Modulation Types & Techniques

Today vast amounts of information are communicated using radio communications systems. Both
analogue radio communications systems, and digital or data radio communications links are used.
However one of the fundamental aspects of any radio communications transmission system is
modulation, or the way in which the information is superimposed on the radio carrier.
In order that a steady radio signal or "radio carrier" can carry information it must be changed or
modulated in one way so that the information can be conveyed from one place to another.
There are very many ways in which a radio carrier can be modulated to carry a signal, each having
its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of modulation have a great impact on the radio
communications system. Some forms are better suited to one kind of traffic whereas other forms of
modulation will be more applicable in other instances. Choosing the correct form of modulation is a
key decision in any radio communications system design.

Basic types of modulation

There are three main ways in which a radio communications or RF signal can be modulated:
Amplitude modulation, AM: As the name implies, this form of modulation involves
modulating the amplitude or intensity of the signal.

Amplitude modulation was the first form of modulation to be used to broadcast sound, and
although other forms of modulation are being increasingly used, amplitude modulation is
still in widespread use. Read more about Amplitude Modulation.
Frequency modulation, FM: This form of modulation varies the frequency in line with the
modulating signal.

Frequency modulation has the advantage that, as amplitude variations do not carry any
information on the signal, it can be limited within the receiver to remove signal strength
variations and noise. As a result is form of modulation has been used for many applications
including high quality analogue sound broadcasting.
Phase modulation, PM: As the name indicates, phase modulation varies the phase of the
carrier in line with the modulating signal.

Phase modulation and frequency modulation have many similarities and are linked - one is

the differential of the other. However phase modulation lends itself to data transmissions,
and as a result its use has grown rapidly over recent years.
Each type of modulation has its own advantages and disadvantages, and accordingly they are all
used in different radio communications applications.
In addition to the three main basic forms of modulation or modulation techniques, there are many
variants of each type. Again these modulation techniques are used in a variety of applications, some
for analogue applications, and others for digital applications.

Angle Modulation
Angle modulation is a name given to forms of modulation that are based on altering the angle or
phase of a sinusoidal carrier. Using angle modulation there is no change in the amplitude of the
carrier.
The two forms of modulation that fall into the angle modulation category are frequency modulation
and phase modulation.
Both types of angle modulation, namely frequency modulation and phase modulation are linked
because frequency is the derivative of phase, i.e. frequency is the rate of change of phase.
Another way of looking at the link between the two types of modulation is that a frequency
modulated signal can be generated by first integrating the modulating waveform and then using the
result as the input to a phase modulator. Conversely, a phase modulated signal can be generated by
first differentiating the modulating signal and then using the result as the input to a frequency
modulator.

Modulation combinations
It is possible to use forms of modulation that combine both amplitude and angle modulation
components. In this way enhancements in performance can be gained.
Quadrature amplitude modulation, QAM: Using this form of information amplitude and
phase information are sued to carry the signal. Data is modulated onto In-phase and
Quadrature elements of the signal: I & Q and the constellation forms a number of points in
the two planes.
Amplitude & Phase Sift Keying, APSK: Using APSK, the constellation can be arranged to
optimise the peak to average power ratio and fewer amplitude levels cab be set when
compared to QAM. This enables RF power amplifiers to operate more efficiently.

Signal bandwidth
One key element of any signal is the bandwidth it occupies. This is important because it defines the
channel bandwidth required, and hence the number of channels that can be accommodated within a
given segment of radio spectrum. With pressure on the radio spectrum increasing, the radio signal
bandwidth is an important feature of any type of radio emission or transmission.
The bandwidth is governed by two major features:

 The type of modulation Some forms of modulation use their bandwidth more effectively
than others. Accordingly where spectrum usage is of importance, this alone may dictate the
choice of modulation.
The bandwidth of the modulating signal: A law called Shannon's law determines the
minimum bandwidth through which a signal can be transmitted. In general, the wider the
bandwidth of the modulating signal, the wider the bandwidth required.

Modulating signal type

Apart from the form of modulation itself the type of signal being used to modulate the carrier also
has a bearing on the signal. Analogue and data are two very different forms of modulating signal
and need to be treated differently. While different formats of actual modulation may be used, the
type of signal being applied via the modulator also have a bearing on the signal.
Signals for high quality stereo broadcasting will be treated differently to signals that provide digital
telemetry for example. As a result, it is often important to know the signal type that needs to be
carried by the RF carrier.
In order to easily describe the different types of radio emissions or transmissions, the ITU,
International Telecommunications Union has defined a series of codes that easily define a radio
transmission or modulation format.
These ITU radio emission designations are widely used in the definition of the types of radio
transmission that are used within different portions of the spectrum and in other areas.
These ITU radio emission designations define the signal - the type of modulation, bandwidth and
the type of information being carried. As such the type of radio emission, or transmission is defined
and not the transmitter or the system that is used.
The ITU designation system was agreed at the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference
(WARC 79), and superseded a previous system which has now completely fallen out of use.

