ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY

FINAL REPORT
CHANNEL CODING:
QUADRATURE AMPLITUDE MODULATION
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS LAB
ECE 511FL: 1:00 4:00 M

SUBMITTED TO:
ENGR. RAUL MABITAZAN

SUBMITTED BY:

DOMINGO, JAN ASHLEY A.

RAINIEL R.

FUERTES, ALDRICH JESSE F.

JONATHAN MARK B.

JIMENEZ, JON

VILLAMIN,

CABURAO, LARA PATRICIA R.

12 DECEMBER 2016

I.

Discussion of Theory

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation or QAM is a form of modulation which is widely

used for modulating data signals onto a carrier used for radio communications. It is
widely used because it offers advantages over other forms of data modulation such
as PSK, although many forms of data modulation operate alongside each other.
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, QAM is a signal in which two carriers shifted in
phase by 90 degrees are modulated and the resultant output consists of both
amplitude and phase variations. In view of the fact that both amplitude and phase
variations are present it may also be considered as a mixture of amplitude and
phase modulation.
A motivation for the use of quadrature amplitude modulation comes from the fact that
a straight amplitude modulated signal, i.e. double sideband even with a suppressed
carrier occupies twice the bandwidth of the modulating signal. This is very wasteful
of the available frequency spectrum. QAM restores the balance by placing two
independent double sideband suppressed carrier signals in the same spectrum as
one ordinary double sideband supressed carrier signal.

Analogue and digital QAM

Quadrature amplitude modulation, QAM may exist in what may be termed either
analogue or digital formats. The analogue versions of QAM are typically used to
allow multiple analogue signals to be carried on a single carrier. For example it is
used in PAL and NTSC television systems, where the different channels provided by
QAM enable it to carry the components of chroma or colour information. In radio
applications a system known as C-QUAM is used for AM stereo radio. Here the
different channels enable the two channels required for stereo to be carried on the
single carrier.
Digital formats of QAM are often referred to as "Quantised QAM" and they are being
increasingly used for data communications often within radio communications
systems. Radio communications systems ranging from cellular technology as in the
case of LTE through wireless systems including WiMAX, and Wi-Fi 802.11 use a
variety of forms of QAM, and the use of QAM will only increase within the field of
radio communications.
Digital / Quantised QAM basics
Quadrature amplitude modulation, QAM, when used for digital transmission for radio
communications applications is able to carry higher data rates than ordinary

amplitude modulated schemes and phase modulated schemes. As with phase shift
keying, etc, the number of points at which the signal can rest, i.e. the number of
points on the constellation is indicated in the modulation format description, e.g.
16QAM uses a 16 point constellation.
When using QAM, the constellation points are normally arranged in a square grid
with equal vertical and horizontal spacing and as a result the most common forms of
QAM use a constellation with the number of points equal to a power of 2 i.e. 4, 16,
64 . . . .
By using higher order modulation formats, i.e. more points on the constellation, it is
possible to transmit more bits per symbol. However the points are closer together
and they are therefore more susceptible to noise and data errors.
Normally a QAM constellation is square and therefore the most common forms of
QAM 16QAM, 64QAM and 256QAM.
The advantage of moving to the higher order formats is that there are more points
within the constellation and therefore it is possible to transmit more bits per symbol.
The downside is that the constellation points are closer together and therefore the
link is more susceptible to noise. As a result, higher order versions of QAM are only
used when there is a sufficiently high signal to noise ratio.
To provide an example of how QAM operates, the constellation diagram below
shows the values associated with the different states for a 16QAM signal. From this
it can be seen that a continuous bit stream may be grouped into fours and
represented as a sequence.

Fig 1. Bit sequence mapping for a 16QAM signal

Normally the lowest order QAM encountered is 16QAM. The reason for this being
the lowest order normally encountered is that 2QAM is the same as binary phaseshift keying, BPSK, and 4QAM is the same as quadrature phase-shift keying,
QPSK.

