Intersymbol Interference

In the analysis of binary PCM previously done we have only considered AWGN as
affecting the probability of error P
e
.

As shown, assuming a matched filter, P
e
varied monotonically as the ratio of E/N
o
. The
pulse shape was not important.

Another important source of interference which affects P
e
is ISI.

This is the interference caused by symbols which are smeared beyond there symbol
period boundaries and spill into adjacent symbol boundaries.

Ideally the symbols are contained within their symbol boundaries as shown below:

0 1 2 3 4 t/T


Each symbol can then be demodulated individually and it is only the additive noise
within a particular symbol period that will affect the probability of error with that
symbol.

However, if we contain a signal pulse to a finite epoch then its bandwidth is theoretically
infinite. In practice it is larger than necessary.

Most communication pipes are used for multiple simultaneous signals and the method of
appropriating a portion of the channel to each user is usually by giving the user a small
portion of the overall bandwidth.

But if the transmission bandwidth is limited then the symbol pulses used for each bit will
be infinitely long spilling into adjacent symbol periods.

ISI_partA.doc 1
0 1 2 3 4 t/T
sample
ISI
Fortunately there is a way of shaping the pulse shape g(t) such that the transmission PSD
of the signal can be contained to a specific bandwidth while at the same time not
interfering with demodulation of other symbols.

Start by looking at an ideal pulse shape

) ( ) ( ) ( fT Trect f G t g =

) / ( sin ) ( T t c t g =


-1/2T 0 1/2T f
-2T T 0 T 2T t
G(f)
g(t)



g(t) has infinite duration which is a result of bandlimiting G(f). However, g(t) is zero at
all the regular spaced points -2T,-T,0,T,2T,

Note that g(t) is symmetrical g(t)=g(-t) therefore G(f)=G*(f), real and symmetrical
Note also that G(f)G(f)=TG(f)

Hence

) ( ) ( ) ( t Tg t g t g =

therefore we can use g(t) as a matched filter impulse response and still maintain the
desirable property of zero crossings at t=nT where n= -2,-1,1,2,
ISI_partA.doc 2
The sinc(t/T) function is unique in this regard.

Consider the overall link

0 T t
transmitter channel receiver
g(t)
+
g(t)
AWGN
bit
estimate
decision
matched



With this link it is possible to satisfy both the requirements of a matched filter for
optimum suppression of the additive noise and control ISI. Consider the waveform y(t)
for consecutive binary symbols.
T
T
T
T
T
T
Note that if we sample y(t) at exactly nT n=-2,-1,0,1,2,3, then we can avoid ISI
completely. However, if we slightly off these ideal sampling points then there would be
a significant ISI component of the sample.

A filter with an impulse response of g(t)=sinc(t/T) is non-causal

To ensure a realizable filter we first truncate g(t) and then delay it for example:

ISI_partA.doc 3

< <
=
otherwise
T t T t g
t h
0
10 0 ) 5 (
) (

The receiver would then demodulate/decode the bit sent by the transmitter after 5 bit
intervals. This delay is accounted for in the post detection processing of the receiver.

When the pulse shaping function is truncated, it does cause some spectral spillage beyond
the BW boundary of +-1/(2T). If T
tr
is the truncated length of g(t) then in the frequency
domain this is like convolving G(f) of the ideal non-truncated pulse with

) ( sin
tr
fT c

which smears the spectrum beyond the ideal boundaries of 1/2T to 1/2T.

Does truncation cause ISI? Not if we modify h(t) such that

0
0 ) ( ) (

+ = =
n
I n
T nT t for t h t g
s


but h(t) is no linger a sinc function and is therefore not a "matched" filter. The following
matlab script plots for the case when g(t)=sinc(t) is truncated to 4<t<4. h(t)=g(t). The
plot shows f(t)=g(t)*h(t).

t = [-4:.1:4]';
g = sinc(t);
h = sinc(t);
f = conv(g,h);
L = length(f);
t = 0.1 * [1:L]';
[g1,i] = max(f);
t = t-t(i)*ones(L,1);
f = f/max(f);
plot(t,f);grid on;hold on;
ii = [-4:4]';
fii = interp1(t,f,ii);
plot(ii,fii,'*');
hold off

ISI_partA.doc 4

Note that the sample points at intervals of T are not zero but only approximately so.


