PAM, PWM and PPM

Dr. Md Abul Kalam Azad

PAM, PWM and PPM

In these pulse modulation techniques unit amplitude pulse train is used as
carrier wave.

In pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), the amplitude of the carrier pulses
are proportional to instantaneous amplitude of continuous base band signal
x(t) shown in Fig. 11.

In pulse width modulation (PWM), the width of a pulse is proportional to

the instantaneous amplitude of continuous base band signal.

In pulse position modulation (PPM), the position of the pulse i.e. distance
from a reference instant is proportional to the instantaneous amplitude of
continuous base band signal.

2
 s(t)

3 τ

t
Ts

x(t), xp(t)

τ
PAM

t
0 Ts 2Ts 3Ts 4Ts 5Ts 6Ts

xd(t)
PWM
t

xpo(t) PPM
t

Fig.11: PAM, PWM and PPM wave.

PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation)
 PAM wave xp(t) can be generated using simple electronic circuit of Fig. 12 where
pulses at G1 and G2 of FETs are shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 respectively. PAM signal
actually resembles to flat top sampled signal of period Ts. Since the width of each PAM
pulse is τ therefore pulses at G2 starts at the position of τ unit delayed from kTs to
discharge the capacitor C.

x(t) xp(t)

G1 C
G2
Fig. 12: Circuit to convert continuous signal to PAM wave

G1 Fig. 13: Pulses at G1 of above circuit

t
0 Ts 2Ts 3Ts 4Ts 5Ts 6Ts

G2
Fig. 14: Pulses at G2 of above circuit
t
0 τ Ts 2Ts 3Ts 4Ts 5Ts 6Ts
 x(t) xp(t)

5 G1 C
G2

G1

t
0 Ts 2Ts 3Ts 4Ts 5Ts 6Ts

G2

t
0 τ Ts 2Ts 3Ts 4Ts 5Ts 6Ts

x(t),xp(t)
τ

t PAM
0 Ts 2Ts 3Ts 4Ts 5Ts 6Ts
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
In pulse width modulation (PWM), width of a carrier pulse is proportional to instantaneous
amplitude of the baseband signal of course the amplitude.
PWM can be generated simply from a comparator circuit of Fig. 15 where input at non-
inverting terminal is the baseband signal x(t) and a sawtooth wave at inverting terminal.
Resulting wave is shown in Fig. 16 where starting position of each pulse is at kTs but
terminating points depend on width of each pulse, hence amplitude of baseband signal.

xd(t)
x(t) t

Comparator PWM wave

Sawtooth
wave Monostable PPM
Multivibrator wave
6
Fig. 15: PWM and PPM generator
 PPM (Pulse Position Modulation)
x(t)

7
Comparator PWM wave

Sawtooth
wave Monostable PPM
wave
Multivibrator

In pulse position modulation (PPM),

amplitude and width of each pulse is kept
same but starting position of each pulse i.e.,
the distance between instant, t=kTs and stating
xd(t) PWM point of kth pulse depends on instantaneous
amplitude of baseband signal.
t

xpo(t) PPM PPM wave can be generated simply

applying PWM pulses at the input of a
t
monostable multivibrator.

Fig. 16: Output waves of PWM and PPM generator.

 Conversion of PWM to PAM
8
Let us now consider the case of conversion of PWM signal to PAM.
PWM pulses of fig. 17 (a) is passed through a ramp generator with large
capacitor at output to hold the final amplitude of the signal, the resulting
wave is shown in fig. 17(b).

A pulse train of period Ts is locally generated and added with the signal of
fig 17(b) such that pulses fall on the constant part of the wave shown in fig.
17(c). Finally pulses of fig.17(c) is passed through a clipper circuit of
threshold voltage shown by doted line of fig. 17.(c).

Clipper circuit actually clipped the signal below the threshold level,
therefore the resulting wave would be like fig.17(d) i.e., the equivalent
PAM signal. Baseband signal can be regenerated by passing the PAM wave
through a low pass filter.
 PWM

Fig. 17(a): PWM wave

Fig.17 (b): Output of Ramp Generator

Fig. 17(c): Locally generated pulses are added with ramp output

Fig. 17(d): Output of clipper circuit

10 Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM)

It is found that average amplitude of sample to sample difference

is less than that of original sampled wave of voice signal; therefore,
less number bit is required for PCM, maintaining same SQR. If
PCM is done on consecutive pulse difference instead of individual
pulse known as differential pulse code modulation (DPCM).

