S.

Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation

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QAM Demodulation
o Application area
o What is QAM?
o What are QAM Demodulation Functions?
o General block diagram of QAM demodulator
o Explanation of the main function
(Nyquist shaping, Clock & Carrier Recovery, AGC, Adaptive Equaliser)

o Performance
o Conclusion

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Example Application Area

“Wireless Cable” Digital TV using Microwave Transmission

QAM
Modulation Set-top Box

Multiplexing Radio
Channel
Compression

• Compression = bit rate reduction

• Multiplexing = assembly of multiple programs
• Modulation = conversion to transmission format

• Set-top Box = Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD),

provides a subscriber access to a wide range of programs

Wireless Communications
S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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What is QAM?
o Amplitude Modulation of
2E o 2Eo
o Two Orthogonal Carriers xi ( t ) = ( ω ) Ts i sin ( ω c t )
--------
- a cos t + ---------b
Ts i c

+7
ai-1=+3 ai=+1 ai+1=-7 Q
+5
+3 7
+1
-1
-3
I 5
-5 Ts
-7
3
√Εο
bi-1=-5 bi=+5 bi+1=-1 1 I
+7 √Εο
+5 Tc −1
+3
+1
−3
-1
-3
Q
-5 −5
-7
−7
time
−7 −5 −3 −1 1 3 5 7

64QAM in time domain 64QAM Constellation diagram

Wireless Communications
S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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M-ary QAM
I Q

{
{
Satellite Cable b5b4b3b2b1b0
b1b0
Noise power

signal power

S/N > 3 dB for M=4 S/N > 21 dB for M=64

S/N > 27 dB for M=256

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE
What to do to recover the information?
Functions
Automatic Gain Control
Quadrature
down conversion
(Half) Nyquist Filtering
Clock Recovery
Carrier Recovery
Adaptive Equaliser
Demapping
QAM Demodulation
4
Result
Optimal position of constellation diagram in reception window
I & Q base band signals
Pulse shaping
Sampling reference for A/D Converter
Carrier frequency reference
Compensate for channel distortion
Representation of received data in bits
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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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System Block Diagram

QAM DEMODULATOR
IF fs I2C fine
AGC
f f f I
√Ν

demapping
1,0,-1,0 Complex
Tuner BPF LPF ADC Equaliser
0,-1,0,1
Q
4fs √Ν
Cable Connection

VCO VCXO
AGC clock DTO loop carrier
detect detect filter detect
Digital
Carrier Recovery

Clock Recovery

Analogue
DAC DAC DAC
AGC

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Automatic Gain Control

* 2 loops AGC
n Filtering &
IF down ADC I
conversion Equalisation Q * Coarse AGC to prevent ADC
from overloading
coarse fine
AGC AGC * After Nyquist filtering and
Equalisation ‘small’ QAM
remains.
* Fine AGC to position contella-
tion diagram to decision window
Q Q Q

I I I

Tuner output Equaliser output Fine AGC output

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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(Half) Nyquist Filtering

* Pulse Shaping required to realise
√Ν I ISI=0 in limited BW
1,0,-1,0
ADC * ISI=0 when zero crossings occur at
0,-1,0,1
multiples of Ts=1/fs
4fs √Ν Q
* Achieved with Nyquist Criterion
(DVB: α = 15%)
Ts=1/fs
Sn Sn+3 Sn+6
* Cascade of Transmitter & Receiver
S
Ts n+1 BW=∞ fulfil Nyquist Criterion
time (Half Nyquist each )
0 freq
Sn+2 S Sn+5 (1+α)fs * Digital implementation
n+4
fs (Tdelay = 9 Tsymbol)

BW=8MHz
* This delay is in the loops and thus
influences the demodulator archi-
time 0 freq tecture

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Clock Recovery
1,0,-1,0 * Recovery with 2nd order PLL
ADC √Ν * Clock Detector
0,-1,0,1 - Energy Maximization algorithm
- After Half Nyquist Filter to achieve
clock
vcxo DAC ISI=0 at detector input
det.

* Half Nyquist Filter in loop is allowed

- Received clock has crystal accuracy
(100 ppm at 7 Msym/s))
- Loop BW may be small
I, Q signal - Delay in loop is allowed (no instability)
time
Ts
* Quadarture Demodulation
- fclock = 4 fsymbol
- Simple with j-n (n=0,1,2,3,...)
Recovered
clock

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Carrier Recovery
delay * Recovery with 2nd order PLL
IF * Carrier Detector
LPF ADC √Ν equaliser
- Decision directed
4fs - After equaliser
- PD (lock) and PFD (unlock)
vco vcxo
* PFD for large acquisition range (100 kHz)
* PD for stable behaviour once in lock
carrier
DAC
det.
* Half Nyquist & Equaliser in loop
- Large delay causes problems for distur-
bances like:
* phase noise
I or Q
* microphonics (mechanical vibrations)
time
Tcarrier * Alternative solution required
Recovered
carrier

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Carrier Phase Disturbances (1)

Additive White * AWGN Disturbance
Gaussian Noise
- Random distribution
- Mainly inserted in the cable
channel

* Result
- Enlarged constellation points

* PLL Properties
- Average the noise
- Loop BW small
Implementation Loss - Low IL
Cable Tuner QAM
demod
s(t) + r(t)

n(t) BW

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Carrier Phase Disturbances (2)

