAMPLING

𝑇! ： Sampling period
𝑓! = 1/𝑇! ： Sampling frequency
NYQUIST SAMPLING CRITERIA
A baseband signal with limited bandwidth B can be uniquely
determined by its values at uniformly spaced intervals (i.e., the
discrete-time signal resulting from sampling) if and only if the
sampling rate
𝑓! ≥ 2𝐵

fs=2B is called the Nyquist sampling rate, representing the minimum

requirement without introducing distortion.

è A signal with a larger bandwidth requires a higher sampling rate.

QUANTIZATION

Quantization:
To transform a discrete-time signal into a series of binary bits.
– Step 1: Use a finite number of values to represent the amplitude;
− Step 2: Assign binary codes to different quantization level.
UNIFORM QUANTIZATION

• Suppose the sampled signal amplitude x varies from xmin to xmax.

• Suppose the number of quantization levels is L.

Uniform Quantization:
the dynamic range is divided into L equal-width quantization regions.
UNIFORM QUANTIZATION
Quantization Level
Step size
L= 𝟐𝒃
xmax xL 𝑥;<= − 𝑥;>?
Δ=
So we can use b bits to xL-1 𝐿
represent each sampling
symbol
.
.
.

x2

x1

xmin x0
 UNIFORM QUANTIZATION
Step size
xmax xL 𝑥;<= − 𝑥;>?
Δ=
xL-1 𝐿

.
. One widely used uniform quantizer is called mid-riser.
. Define the input value to mid-riser as s, and define the
corresponding quantizer output as 𝑠.̃
x2
∆
x1 𝑠̃ = 𝑥> + , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥> ≤ 𝑠 ≤ 𝑥>@A
2
xmin x0
 MID-RISER output
𝑠̃

Transfer function of a 3-bit mid-riser

7∆
2

5∆
2

3∆
2
∆
2
−4∆ −3∆ −2∆ −∆

∆ 2∆ 3∆ 4∆
∆
−
2 input
3∆
s
−
2

5∆
−
2

7∆
−
2
EXAMPLE

Suppose that a signal x(t) with dynamic range (-4,4) volts is applied to a
3-bit midriser.

1. Plot the transfer function;

2. Determine the quantized values of 0.15V and -3.1V

SOLUTION
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

PART 2
DIGITAL MODULATION
DIGITAL MODULATION

Previous definition:
Digital modulation is to transfer a digital bit stream over an
bandpass channel, for example over a limited radio
frequency band.

New definition (more general):

Digital modulation is to transfer a digital bit stream over an
baseband/bandpass channel, for example over a limited
radio frequency band.
DIGITAL MODULATION

[2]
DIGITAL BASEBAND MODULATION
Binary digital baseband modulation (line coding) examples:
DIGITAL BASEBAND MODULATION

• Unipolar signal: signal amplitude is either +V and 0

• Antipodal/polar signal: signal amplitude is +V and −V,
• Bipolar signal: signal amplitude is +V, 0 and −V

• RZ (return-to-zero): when amplitude of part of the symbol is zero

• NRZ (never-return-to-zero): when one symbol has no part whose
amplitude is 0.
DIGITAL BASEBAND MODULATION
Multilevel Signaling (M-ary Pulse Code Modulation)

Example: 4-ary Pulse Amplitude Modulation

[2]

[2]
DIGITAL PASSBAND
MODULATION
The most fundamental digital modulation techniques:

ASK (amplitude-shift keying): a finite number of amplitudes are used.

FSK (Frequency-shift keying): a finite number of frequencies are used.
PSK (phase shift keying): a finite number of phases are used.
QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation): a finite number of at least two
phases and at least two amplitudes are used.
AMPLITUDE-SHIFT KEYING (ASK)
• Amplitude or height of a signal represents the binary data
• Current state technique
• One level represents 0
• Different level represents 1

[3]
FREQUENCY-SHIFT KEYING (FSK)
• Frequency of the wave is varied to represent the binary data
• Current state technique
• One frequency represents 0
• Different frequency represents 1

[3]
PHASE-SHIFT KEYING (PSK)
• Phase of the wave is varied to represent the binary data
• Change of phase represents 0 or 1
• Lack of phase change represents 1 or 0
• In this way, it protects the correct detection of signal from the arbitrary phase-shift
introduced by the communication channels.

[3]
MULTIPLE PHASE-SHIFT KEYING (PSK)
• Can encode multiple bits per symbol
• Uses four phases, each of which is capable of
representing two binary values (00, 01, 10, or 11)

[3]
RERENRENCE
[1] Screenshot of Lin Dai (City University of Hong Kong) EE3008 Principles
of Communications Lecture 6 slides
[Link]
[2] Screenshot of Lin Dai (City University of Hong Kong) EE3008 Principles
of Communications Lecture 7 slides
[Link]
df
[3] Certified Wireless Network Administrator: CWNA – PW0-106