When sample to sample difference is expressed by a single bit

then the modulation scheme is called delta modulation is
considered as an special case of DPCM.
 Major components of transmitter and receiver of delta modulation are sampler,
predictor, quantizer, adder and smoothing filter shown in Fig. 18. In transmitter, the
analog baseband signal x(t) is sampled and a difference signal,  j is generated. Here
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is jth sampled pulse of x(t) is xj and gj is jth predicted pulse.

x(t) Sampler xj + j Quantizer

± k´
_

gj
Predictor +

Fig. 18(a): Delta modulator

± k´ + Smoothing
filter
_

gj Predictor

Fig. 18(b): Delta demodulator

 Predicted pulse is determined from linear combination of some previous sampled
pulses shown in Fig. 19 is expressed as,
12
k
gj   h x̂
s 1
s js

where x̂ j is the jth estimated sample determined as, g ± k´

Based on difference signal  j a pulse of amplitude k´ is generated by a quantizer

like,
k  if  j is positive

Pj  
 k  if  j is negative


Z-1 Z-1 Z-1 ......

Z-1
Fig. 19: Predictor circuit
h1 h2 hk

Σ gj
13 Let us demonstrate delta modulation transmitter and receiver with
the graph of fig. 20. Here predicted sample g1 at 1st sampling instant
is determined from linear combination of some fixed previous
samples. Now, g1 has to be compared with 1st sample x1 and it is
found from fig. 20 that x1 > g1, therefore transmitter will generate g1+
k´ and 1st estimated sample, x̂1 = g1+ k´ will be detected at receiver.

At 2nd sampling instant g2 is determined from the similar relation

and compared with x2 where x2 > g2, therefore transmitter will
generate g2 + k´ and 2nd estimated sample x̂2 = g2+ k´ will be detected
at receiver. Same condition is also found at 3rd sampling instant.
14

At 4th sampling instant x4 < g4, therefore transmitter will generate
-k´ and 4th estimated sample, x̂4 = g4- k´ will be detected at
receiver and so on.

Estimated samples are discrete points at the vicinity of the

baseband wave, but sometimes points are above the curve and
sometimes fall below the curve depending on the profile of the
baseband curve. These discrete points are made a continuous using
a smoothing filter.
 Fig. 20 Comparison of xˆ j (t )
and xj
15

k´

x(t) xj +
Sampler
Quantizer
± k´
_
gj

Predictor +
 Since the estimated sampled points are little away from the baseband wave
hence a quantization noise is incorporated with delta modulation like ig. 21. If the
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step size k´ is lowered, then the separation between x̂ 1 and xj will be reduced and
the zigzag curve of points would be smoother.

x(t)

t
Fig. 21: Output of the demodulator for larger step size
 When step size k´ is very small then the zigzag curve of estimated points are simply
unable to follow the baseband curve when the curve changes rapidly like Fig. 22, known as
17 slope overload distortion.

Maximum slope supported by the zigzag curve is k´/Ts ; where Ts is the sampling period.
Therefore a tradeoff has to be made with quantization noise and slope overload distortion
taking optimum step size kopt. Output of the demodulator for optimum step size is shown in
Fig. 23.

K´

Ts

Fig. 23: Output of the demodulator for

Fig. 22: Output of the demodulator for
smaller step size optimum step size
 Example-1
Determine optimum step size for the signal x(t)= 5sin(2π20t) considering
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sampling frequency of 8KHz.
dx(t )
Ans. The slope of the signal x(t),  5  2  20 cos( 2 20t )
dt

The maximum slope is obtained taking cos( 2 20t ) = 1.

The maximum slope of the signal mmax= 5  2  20 = 200π . From the trajectory of zigzag
curve of Fig. 23, the maximum slope supported by it,
k
tan( )  = kfs= k8000
Ts
Therefore, kopt = 200π/8000 = π/40 volt
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THANKS