Real and Complex Modulation

TIPL 4708

Presented by Matt Guibord

Prepared by Matt Guibord

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What is modulation?
• Modulation is the act of changing a carrier signal’s properties (amplitude,
phase, frequency) in a controlled way in order to transmit data across a channel
or to obtain desired signal properties

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Types of Digital Modulation
Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) Phase Shift Keying (PSK)

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) Frequency Modulation (FM)

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Phase and Amplitude Modulation
• A phase and amplitude modulated carrier signal can be represented as:
cos 2
Where:
is the amplitude modulation function
is the phase modulation function
is the carrier frequency

• Which can be decomposed using the angle sum trigonometric identity into:

cos cos 2 sin sin 2

cos 2 sin 2 This is a “bandpass” signal

Where: since the I and Q functions
Often called “I” and
are modulating “Q”
a carrier
is the “in‐phase” modulation function
is the “quadrature‐phase” modulation function

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Analytical Equivalent and Baseband Equivalent
• The “bandpass” signal can be decomposed into a “lowpass” modulation function
multiplied by a complex exponential (carrier) by using Euler’s formula and defining
a new “baseband equivalent” modulation function, Xbb(t):
Recall Euler’s formula:
Baseband equivalent cos sin

Then: Analytic equivalent

cos 2 sin 2

0 Hz (DC) fC
“Baseband” or “Lowpass” “RF” or “Bandpass”

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Real Modulation Example (Real Mixing)
• As an example of real modulation, consider the case of mixing a low frequency
sine wave to a higher frequency, such that Xbb(t) is simply a cosine wave:
From Euler’s
cos 2
2

• The resulting modulated signal is:

2
1 1
2 2
1 1
Desired signal 2 2 Undesired
1 1
cos 2 cos 2 Image signal
2 2

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Complex Modulation Example (Complex Mixing)
• Define Xbb(t) to be a complex exponential at the same frequency as the cosine
in the previous example:
[cos 2 ] [sin 2 ]
XI(t) XQ(t)
• The resulting modulated signal is:

From Euler’s
cos 2 sin 2

cos 2

Desired signal only

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Real vs Complex Example Visualized
Real signals have equivalent (mirrored) Complex signals have independent positive and
positive and negative frequency spectrums: negative frequency spectrums:
Lower Upper Lower Upper
sideband sideband sideband sideband

-fIF fIF fIF

0 Hz (DC) fC 0 Hz (DC) fC
“Baseband” or “Low pass” “RF” or “Band pass” “Baseband” or “Low pass” “RF” or “Band pass”

This type of transmission is called “double This type of transmission is called “single
sideband” (DSB) transmission since the same sideband” (SSB) transmission since each
information is transmitted in both sidebands sideband can transmit unique information

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Applications of Complex Modulation
• Image reject mixing uses the concept of complex modulation, exactly as shown in the complex
modulation example, to reject the image signal in order to relax filtering requirements
Real
Image Mixing
Reject Mixing Relaxed Image
Reject
Image FilterFilter
Reject

0 Hz (DC) fC
“Baseband” or “Low pass” “RF” or “Band pass”

• Digital communications uses complex modulation to “double” the data rate for a given signal
bandwidth, ultimately using sine and cosine as an orthogonal basis in order to transmit
independently on the in-phase and quadrature-phase signals

cos 2 sin 2

Transmit independent information on both I and Q

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Digital Communications and Constellation Plots
• Constellation plots are used to visualize the complex baseband modulation
function, Xbb(t), by mapping the complex values onto the complex plane
16-QAM Constellation Plot
• Amplitude of the carrier is the distance
from the origin:

Quadrature-Phase Component (Q)

θ(t)
XQ(t)
a(t)

0111 1111

• Phase of the carrier is the angle measured

0011 1011
relative to the positive I axis:
In-Phase Component (I)
XI(t)
tan Symbols
Example bit mapping

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Find Transmitted Signal from Constellation Plot
• We want to transmit 0011 across the channel using the 16-QAM plot on the previous slide
• To send 0011, choose I = 1, Q = -3:
16-QAM Constellation Plot
1 3
XQ(t) 1
• Carrier amplitude:

Quadrature-Phase Component (Q)

2

1 3 10 3
-3 -2 -1 1 2 3

• Carrier phase: 0111 1111

-1
3 a(t) θ(t)
tan tan 71.6° 1.25 -2
1 0011 1011
-3

• Resulting signal, X(t):

In-Phase Component (I)
XI(t)
10 cos 2 1.25
Easier to implement in
cos 2 3 sin 2 digital hardware

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 Example Constellation Plots

QPSK Constellation Plot 8-PSK Constellation Plot 32-QAM Constellation Plot 1024-QAM Constellation Plot
Q uadrature-Phase C omponent (Q )

Q uadrature-Phase C omponent (Q )

Q uadrature-Phase C omponent (Q )

Q uadrature-Phase C omponent (Q )
In-Phase Component (I) In-Phase Component (I) In-Phase Component (I) In-Phase Component (I)

More challenging noise and distortion requirements

Lower data rate (fewer bits per symbol)

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Thanks for your time!

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