Signal Processing

Analysis of the performance of Pulse Code

Modulation using MATLAB
By: LUCAS DAVAL-POMMIER

1: UL, Limerick

Date: 15/10/2023

Abstract:

Pulse Code Modulation, or PCM for short, is a widely used method in the world of digital communication. It
helps us to convert analog signals, like voice or music, into a digital format that computers and other digital
systems can understand and work with. This paper takes a closer look at how efficient PCM is, especially
when we think about aspects like bit rate and bandwidth, which are crucial for transmitting signals without
using too many resources. We will explore how changing different parameters, like bit depth and sampling
rate, affects the quality of the signal and the amount of data we need to send it. Additionally, we will
investigate how we can compress PCM signals to use even less data, without losing too much quality.
Through practical examples and simulations using MATLAB, a popular programming environment for
engineers and scientists, this paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of PCM and offer insights into
how we can use it more effectively in real-world situations where the available bandwidth for transmitting
signals might be limited.

Keywords:
Pulse Code Modulation; Quantization; Sampling; Signal Processing; Bit Depth; Signal-to-Noise Ratio; µ-law
Companding; Lossy Compression; MATLAB Implementation; Signal Fidelity; Bandwidth; Bit Rate; Analog
Signal; Digital Signal; Encoding; Decoding; Signal Reconstruction; Error Signal; Companding Techniques;
Signal Compression; Decompression; Audio Signal Processing; Communication Systems; Signal
Transmission; Signal Encoding; Digital Communication; Analog-to-Digital Conversion; Digital-to-Analog
Conversion; Signal Analysis; Signal Quality; Signal Error; Signal Visualization.
 Signal Processing
bits transmitted per second, is given by the
1. Introduction formula:

Bit Rate=Bit Depth×Sampling Rate

Pulse Code Modulation, often just called PCM, is a
key player in helping us to communicate in the ​ he sampling rate, another key parameter, denotes
T
digital age. It allows us to take analog signals, how often the analog signal is sampled per
which can be thought of as smooth, continuous second. According to the Nyquist-Shannon
waves, and turn them into a format that digital sampling theorem, to accurately represent an
systems, like computers and telephones, can analog signal, it should be sampled at least twice
understand and use. While many people are the highest frequency present in the signal. Thus,
familiar with the basic idea of PCM, there's a lot the sampling rate also directly impacts the bit rate
more to explore when we start to think about how and, consequently, the bandwidth required to
efficiently it works. In this paper, we're going to transmit the signal.
dive a bit deeper into PCM, exploring how
different settings and approaches can affect how
much data we need to use to send signals and how Bandwidth, representing the range of frequencies
good those signals sound when they arrive. Using within a given signal, is inherently tied to the bit
MATLAB, we'll create some practical examples to rate. A higher bit rate necessitates a higher
show these concepts in action, helping to make bandwidth to accommodate the increased data
the theory more concrete and easier to transmission. In communication systems,
understand. Our goal is to shed light on the inner bandwidth is a finite, often scarce, resource.
workings of PCM and to provide useful insights Therefore, understanding and optimizing the
that might help us to use it more effectively in relationship between bit depth, sampling rate, bit
real-world applications, especially when our rate, and bandwidth is paramount to ensuring
resources might be limited. efficient communication, particularly in scenarios
where bandwidth is limited or expensive.

