IT1718

Pulse Modulation

 The process of changing a binary pulse signal to represent the information to be transmitted.
 Consists essentially of sampling analog information signals and then converting those samples into
discrete pulses and transporting the pulses from a source to a destination over a physical transmission
medium.
 Four predominant methods of pulse modulation are Pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM), pulse-width
modulation (PWM), pulse-position modulation (PPM), and pulse-code modulation (PCM).

Advantages of Digital Transmission

 Less susceptible than analog signals to interference caused by noise, for the reason that pulses in a
digital transmission are evaluated during a precise time interval.
 Better suited than analog signals for processing and combining.
 More resistant to analog systems to additive noise due to signal regeneration.
Signal regeneration sample noisy signals and then reproduce an entirely new signal with the same
signal-to-noise ratio as the original transmitted signal.

 Can be transported longer distances than analog signals.

 Simpler to measure and evaluate.
 Transmission errors can be detected and corrected more easily and more accurately than analog
signals.

Disadvantage of Digital Transmission

 The transmission of digitally encoded analog signals requires significantly more bandwidth than simply
transmitting the original analog signal.
 Analog signals must be converted to digital pulses prior to transmission and converted back to their
original analog form at the receiver. Thus necessitating additional encoding and decoding circuitry. In
addition, digital transmission requires precise time synchronization between the clocks in the
transmitters and receiver.
 Digital transmission systems are incompatible with older analog transmission systems.

Comparing Pulse-Modulation Methods

Pulse-Amplitude Modulation (PAM)
 Simplest form of pulse modulation.
 Sampled at regular intervals, and each sample is made proportional to the amplitude of the signal at
the instant of sampling.
 Pulses are then sent by either wire or cable, or else are used to modulate a carrier.
 Bandwidth required for the transmission is very large in comparison to the maximum
frequency present in the modulating signal.
 Interference of noise is maximum in a PAM signal because of its pulse amplitude variation.

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Figure 6.0 Pulse-Amplitude Modulation Signal

Retrieved from: Frenzel, L., Principles of Electronic Communication Systems Page 505

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM)

 Fixed amplitude and starting time of each pulse.
 Width of each pulse is made proportional to the amplitude of the signal at that instant.
 Less noise compared to PAM because of its constant amplitude.
 Does not require synchronization between transmitter and receiver.
 Requires larger bandwidth compared to PAM.

Figure 6.1 Pulse-width modulation. (a) Signal; (b) PWM

Retrieved from: Davis B. and Kennedy G., Electronic Communication Systems Page 496

Pulse-Position Modulation
 Amplitude and width of the pulses is kept constant in this system.
 Transmission power of each pulse is same because of its constant pulse widths and amplitudes.
 Position of each pulse, in relation to the position of a recurrent reference pulse is varied by each
instantaneous sampled value of the modulating wave.
 Transmitter must send synchronizing pulses to operate timing circuits in the receiver.
 As mentioned in connection with PWM, pulse-position modulation has the advantage of requiring
constant transmitter power output, but the disadvantage of depending on transmitter-receiver
synchronization. Pulse-position modulation may be obtained from PWM.

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Figure 6.2 (a) analog signal (b) PWM signal (c) PPM signal
Retrieved from: Frenzel, L., Principles of Electronic Communication Systems Page 505

Pulse-Code Modulation
 The most widely used technique for digitizing information signals for electronic data transmission.
 Only digitally encoded modulation technique that is commonly used for digital transmission.
 Pulses are of fixed length and fixed amplitude.
 Binary system where a pulse or lack of pulse within a prescribed time slot represents either a logic 1
or a logic 0 condition.

Figure 6.3 Basic PCM system

Retrieved from: Frenzel, L., Principles of Electronic Communication Systems Page 224

 Analog signal is sampled and converted to a sequence of parallel binary words by an A/D (analog-to-
digital) converter.
 Parallel binary output is converted to a serial signal by a shift register.
 Each time a sample is taken, an 8 bit word is generated by the A/D converter. This word must be
transmitted serially before another sample is taken and another binary word is generated.
 The clock and start conversion signals are synchronized so that the resulting output signal is a
continuous train of binary words.
 The start conversion signal triggers the S/H (sample-and-hold) circuit to hold the sampled value and
starts the A/D converter.
 Once the conversion is complete, the parallel word from the A/D converter is transferred to the shift
register. The clock pulses start shifting the data out 1 bit at a time.

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 When one 8-bit word has been transmitted, another conversion is initiated and the next word is
transmitted.

Figure 6.4 Timing signals for PCM

Retrieved from: Frenzel, L., Principles of Electronic Communication Systems Page 224

 Figure 6.4 shows the first word being sent as 01010101 and the second as 00110011.

NOTE: 1 byte = 8 bits

1 word = 2 bytes = 16 bits
 At the receiving end of the system, the serial data is shifted into a shift register as shown in figure
6.5.
 The clock signal is derived from the data to ensure exact synchronization with the transmitted data.
 Once one 8-bit word is in the register, the D/A (digital-to-analog) converter converts it to a
proportional analog output.
 The D/A converter output is a stepped approximation of the original signal.

Figure 6.5PCM to analog translation at the receiver

Retrieved from: Frenzel, L., Principles of Electronic Communication Systems Page 225

REFERENCES:
Cuervo, S. (2013). Electronics systems and technologies, Second Edition. Philippines: First Benchmark Publisher,
Inc.
Davis, B. & Kennedy, G. (1993). electronic communication Systems, Fourth Edition. United States: Glencoe
Frenzel, L. (2016). Principles of communication systems. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Sharma, S. (2011). Principles of communication, Eighth Revised Edition. New Delhi: S.K. Kataria & Sons.
Tomasi W. (2004). Electronic communications systems, Fifth Edition. Singapore: Pearson Education South Asia
Pte.

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