PEREZ, PATRICIA GRACE P.

STUDENT NUMBER: 201912327

BSCpE 3-1 CPEN 80

ACTIVITY NO. 3
PULSE CODE MODULATION

1. What is Modulation?
The adding of information to an electrical or optical carrier signal is known
as modulation. Modulation is the process of changing one or more aspects of a
periodic waveform, the carrier signal, with an amplitude modulation that generally
includes information to be communicated in electronics and telecommunications.
Amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and phase modulation are the
three main forms of modulation. Amplitude modulation is a kind of modulation in
which the carrier signal's amplitude is altered according to the message signal
while the frequency and phase remain constant.

2. Why is Modulation important in communications?

We can convey a signal over a band pass frequency range via
modulation. If each signal has its own frequency range, we can send several
signals across a single channel at the same time, all with separate frequency
ranges. Another reason to modulate a signal is so that a smaller antenna may be
used.
Modulation is extremely important in the communication system. It is
defined as the communication system's message signal modification process.
The message signal of extremely low frequencies is imprinted during the
modulation process. Only the high-frequency carrier signal is transmitted via the
transmission mechanism. It is one of the most common methods for adding a
signal to an optical signal carrier or an electronic wave carrier. It's crucial
because it makes the greatest advantage of periodic waveform characteristics.
Its sole purpose in communication is to transmit signals carrying data from one
source to another.

3. What is Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)?

A technique by which analog signal gets converted into digital form in order to
have signal transmission through a digital network is known as Pulse Code
Modulation. It is abbreviated as PCM. This systems are basically signal coders
also known as waveform coders. PCM allows the representation of the
continuous time message signal as a sequence of binary coded pulses. The
major steps involved in PCM is sampling, quantizing and encoding which will be
discussed in detail in the upcoming sections.
4. Briefly discuss the history of PCM.
Moses Farmer is credited with inventing the PCM idea. In 1853, he was
the first American to sample and send digital signals (Spilsted 12). W. M. Miner,
an engineer, was the first to apply the concept of time-division multiplexing
(TDM) to telephone in 1903. Image samples may be sent via telegraph signaling
techniques by 1920. Alec Reeves came up with the concept for PCM in 1937.
During World War II, the Allies created SIGSALY, a sophisticated encryption
machine. During that time, the device could send high-level communications
signals. Ferranti Canada created the concept in 1949 with the goal of transmitting
radar data.
Several inventions have arisen in various regions of the world over the last
five decades. In 1967, the first PCM recorder was created. Signals might be
stored on video cassettes using the recorder (Spilsted 56). The Adaptive
Differential Pulse Code Modulation was created by Nikil Jayant, P. Cummiskey,
and James Flanagan in 1973. (ADPCM). In 1982, competent engineers
succeeded in introducing the compact disc (CD) (Spilsted 73). Eighty minutes of
digitalized audio material or data may be stored on each CD.

5. Name and briefly discuss the steps involved in PCM.

Sampling, Quantizing, and Encoding are conducted in the analog-to-digital
converter part of a Pulse Code Modulator circuit's transmitter section. The
message signal is protected from aliasing by a low pass filter applied before
sampling. The receiver section's main functions are signal regeneration,
decoding, and reconstruction of the quantized pulse stream. The block diagram
of PCM, which depicts the essential parts of both the transmitter and receiver
portions, is shown below.
Sampling is a technique for collecting sample data at instantaneous
message signal levels in order to reconstruct the original signal. According to the
sampling theorem, the sample rate must be larger than twice the highest
frequency component W of the message signal.
Quantizing is the process of removing extra bits and condensing data.
When supplied to Quantizer, the sampled output removes superfluous bits and
compresses the value. and The encoder converts analog signals to digital
signals. It assigns a binary code to each quantized level. The sample-and-hold
method is used in this case. As an analog to digital converter, these three
components (LPF, Sampler, and Quantizer) will be used. Encoding reduces the
amount of bandwidth needed.
6. What are the different types of PCM?
PCM is two types of Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM), Adaptive
Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) & Linear Pulse Code Modulation.

Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM)

In DPCM only the difference between a sample and the previous value is
encoded. The difference will be much smaller than the total sample value so we
need some bits for getting the same accuracy as in ordinary PCM. So that the
required bit rate will also reduce. For example, in 5-bit code 1 bit is for polarity,
and the remaining 4 bits for 16 quantum levels.

Differential Pulse Code Modulation Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of differential pulse code modulation include the
following.
 The requirement of bandwidth is low as compared to pulse code
modulation.
 Due to the prediction filter, the quantization error can be decreased
 As compared to PCM, the number of bits that are used to represent one
sample value can also be reduced
 Low signaling rate

The disadvantages of differential pulse code modulation include the

following.
 Bit rate is high
 Practical usage is restricted
 A Predicator circuit needs to be used which are extremely complex.

Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM)

ADPCM is achieved by adapting the quantizing levels to analog signal
characteristics. We can estimate the values with the preceding sample values.
Error estimation is done as same as in DPCM. In the 32Kbps ADPCM method
difference between the predicted value and sample, the value is coded with 4
bits, so that we’ll get 15 quantum levels. In this method data rate is half of the
conventional PCM.

Linear Pulse Code Modulation

The term LPCM stands for “Linear pulse code modulation”. This is one
kind of modulation technique, used to encode uncompressed audio data digitally,
wherever audio signals are signified through a series of amplitude values from a
model on a linear scale where these values are comparative to the amplitudes.
 So, the amplitude values are quantized linearly, therefore similar to a very large
set of feasible values through a quite small set of values that may be discrete
symbols or integers.

7. Name and discuss the different elements of PCM.

Sampling, Quantizing, and Encoding are conducted in the analog-to-digital
converter part of a Pulse Code Modulator circuit's transmitter section. The
message signal is protected from aliasing by a low pass filter applied before
sampling.
The receiver section's main functions are signal regeneration, decoding,
and reconstruction of the quantized pulse stream. The block diagram of PCM,
which depicts the essential parts of both the transmitter and receiver portions, is
shown below.

LOW PASS FILTER - To avoid aliasing of the message signal, this filter removes
high frequency components present in the input analog signal that are larger than
the highest frequency of the message signal.

SAMPLER - This is a technique for collecting sample data at instantaneous

message signal levels in order to reconstruct the original signal. According to the
sampling theorem, the sample rate must be larger than twice the highest
frequency component W of the message signal.

QUANTIZER - Quantizing is the process of removing extra bits and condensing

data. When supplied to Quantizer, the sampled output removes superfluous bits
and compresses the value.

ENCODER – The encoder converts analog signals to digital signals. It assigns a

binary code to each quantized level. The sample-and-hold method is used in this
case. As an analog to digital converter, these three components (LPF, Sampler,
and Quantizer) will be used. Encoding reduces the amount of bandwidth needed.

REGENERATIVE REPEATER – The signal intensity is increased in this area. A

regenerative repeater circuit is included in the channel's output to compensate for
signal loss, rebuild the signal, and boost its intensity.

DECODER – To recreate the original signal, the decoder circuit decodes the
pulse coded waveform. The demodulator is implemented in this circuit.
RECONSTRUCTION FILTER - After the regeneration circuit and the decoder
have completed the digital-to-analog conversion, a low-pass filter known as the
reconstruction filter is used to recover the original signal.

As a result, the Pulse Code Modulator circuit digitizes an analog signal, codes
and samples it, and then sends it as an analog signal. To get the original signal,
the same procedure is performed in reverse.