Note: A BW of 1/T is the minimum possible BW if a data rate of 1/T is to be sent with a
binary PCM signal.

As stated above the pulse function g(t) =sinc(t/T) in combination with the matched filter
h(t) = g(t-T
d
) is optimum from the perspective of
minimum bandwidth required (attains 1bit/sec/Hz on a binary link)
zero ISI
matched filter gives optimal BER performance

However, to avoid spectral spillage and to minimize the deviation from an ideal matched
filter pair, the length of g(t) and h(t) has to be very long.

Hence sufficiently good approximations to g(t) and h(t) of sinc(t/T) are expensive to
implement.

Need a method of determining more easily implementable filters that also have zero ISI.

This is done by the Nyquist pulse shaping theorem.

Let

g(t) tx pulse shape
h(t) rx matched filter impulse response

) ( ) ( ) ( t h t g t a =
ISI_partA.doc 5

Condition for zero ISI of a(t) is

=
=
=
0 , , 0
0 1
) (
n I n nT t
t
t a

(Note we are presently ignoring causality issues)
It can be shown that this property is achieved if the fourier transform of a(t), denoted by
A(f), has the property

=
= +
m
T T m f A ) / ( for all f


This is known as the Nyquist zero ISI condition.

For the rectangular filter, we see that A(f)=Trect(fT) satisfies this condition.

f-1/T -1/2T 0 f 1/2T f+1/T


Consider next a more easily realizable filter

ISI_partA.doc 6

-1/T -1/2T 0 1/2T 1/T
f f+T
f-T
As observed we can shape the bandpass transitions such that the Nyquist zero ISI
condition is met.

A popular filter to implement is the raised cosine filter given by (pg 264 Haykin)

|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
0
2 2
| (|
sin 1
4
1
2
1
) (
1
f W
W f
W
W
f A


1
1 1
1
2
2
0
f W f
f W f f
f f

<



and W=1/2T such that the Nyquist zero ISI condition is

W
W f A f A W f A
2
1
) 2 ( ) ( ) 2 ( = + + + for all f

define as the normalized excess bandwidth such that
W
f
1
1 =

Transmission bandwidth B
T
= W(1+)


The impulse response corresponding to A(f) is

|
.
|

\
|

=
2 2 2
16 1
) 2 cos(
) 2 ( sin ) (
t W
Wt
Wt c t a

ISI_partA.doc 7



-2T T 0 T 2T t

(see Haykin page 265).

As the raised cosine filter has a finite frequency band and therefore the impulse response
a(t) is infinite in duration. However compared to the ideal filter with =0, the lobes of
a(t) fall off much faster for higher values of . Hence we can truncate a(t) without
excessive spectral spillage.

The higher the excess bandwidth the easier it is to implement a good approximation to
the actual filter in DSP or LC components.


Root Raised Cosine Filter

With =0, we obtained the ideal rectangular filter shape such that g(t)=h(t)=sinc(t/T)
however, for >0, we have the combined filter impulse response, a(t) and the combined
spectral response A(f) but there is no indication of how to partition A(f) into H(f) and
G(f).

In order to meet the matched filter criteria we must partition A(f) such that h(t) = g(C-t)
where C is any arbitrary constant. This is generally achieved with some numerical
optimization as there are practical implementation issues to meet in addition.

One possibility that is rather popular is to use a root raised cosine filter such that

) ( ) ( ) ( f A f G f H = =

Recall from the matched filter criteria it is necessary that H(f)=G(f). Fortunately, G(f)
does have a closed form inverse fourier transform given as
ISI_partA.doc 8

) ) 4 ( 1 (
)) 1 ( cos( 4 )) 1 ( sin(
) (
2
t t
t t t
t g

+ +
=

Project 2 an analysis of the link with a root raised cosine pulse shaping function and
corresponding matched filter will be analyzed and simulated.

It will be demonstrated that the minimum probability of error

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
o
b
e
N
E
erfc P
2
1


is achievable while simultaneously maintaining a finite transmission BW and controlling
ISI. An exploration of the effect of truncating the impulse response, g(t), will be done.

ISI_partA.doc 9