* Phase Noise & Microphonics
Phase Noise/ -No random distribution
Microphonics Q -Mainly inserted in the tuner by
LC oscillators which are sen-
sative for mechanical vibra-
tions (Microphonics)
* Result
-Rotation of constellation dia-
I gram.
* PLL Properties
Implementation Loss -Follow the phase disturbance
-Loop BW large
Cable Tuner QAM -Low IL
demod
X r(t)
* PLL properties for AWGN and
s(t)
BW phase noise are in contradic-
tion

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Phase noise versus AWGN

* Loop BW trade of between:
a. Ability to follow phase noise
Implementation Loss [dB]

b. Ability to average AWGN

* Rule of thumb:
1
BW = -----------
-
1000 fsymbol
AWGN
AWGN+Phase noise * Simulations show this is
approximately correct

* Optimum depends on S/N and

amount of phase noise

* Problem: Optimum loop BW

instable due to large delay in
the loop (Half Nyquist + Equal-
Loop BW [kHz] iser).
OPTIMUM

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Double Loop Carrier Recovery

large delay
* Introduction of second loop with
(relatively) small delay
IF
carrier
LPF ADC √Ν equaliser
det. * Outer loop
4fs -Adjust (static) frequency offset
dto Loop
inner loop -Small loop BW due to large delay
vco vcxo
filter
-PD/PFD
outer loop
DAC * Inner Loop
- Optimum loop BW as trade off
between phase noise & AWGN
- Large Loop BW due to small delay
- PD only
I or Q
time * Conclusion: optimum loop BW can
Tcarrier be selected and causes no instability
Recovered
carrier

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Equalisation

* Nyquist Criterion specifies a frequency domain condition

on the received pulses to achieve ISI=0

* Generally this is NOT satisfied unless the channel is equalised

* Equalise the channel = compensate for channel distortion

* Unfortunately, any equalisation enhances noise from the channel

* Tradeoff between:
Accurately minimising ISI

Minimising the noise

* Different types of Equaliser

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Multipath Distortion
* Multipath distortion causes ISI
Multipath
Reflection * Each original point consists of M
new points in the shape of constella-
tion diagram
Φ
* Amplitude, delay and phase of the
echo determine shape/size of the
small constellation diagrams
A
* Varying channel requires
Adaptive Equaliser

Cable Tuner QAM

demod
s(t) + r(t)

Amplitude, delay, phase

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Equaliser Structure

Linear Equaliser (LE) Decision Feedback Equaliser (DFE)

Symbol Symbol
Decision Decision

Iout Qout

Coefficients Coefficients Coefficients

Iin Complex Iout Iin

FFE + DFE
Qin FIR filter Qout Qin

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Equaliser Structure
Linear Equaliser (LE) Decision Feedback Equaliser (DFE)
H(z) G(z) H(z) G(z)
in out in out
+ +
in out in out
+ +

-
A Z-τ -A Z-τ A Z-τ Z-τ A

(-) Residual ISI (A2,2τ) (+) No residual ISI

–τ
H ( z) = 1 + A z 1
G ( z ) = -----------------------
–τ
–τ 1 + Az
G ( z) = 1 – A z
2 –2τ H ( z) G ( z) = 1
H ( z) G ( z) = 1 – A z

(+) ‘Fast’ acquisition (-) ‘Slow’ acquisition

(-) ‘High’ noise amplification (+) ‘Low’ noise amplification
zeroes poles
noise noise

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Equaliser Adaptation Algorithm

Zero Forcing (ZF) Mean Square Error (MSE)

(+) Complete elimination of ISI (+) Minimize sum of ISI and noise
(-) Penalty = Noise amplification (+) Less noise amplification by
(-) Allowing residual ISI

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Adaptive Equaliser
ZF (Zero Forcing) MSE (Mean Square Error)
Suited for QAM with M≤64 Suited for QAM with M≤64
(-) residual ISI does not allow higher M (-) residual ISI does not allow higher M
LE

(+) Fast acquisition (+) Fast acquisition

(+) High stability (+) High stability

No suitable solution Required for QAM with M>64

(-) Because of complete elimination (+) Stablity guaranteed when
of ISI system is instable when zero zero in spectrum
in spectrum
Equaliser
DFE

Equaliser
channel
channel
(-) ‘Slow’ acquisition

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Measurement Results
Implementation Loss
(2) 0.6 dB
BER

(3) 1.1 dB
(4) 1.6 dB
(5) 1.9 dB
(6) 2.0 dB

(1) Theory
(2) AWGN (single car loop) 1 2 3 4 56
(3) AWGN (double car loop)
(4) 1 ray echo
(5) 2 ray echo
(6) 3 ray echo

S/N

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S. Brand, Philips Semiconductors, PCALE QAM Demodulation
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Conclusion

Single Chip QAM Demodulator with low Implemenation Loss

- Double Loop AGC for optimum usage of A/D Converter
- Delay in half Nyquist filter and equaliser require double carrier
recovery loop structure to achieve high performance on phase
noise & microphonics
- Adaptive equaliser
* LE/ZF or LE/MSE preferred for QAM withM≤64
* DFE/MSE required for QAM with M>64

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