Digital Communications/ Digital Transmission

Pulse Shaping
&
Nyquist Criteria for Zero ISI
Sinc,
Raised cosine
Excess Bandwidth
Roll-off factor

Dr. Ali Hussein Muqaibel

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 1

Pulse Shaping & Spectrum
Bit Value 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1
Pulse Shaping Filter
𝑥(𝑡) Impulse response 𝑦(𝑡) 1V

𝑝 𝑡
𝑋(𝑓) Transfer Function
𝑌(𝑓) y(t) 0V t
Tb 2Tb 3Tb 4Tb 5Tb 6Tb 7Tb 8Tb

𝑆𝑥 (𝑓) 𝑃(𝑓) 𝑆𝑦 𝑓 –1 V

𝑆𝑥 (𝑓) and 𝑆𝑦 𝑓 are the power spectral density

Bit Value 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1

1V

x(t) 0V t
Tb 2Tb 3Tb 4Tb 5Tb 6Tb 7Tb 8Tb

𝑦(𝑡) = 𝑥(𝑡) ∗ 𝑝(𝑡) –1 V

𝑌(𝑓) = 𝑋(𝑓) 𝑃(𝑓) Bit Value

1V

2
𝑆𝑦 𝑓 = 𝑆𝑥 (𝑓) 𝑃 𝑓 p(t) 0V t
Tb

–1 V

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 2

 Transmission Channel
Transmission Channel
Filter y(t) BW = Bc Hz
x(t) Impulse response p(t) r(t)
Impulse response c(t)
Transfer Function P() PSD is Sy() Transfer Function C()
PSD is Sx() PSD is Sr()

2 𝐵𝑊𝑦 ≤ 𝐵𝑐
𝑆𝑟 𝑓 = 𝐶 𝑓 𝑆𝑦 (𝑓)
• For a signal 𝑦(𝑡) to be transmitted properly through a
channel, the bandwidth of the channel 𝐵𝑐 must at least be as
much as the bandwidth of the transmitted signal 𝑦(𝑡).
• (or the bandwidth of 𝑦(𝑡) must be less than or equal to 𝐵𝑐)
• What if condition not met? Intersymbol Interference (ISI)

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 3

ISI Demonstration
Transmission Channel
Filter y(t) BW = Bc Hz r(t)
x(t) Impulse response p(t)
Impulse response c(t)
Transfer Function P() PSD is Sy() Transfer Function C() PSD is Sr()
PSD is Sx()
x(t) p(t) y(t) r(t)

t t t t
Tb 2Tb 3Tb Tb Tb 2Tb 3Tb Tb 2Tb 3Tb

Parts
Sy() C() Filtered out Sr()

  
/Tb /Tb /Tb Bc /Tb /Tb /Tb
–Bc Bc

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 4

Pulse Shaping
The line codes presented earlier have been demonstrated using (rectangular)
pulses.
There are two problems in transmitting such pulses:
◦ They require infinite bandwidth.
◦ When transmitted over bandlimited channels become time unlimited on the other side, and
spread over adjacent symbols, resulting in Inter-Symbol-Interference (ISI).

Band limited
Channel

Wrong decision (high not low)

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 5

 Nyquist-Criterion for Zero ISI (Time Domain)
Use a pulse shape that has a nonzero amplitude at its center and zero amplitude at 𝑡 = ±𝑛𝑇𝑏 (𝑛 = 1,2,3, … … ).

