LAB NO.

07: DSSS MODULATION

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND:
When a sinusoidal carrier is DSBSC modulated by a message, the two signals are multiplied
together. Recall also that the resulting DSBSC signal consists of two sets of sidebands but no
carrier.
When the DSBSC signal is demodulated using product detection, both sidebands are multiplied
with a local carrier that must be synchronised to the transmitter’s carrier (that is, it has the same
frequency and phase). Doing so produces two messages that are in-phase with each other and so
add to form a single bigger message.
Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS or often just “spread spectrum”) is a variation of the
DSBSC modulation scheme with a pulse train (called a pseudo-noise sequence or just PN
sequence) for the carrier instead of a simple sinewave. This may sound radical until you
remember that pulse trains are actually made up of a theoretically infinite number of sinewaves
(the fundamental and harmonics). That being the case, spread spectrum is really the DSBSC
modulation of a theoretically infinite number of sinusoidal carrier signals. The result is a
theoretically infinite number of pairs of tiny sidebands about a suppressed carrier.
In practice, not all of these sidebands have any energy of significance. However, the fact that the
message information is distributed across so many of them makes spread spectrum signals
difficult to deliberately interfere with or "jam". To do so, you would have to upset a significant
number of the sidebands which is difficult considering their number.
Spread spectrum signals are demodulated in the same way as DSBSC signals using a product
detector. Importantly, the product detector’s local carrier signal must contain all the sinewaves
that make up transmitter’s pulse train at the same frequency and phase. If this is not done, the
tiny demodulated signals will be at the wrong frequency and phase and so they won't add up to
reproduce the original message. Instead, they'll produce a garbage signal that looks like noise.
The only way for the receiver to generate the right number of sinewaves at the right frequency is
to use a pulse train with an identical sequence to that used by the transmitter. Moreover, it must
be synchronised. This issue gives spread spectrum another of its advantages over other
modulation schemes. The transmitted signal is effectively encrypted.
Of course, with trial and error it's possible for an unauthorised person to guess the correct PN
sequence to use for their receiver. However, this can be made difficult by making the sequence
longer before it repeats itself (that is, by making it consist of more bits or chips). Longer
sequences can produce more combinations of unique codes which would take longer to guess
using a trial and error approach. To illustrate this point, an 8-bit code has 256 combinations while
a 20-bit code has 1,048,575 combinations. A 256-bit code has 1.1579x107" combinations. That's
11579 with 73 zeros after it!
PROCEDURE:
RESULTS:
Question 3: Why is the spectral composition of the DSSS signal much more complex when
the carrier is a PN Sequence instead of a squarewave?
The spectral composition of a DSSS signal is much more complex when the carrier is a PN
sequence because the PN sequence has a much wider bandwidth than a square wave. The PN
sequence is a pseudo-random sequence that appears to be random but is actually deterministic.
When the PN sequence is used as the carrier, it spreads the energy of the signal over a wide
frequency band, resulting in a complex spectral composition.
RESULTS:

Question 1: What feature of the Multiplier module's output suggests that it’s basically a
DSBSC Signal? Tip: if you’re not sure, read the preliminary discussion for Experiment 6.
The absence of the carrier frequency component and the presence of two sidebands in the output
of the multiplier module suggests that it is basically a DSBSC (Double Sideband Suppressed
Carrier) signal.
Question 2: Why is the DSSS signal so large when it's supposed to be small and
indistinguishable from noise? Tip: If you are not sure, see the preliminary discussion for
this experiment.
The Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) signal is designed to be spread over a wide
frequency band, which makes it appear as noise to anyone who does not have the proper
decoding equipment. However, the signal itself is actually quite large because it needs to carry a
lot of information across the frequency band.