Radio emission types designation format

The ITU designations for the different types of radio emissions follows a standard format. This
enables anyone using the system to quickly identify the parameters of the particular transmission.
Although not all elements of the system may be used every time, it has been developed so that there
is no ambiguity whatever part of the system for describing the types of radio emission is used.
The system has the following format:

BBBB 123 45

Where:
BBBB are characters that define the bandwidth

Character "1" is a letter indicating the type of modulation

Character "2" is a digit that indicates the type of modulating signal
Character "3" is a letter indicating the type of information being transmitted
Character "4" is an optional letter indicating the practical details of the transmitted information
Character "5" is an optional letter indicating details about any multiplexing, if used.
Tables for the different characters 1 to 5 are given below.

Bandwidth designator
The bandwidth designator has the format of three digits that express the significant figures, and a
letter used for the decimal point.
The letters used are:
H: indicates hertz
k: indicates kilohertz
M: indicates Megahertz
G: indicates Gigahertz
Examples may include 200H for a 200 Hz bandwidth transmission, 6K00 for a 6 kHz bandwidth,
and 1M25 for a 1.25 MHz wide transmission, etc..

Character 1 - type of modulation

This character describes the format for the modulation itself. It provides information about the way
in which the signal is superimposed onto the carrier.

Letter
indicator

Details

Double sideband, DSB, including DSB full carrier, i.e.

amplitude modulation
Independent sideband, i.e. two sidebands present, each
B
carrying different information
C
Vestigial sideband
Combination of AM and FM or PM, either simultaneously
D
or in a pre-established sequence
F
Frequency modulation, FM
G
Phase modulation, PM
H
Single sideband full carrier
J
Single sideband suppressed carrier, SSBSC
K
Pulse amplitude modulation, PAM
L
Pulse width modulation, PWM
M
Pulse position modulation, PPM
N
Un-modulated carrier
P
Series of pulses without modulation
Sequence of pulses, phase or frequency modulation within
Q
each pulse
R
Single sideband with reduced or variable level carrier
V
Combination of pulse modulation methods
W
Combination of any of above
X
cases not covered by the above definitions
It is worth noting that frequency modulation and phase modulation may also be referred to by the
generic term: "angle modulation."
A

Character 2 - type of modulating signal

This character of the ITU designations for radio emissions details the characteristics of the
modulating signal. It provides information including whether the modulation is analogue or digital
and whether there is one channel of information or more being carried.

Letter
indicator
0

Details
No modulating signal
One channel containing digital information without the use
of modulating sub-carriers (excludes time division
multiplex)
One channel containing digital information with the use of
a modulating sub-carrier (excludes time division multiplex)
One channel containing analogue information
More than one channel containing digital information
More than one channel containing analogue information
Combination of analogue and digital channels
cases not covered by the above

1
2
3
7
8
9
X

Character 3 - type of transmitted information

This character in the ITU designation of radio emissions details the type of information being
carried. It provides some insight into the use and the way in which the information may be decoded.
Letter
indicator
A
B
C
D
E
F
W
X

Details
Telegraphy for aural reception - e.g. Morse code
Telegraphy for automatic reception, i.e. machine decoded
Facsimile
Data transmission, telemetry or command
Telephony, i.e. voice or music intended for human listening
(including sound broadcasting)
Video - television
Any combination of above
None of above

Character 4 - details of information

This character provides some insight into the format of the information - its coding and therefore
the requirements for decoding he information once it has been demodulated.

Letter
indicator
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
W
X

Details
Two condition code - elements vary in quantity and
duration
Two condition code - elements fixed in quantity and
duration
Two condition code - elements vary in quantity and
duration - error correction included
Four-condition code in which each condition represents a
signal element (or one or more bits)
Multi-condition code in which each condition represents a
signal element (of one or more bits)
Multi condition code - one character represented by one or
more conditions
Monophonic broadcast quality sound
Stereophonic or quadraphonic broadcast quality sound
Commercial, non-broadcast, quality sound (but excluding
K & L below)
Sound of commercial quality with the use of frequency
inversion and/or band-splitting employed
Sound of commercial quality with independent FM signals
to control the level of the demodulated signal, e.g. pilot
tones used to control demodulation process
Monochrome images or video
Full colour images or video
Combination of the above
Cases not covered by the above descriptions

Character 5 - details of multiplexing

Increasingly radio channels are used to carry more than one stream of information, or they may be
required to share the channel with other users or streams of information. This character in the ITU
designation of radio transmissions provides information about any multiplexing.
Letter
indicator
C
F
N
T
W
X

Details
Code-division multiplex (including code expansion
techniques such as direct sequence spread spectrum)
Frequency-division multiplex
None used
Time-division multiplex
Combination of frequency division and time division
Other types of multiplexingNone of above