DUAL-TONE MULTI-FREQUENCY TONE GENERATOR

Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF), which is also known as touch-tone,

is a system of signal tones used in telecommunications. It is a signaling
system used for identifying the keys or the number dialed on a pushbutton or
in a DTMF keypad. The early telephone systems use Pulse Dialing or Loop
Disconnect signaling. This was then replaced by Multi-Frequency (MF) Dialing.
In most modern telephones, a tone dialing system is used. This dialing method
uses a number of push buttons that generate pairs of audio tones that
indicate the digits called. When either the pulse dialing or tone dialing is used,
circuits in the central office still recognize the signals and make the proper
connections to the dialed telephone. Dialing can be accomplished in one of two
ways. The old-fashioned rotary dial functions by breaking the loop circuit at a
10 Hz rate, with the number of interruptions equal to the number dialed. That
is, in dialing the number 5 causes five interruptions (pulses) in the loop
current. This technique is called pulse dialing and can be emulated by some
electronic telephones. The second and the more efficient way is for the phone
to transmit a combination of two tones for each number. This is known as
dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) dialing.
DTMF is a multi- frequency tone dialing system used by the push button
keypads in telephone and mobile sets to convey the number or key dialed by
the caller. It has enabled the long distance signaling of dialed numbers in
voice frequency range over telephone lines. This has eliminated the need of
telecom operator between the caller and the callee and evolved automated
dialing in the telephone switching centres.
DTMF uses a combination of two sine wave tones to represent a key.
These tones are called row (low) and column (high) frequencies as they
correspond to the layout of a telephone keypad. A DTMF keypad, can be either
a generator or encoder, generates a sinusoidal tone which is mixture of the
row and column frequencies. The frequencies in rows are the low group
frequencies thus the column frequencies belong to high group frequencies.
This prevents misinterpretation of the harmonics. Also the frequencies
for DTMF are so chosen that none have a harmonic relationship with the
others and that mixing the frequencies would not produce sum or product
frequencies that could mimic another valid tone. The high-group frequencies
are slightly louder than the low-group to compensate for the high-frequency
roll off of voice audio systems. DTMF tones are able to represent one of the 16
different states or symbols on the keypad. This is equivalent to 4 bits of data.
There are twelve Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency signals, each of which is
made up of two tones from the following selection: 697 Hz, 770 Hz, 852 Hz,
941 Hz, 1209 Hz, 1336 Hz, 1477Hz.
 Additionally, the frequencies generated have to be within an error
tolerance of 1.5% and the higher frequency is transmitted at 3 dB louder to
compensate for any high frequency roll‐off. The pair of signals represents the
digit or symbol at the intersection of the row and column. For example, if the
digit 5 has to be sent, the frequencies transmitted are 1336 Hz and 770 Hz in
a sinusoidal combination.
The DTMF keypad is laid out in a 4×4 matrix. The tones are divided into
two groups which are low and high and each DTMF signal uses one from each
group. This prevents any harmonics from being misinterpreted as part of the
signal. Pressing a single key (such as '1') will send a sinusoidal tone of the two
frequencies (697 and 1209 Hertz (Hz)). The original keypads had levers inside,
so each button activated two contacts. The multiple tones are the reason for
calling the system multi-frequency. These tones are then decoded by the
switching center to determine which key was pressed. No frequency is a
multiple of another, the difference between any two frequencies does not equal
any of the frequencies, and the sum of any two frequencies does not equal any
of the frequencies.
The A, B,C, and D tones are actually originally part of an old US Military
telephone system called Autovon. Where A (697/1633) is Flash Override (FO),
B (770/1633) is Flash (F), C (852/1633) is Immediate (I), and D (941/1633) is
Priority (P). Nowadays, the ABCD keys (as well as * and #) are not used
frequently and are for operations unrelated to their original purpose. On
telephone networks, such keys are used for network control, such as cycling
through different carriers. For amateur radio and commercial two-way radio
systems, the keys are used for equipment control, repeater control, remote
base operations, and some telephone communications systems.
Pressing any of these keys prioritized the call, overriding other calls on
the network. For example, if B was pressed before dialing a number, the
telephone switch would first look for available lines and if unavailable, try to
disconnect any no‐priority calls. If also unavailable, then it would disconnect
the D and C priority calls in that order so as to free a line for this call. A Flash
Override would stop all other calls on the trunks between the origin and
destination of the current call and hence it was limited to the White House.
However, this method of precedence dialing is largely obsolete today as
military networks use number combinations to prioritize calls.
The tone duration of DTMF is variable depending on the system used. In
general, DTMF's speed when being send manually will be variable and not
rigidly structured, as in tone length and space length will happen loosely as
the keys are pressed. Electric systems using DTMF dialing will be rigid and
have equal tone and break lengths between tones. The duration of a DTMF
signal is known as Mark and the interval is known as Space. The difference in
transmission levels between the low and high frequencies is known as twist.
Errors caused due to incorrect implementation of this are known as twist
errors. If the amount of twist is greater than the receiver’s tolerance levels,
then the system will fail to decode the buttons pressed. This is often
misdiagnosed as a problem with the repeater controller, though the actual
problem lies with the receiver. Modern decoders are designed in such a way as
to easily overcome this and decipher the right digits despite twist errors.
Prior to the development of DTMF, telephone numbers were dialed by
users with a loop-disconnect signaling, more commonly known as pulse
dialing in the U.S. It functions by interrupting the current in the local
loop between the telephone exchange and the calling party's telephone at a
precise rate with a switch in the telephone that is operated by the rotary
dial as it spins back to its rest position after having been rotated to each
desired number. The exchange equipment responds to the dial pulses either
directly by operating relays, or by storing the number in a digit register
recording the dialed number. The physical distance for which this type of
dialing was possible was restricted by electrical distortions and was possible
only on direct metallic links between end points of a line.
Some of its application includes voice mail, help desks, telephone
banking, etc. DTMF tones are thus mainly used at the telephone switching
centres for detection of dialed or called number. They are also used by certain
radio and cable TV networks. These networks use DTMF tones to signal a
network station or local cable operator when a local advertisement is to be
inserted or for station identification. In broadcasting, this is known as local
insertion. It is also used by terrestrial stations for turning on and shutting off
remote transmitters.