Dr.

Ali Muqaibel [QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation]

Quadrature Amplitude
Modulation (QAM)
Contents
QAM Modulation and Demodulation ..............................................................................1
Demodulation: Frequency and Phase Mismatch ...........................................................2
Summary of advantages and disadvantages of QAM .....................................................3
Did you know? ..........................................................................................................3

QAM Modulation and Demodulation

If you noticed, you would see that so far we have always used a carrier that is c(t) = cos(Ct)
to modulate the message signals both in AM and DSBSC. There is nothing special about using
a cosine instead of a sine carrier. In fact, we can transmit two signal using the same carrier
frequency but using cos(Ct) for one of the message signals and sin(Ct) for the other
signal. These transmitted signals if transmitted over the same channel would not interfere
with each other and can be demodulated.

Consider the following block diagram of a Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and
Demodulation system:

m1(t)cos2(ct) + m2(t)sin(ct)cos(ct)
=m1(t)/2+m1(t) cos(2ct)/2 + m2(t)sin(2ct)/2

IN-PHASE Baseband Around 2c Around 2c

modulator branch
m1(t)cos(ct)
HLPF()
m1(t) X X BW = 2B
m1(t)/2

cos(ct) cos(ct) IN-PHASE

demodulator branch

Phase Shifter Phase Shifter
sin(ct) sin(ct) QUADRATURE
/2 /2 demodulator branch

HLPF()
m2(t)
X X BW = 2B
m2(t)/2
m2(t)sin(ct)

QUADRATURE
m1(t)sin(ct)cos(ct) + m2(t)sin2(ct)
modulator branch m1(t)cos(ct) + m2(t)sin(ct) =m1(t)sin(2ct)/2 + m2(t)/2 m2(t)cos(2ct)/2

Around 2c Baseband Around 2c

QAM Modulator/Demodulator

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Dr. Ali Muqaibel [QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation]

Demodulation: Frequency and Phase Mismatch

The modulator/demodulator system shown above clearly is able to modulate and
demodulate two different signals without any interference. However, if the generation of
the carrier at the demodulator had even small phase or frequency errors, the demodulated
signals will interfere at the outputs. The following figure illustrate what happens when the
carrier at the demodulator has a small frequency error (must be a small value much less
than c) and/or a small phase error .

m1(t)cos(ct)cos[(c+)t+] + m2(t)sin(ct)cos[(c+)t+]
=(1/2)[m1(t)cos(t+) + m1(t) cos(2ct+t+) m2(t)sin(t+) + m2(t)sin(2ct+t+)]

Baseband Around 2c Baseband Around 2c

m1(t)cos(ct)
HLPF()
m1(t) X X (1/2)[m1(t)cos(t+) m2(t)sin(t+)]
BW = 2B

cos(ct) cos[(c+)t+]

Phase Shifter Phase Shifter
sin(ct) /2 /2 sin[(c+)t+]

HLPF()
m2(t) X X (1/2)[m1(t)sin(t+) + m2(t)cos(t+)]
BW = 2B
m2(t)sin(ct)

m1(t)cos(ct) + m2(t)sin(ct) m1(t)cos(ct)sin[(c+)t+] + m2(t)sin(ct)sin[(c+)t+]

=(1/2)[m1(t)sin(t+) + m1(t) sin(2ct+t+) + m2(t)cos(t+) m2(t)cos(2ct+t+)]

Baseband Around 2c Baseband Around 2c

QAM Modulator/Demodulator with Demodulator Carrier Phase and/or Frequency Error

If the carrier at the receiver has a small frequency error (but a phase error =0), we see
that the two output signal become

r1 (t ) =
1
[m1 (t ) cos(t ) m2 (t ) sin(t )]
2
.
r2 (t ) = [m1 (t ) sin( t ) + m2 (t ) cos(t )]
1
2

Clearly, in this case, the output signals are not purely either of the two message signals but a
combination (Co-channel interference). The ratio of message 1 to message 2 at the different
outputs changes as a sinusoid with a frequency equal to the frequency error .

If the carrier at the receiver has a phase error (but a frequency error = 0), we see that
the two output signal become

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Dr. Ali Muqaibel [QAM: Quadrature Amplitude Modulation]

r1 (t ) =
1
[m1 (t ) cos( ) m2 (t ) sin( )]
2
.
r2 (t ) = [m1 (t ) sin( ) + m2 (t ) cos( )]
1
2

In this case, the output signals are also mixed signals of the two messages. However, the
ratio of the two messages in each output is a constant.

Summary of advantages and disadvantages of QAM

+ Bandwidth Efficiency: Transmit two signals (each of bandwidth B) at 2B.

- Requires coherent demodulation with exact phase and frequency.

Did you know?

The cos term is known as the in-phase (I) component and the sin term is known as
the quadrature (Q) component.
QAM is used in color TV for colors information.