2. Bit Rate and Bandwidth in 2.2. Significance of Bit Rate and

PCM Bandwidth in Communication
Systems
2.1. Explore the Relationship In the realm of communication systems, the
Between Bit Depth, Sampling significance of bit rate and bandwidth cannot be
Rate, Bit Rate, and Bandwidth overstated. The bit rate is intrinsically linked to
Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) has been a the quality of the transmitted signal. A higher bit
cornerstone in digital communication, providing a rate, facilitated by a higher bit depth or sampling
structured methodology to convert continuous, rate, typically allows for a higher quality
analog signals into a digital format. This reconstructed signal, as it can more accurately
conversion is not merely a straightforward represent the original analog waveform. However,
translation but involves a series of systematic this comes with increased demands on the
steps, each contributing to the eventual formation transmission medium, specifically in terms of
of a digital signal. Two pivotal parameters in this bandwidth.
process, which warrant a detailed exploration, are
bit rate and bandwidth.
Bandwidth is the width of the range of frequencies
that an electronic signal occupies on a given
Bit depth, or the number of bits utilized per transmission medium. Any communication
sample, plays a crucial role in determining the channel, whether it be a copper wire, optical fiber,
resolution of the quantized signal. A higher bit or wireless radio channel, has a finite bandwidth,
depth implies a greater number of quantization i.e., a limited capacity to transmit data. The
levels, which, in turn, allows for a more accurate efficient utilization of this limited resource, while
representation of the original analog signal. ensuring the fidelity of the transmitted signal, is a
However, this increased accuracy comes at a cost: delicate balancing act that communication
a higher bit depth also means more bits per engineers must navigate.
sample, which directly influences the bit rate of
the signal. The bit rate, defined as the number of
In practical terms, the significance of bit rate and reducing the time interval between successive
bandwidth becomes particularly evident in symbols.
applications like telecommunication, audio
streaming, and video conferencing. For instance,
in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) One prevalent technique to mitigate ISI is the
communication, the available bandwidth can utilization of equalization, which seeks to
significantly impact the quality of the voice counteract the effects of the channel and minimize
communication. A higher bit rate, while providing interference between symbols. Equalizers,
better voice quality, demands more bandwidth. If implemented at the receiver, are designed to
the available bandwidth is insufficient, it might inversely model the channel, compensating for the
result in packet loss, latency, and jitter, degrading distortion introduced during transmission and
the quality of the communication. thereby enhancing symbol detection. In the
MATLAB environment, equalization can be
Moreover, in mobile communication, where
explored by simulating the transmission of
bandwidth is often at a premium, optimizing bit
PCM-encoded signals through a band-limited
rate and ensuring efficient bandwidth utilization
channel, introducing ISI, and then employing
are crucial. The transmission of high bit rate
different equalization techniques to mitigate this
signals over a limited bandwidth channel can
interference and improve the quality of the
result in interference and crosstalk with adjacent
received signal. By strategically implementing and
channels, further degrading signal quality.
optimizing equalization within the context of PCM,
it is possible to navigate through the inherent
trade-offs between bit rate, bandwidth, and signal
In multimedia streaming, the bit rate directly
quality, ensuring robust and reliable
impacts the viewer’s experience. Higher video
communication across various applications and
resolutions and better audio quality demand
scenarios.
higher bit rates, but they also require more
bandwidth to be transmitted without buffering or
loss of quality. Adaptive streaming technologies 4. MATLAB Implementations
often dynamically adjust the bit rate based on the
available bandwidth to provide a stable streaming 4.1. Implement PCM with Different
experience, albeit at varying quality. Bit Depths and Visualize the
Trade-off Between Bit Rate and
Signal Quality
3. Intersymbol Interference Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) is a pivotal
technique in digital signal processing, enabling the
3.1. Interference within PCM
conversion of analog signals into a digital format.
In the realm of digital communications, Pulse The process involves sampling the analog signal
Code Modulation (PCM) stands out as a pivotal and quantizing the sampled values to represent
technique for converting analog signals into a them in digital form. Two primary parameters that
stream of digital symbols, ensuring the reliable influence the resultant digital signal are bit depth
transmission of information. However, the and sampling rate, which respectively determine
transmission of these symbols through a the resolution of quantization and the number of
communication channel is often impeded by samples taken per second.
Intersymbol Interference (ISI), a phenomenon
where symbols encroach upon their neighbors,
distorting the received signal and potentially
leading to symbol errors at the receiver. ISI
predominantly arises in band-limited channels, N is the bit depth. A higher bit depth allows for a
where the limited bandwidth causes the more accurate representation of the analog signal
transmitted symbols to spread and overlap in time. but also increases the bit rate, demanding more
Within the context of PCM, where the bit rate and bandwidth for transmission.
symbol rate are inherently tied to the sampling fs = 8000; % Sampling frequency in Hz
rate and bit depth used for quantization, ISI can be t = 0:1/fs:1; % Time vector signal =
particularly impactful. A higher sampling rate or sin(2*pi*440*t); % Example sine wave
bit depth, while enabling a more accurate signal bit_depths = [4, 8, 16]; %
representation of the original analog signal, also Different bit depths to explore
necessitates a higher symbol rate, which, in a
band-limited channel, can exacerbate ISI by
3
Research method Project – Literature review

5. Case Study especially in bandwidth-scarce environments like

mobile communication and high-demand
scenarios like audio streaming. By navigating
5.1. Present Real-world through the trade-offs between bit rate,
Scenarios Where Efficiency in bandwidth, and signal quality, and strategically
PCM is Crucial employing compression techniques, PCM can be
effectively utilized to ensure robust, high-quality
In real-world scenarios, such as communication and data transmission across
telecommunication and audio streaming, the various applications and scenarios.
efficiency of PCM is paramount. For instance, in
telecommunication, especially in mobile
communication, bandwidth is a scarce and 7. References
valuable resource. Efficient utilization of
[1] Andy Bateman, "Digital Communications”
bandwidth, while ensuring clear and intelligible
communication, is crucial. Similarly, in audio [2] Sunny ClassRoom,
streaming services, where users stream https://youtu.be/HlGJ6xxbz8s?si=psWJur3k
high-quality audio, managing bandwidth and 6tFOxsr4
storage for vast libraries of audio data while [3] edyayahan_center Pulse code Manipulation
maintaining audio quality is a significant https://youtu.be/1dOB1HA2Uok?si=eEChxv
challenge. ifWREjQPfn

5.2. Discuss the Implications

of Bit Rate and Bandwidth in
These Applications
In applications like VoIP communication, the
available bandwidth can significantly impact the
quality of voice communication. A higher bit rate,
while providing better voice quality, demands
more bandwidth. If the available bandwidth is
insufficient, it might result in packet loss, latency,
and jitter, degrading the communication quality. In
audio streaming, adaptive bit rate streaming is
often employed, where the streaming server
adjusts the bit rate based on the user's internet
speed, ensuring continuous streaming even with
varying internet speeds.

6. Conclusion

The MATLAB implementations elucidate the

inherent trade-offs in PCM regarding bit depth, bit
rate, and signal quality. A higher bit depth, while
enabling a more accurate representation of the
analog signal, demands a higher bit rate and,
consequently, more bandwidth for transmission.
Furthermore, compression techniques, such as
µ-law companding, can significantly reduce the bit
rate, albeit with a compromise in signal quality.

Understanding and optimizing the efficiency of

PCM are pivotal in practical applications,
4