Additionally 8QAM is not widely used. This is because error-rate performance of

8QAM is almost the same as that of 16QAM - it is only about 0.5 dB better and the
data rate is only three-quarters that of 16QAM. This arises from the rectangular,
rather than square shape of the constellation.
QAM advantages and disadvantages
Although QAM appears to increase the efficiency of transmission for radio
communications systems by utilising both amplitude and phase variations, it has a
number of drawbacks. The first is that it is more susceptible to noise because the
states are closer together so that a lower level of noise is needed to move the
signal to a different decision point. Receivers for use with phase or frequency
modulation are both able to use limiting amplifiers that are able to remove any
amplitude noise and thereby improve the noise reliance. This is not the case with
QAM.
The second limitation is also associated with the amplitude component of the
signal. When a phase or frequency modulated signal is amplified in a radio
transmitter, there is no need to use linear amplifiers, whereas when using QAM that
contains an amplitude component, linearity must be maintained. Unfortunately
linear amplifiers are less efficient and consume more power, and this makes them
less attractive for mobile applications.
Comparison of 8-QAM, 16-QAM, 32-QAM, 64-QAM 128-QAM, 256-QAM, Types
QAM, Quadrature amplitude modulation is widely used in many digital data radio
communications and data communications applications. A variety of forms of QAM
are available and some of the more common forms include 16 QAM, 32 QAM, 64
QAM, 128 QAM, and 256 QAM. Here the figures refer to the number of points on
the constellation, i.e. the number of distinct states that can exist.
The various flavours of QAM may be used when data-rates beyond those offered by
8-PSK are required by a radio communications system. This is because QAM
achieves a greater distance between adjacent points in the I-Q plane by distributing
the points more evenly. And in this way the points on the constellation are more
distinct and data errors are reduced. While it is possible to transmit more bits per
symbol, if the energy of the constellation is to remain the same, the points on the
constellation must be closer together and the transmission becomes more
susceptible to noise. This results in a higher bit error rate than for the lower order
QAM variants. In this way there is a balance between obtaining the higher data
rates and maintaining an acceptable bit error rate for any radio communications
system.
QAM applications

QAM is in many radio communications and data delivery applications. However

some specific variants of QAM are used in some specific applications and
standards.

Constellation diagrams for QAM

The constellation diagrams show the different positions for the states within different
forms of QAM, quadrature amplitude modulation. As the order of the modulation
increases, so does the number of points on the QAM constellation diagram.
The diagrams below show constellation diagrams for a variety of formats of
modulation:

Fig 2. 16QAM Constellation

Fig 3. 32QAM Constellation

Fig 4. 64QAM Constellation

QAM bits per symbol

The advantage of using QAM is that it is a higher order form of modulation and as
a result it is able to carry more bits of information per symbol. By selecting a higher
order format of QAM, the data rate of a link can be increased.
The table below gives a summary of the bit rates of different forms of QAM and
PSK.
MODULATION BITS PER SYMBOL

SYMBOL RATE

BPSK
QPSK

1
2

1 x bit rate
1/2 bit rate

8PSK

1/3 bit rate

16QAM

1/4 bit rate

32QAM

1/5 bit rate

64QAM

1/6 bit rate

QAM theory basics

Quadrature amplitude theory states that both amplitude and phase change within a
QAM signal.
The basic way in which a QAM signal can be generated is to generate two signals
that are 90 out of phase with each other and then sum them. This will generate a
signal that is the sum of both waves, which has a certain amplitude resulting from
the sum of both signals and a phase which again is dependent upon the sum of
the signals.

If the amplitude of one of the signals is adjusted then this affects both the phase
and amplitude of the overall signal, the phase tending towards that of the signal
with the higher amplitude content.
As there are two RF signals that can be modulated, these are referred to as the I In-phase and Q - Quadrature signals.
The I and Q signals can be represented by the equations below:
I = A cos() and Q = A sin()
It can be seen that the I and Q components are represented as cosine and sine.
This is because the two signals are 90 out of phase with one another.
Using the two equations it is possible to express the signal as:.
cos( + ) = cos()cos() - sin()sin()
Using the expression A cos(2ft + ) for the carrier signal.
A cos(2ft + ) = I cos(2?ft) - Q sin(2ft)
Where f is the carrier frequency.
This expression shows the resulting waveform is a periodic signal for which the
phase can be adjusted by changing the amplitude either or both I and Q. This can
also result in an amplitude change as well.
Accordingly it is possible to digitally modulate a carrier signal by adjusting the
amplitude of the two mixed signals.

II.

References

Comparison of 8-QAM, 16-QAM, 32-QAM, 64-QAM 128-QAM, 256-QAM, Types.

(n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2016, from http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/rftechnology-design/quadrature-amplitude-modulation-qam/8qam-16qam-32qam64qam-128qam-256qam.php

QAM Theory and Formulas. (n.d.). Retrieved

http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/rf-technolog

December

5,

2016,

from