• 𝑇𝑏 is the separation between successive

1
1 1
pulses. 𝑇𝑏 = 𝑅
𝑏

1 𝑛=0
𝑝 𝑛𝑇𝑏 = ቊ
0 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑛
00
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
• Which pulse satisfies that with minimum -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

bandwidth requirements?
𝑝 𝑡 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐(𝜋𝑅𝑏 𝑡) -1
-1 𝑇𝑏
1 𝑓
𝑃 𝑓 = Π
𝑅𝑏 𝑅𝑏

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 6

Nyquist-Criterion in the ∞

෍ 𝑷 𝒇 − 𝒏𝑹𝒃 = 𝑻𝒃
Frequency Domain 𝒏=−∞

𝑝ҧ 𝑡 = 𝑝 𝑡 𝛿𝑇𝑏 𝑡 = 𝛿(𝑡)
Take Fourier transform of both sides
1 ∞ 1
σ 𝑃 𝑓 − 𝑛𝑅𝑏 = 1 𝑅𝑏 =
𝑇𝑏 𝑛=−∞ 𝑇𝑏

The pulse that have zero ISI, should have a spectrum if shifted to the multiple value of the rate
should result in a constant.
σ∞
𝒏=−∞ 𝑷 𝒇 − 𝒏𝑹𝒃 = 𝑻𝒃

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 7

 The Sinc Pulse
𝑝(𝑡)
1

−𝑅𝑏 𝑅𝑏 0 𝑅𝑏 𝑅𝑏
−
2 2

t
-6Tb -5Tb -4Tb -3Tb -2Tb -Tb Tb 2Tb 3Tb 4Tb 5Tb 6Tb

This pulse has a bandwidth of 𝑅𝑏/2 Hz.

𝑃(𝑓)
Therefore, the minimum channel bandwidth
required for transmitting pulses at a rate
of 𝑅𝑏 pulses/sec with zero ISI is 𝑅𝑏/2 Hz
𝑓
−1/(2𝑇𝑏 ) 1/(2𝑇𝑏 )

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 8

Features of the Sinc Pulse
The sinc pulse has the minimum bandwidth
among pulses satisfying Nyquist criterion.
1
However, the sinc pulse is not fast decaying
1
(decays very slowly 1/𝑡 rate, time error σ );
𝑛
◦ Misalignment in sampling (time jitter) results in
significant ISI. 0
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
◦ Requires long delays for realization.

There is a set of pulses that satisfy the Nyquist

criterion and decay at a faster rate. However,
they require bandwidth more than 𝑅𝑏/2. -1

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 9

Raised-Cosine Pulses 1.5

0.5

Amplitude
0

-0.5

𝛽 = 𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ
-1

-1.5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time

𝑟 = 0.2 & 0.5 which is which?

0.5 (blue curve) to 0.2 (red curve)

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 10

Raised-Cosine Pulses
P(f) fx fx
𝑅𝑏
1, 𝑓 < − 𝑓𝑥
2
𝑅𝑏
𝑓 −
𝑃 𝑓 = 1 1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜋 2 𝑓−
𝑅𝑏
< 𝑓𝑥
2 2𝑓𝑥 2 f
𝑅𝑏
0 𝑓 > + 𝑓𝑥 Rb/2
2
Rb/2 – fx Rb/2 + fx

𝑓𝑥 is the excess bandwidth. It defines how much bandwidth

required above the minimum bandwidth of a sinc pulse.
𝑅𝑏
0 ≤ 𝑓𝑥 ≤
2

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 11

Extremes of Raised-Cosine Spectra
P(f) fx = Rb/2
fx = 0 𝑟 is the roll-off factor
“Sinc”
Rb/2 Rb/2
Designing for a specific
pulse shape might have
practical limitations,
especially that the designed
f pulse should be at the
Rb/2 Rb receiver side.
=1/2Tb =1/Tb

𝐸𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑓𝑥 2𝑓𝑥 For baseband transmission

𝑟= = = 𝑅𝑏 𝑅𝑏
𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑅𝑏 𝑅𝑏 𝐵𝑊 =
2
+𝑟
2
2
DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 12
 Raised Cosine : full roll-off factor
For 𝑟 = 1, (full roll-off factor). The above equations 𝑅𝑏
1, 𝑓 < − 𝑓𝑥
for raised cosine becomes 𝑅
𝑓− 𝑏
2

𝑃 𝑓 = 1 1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜋 2 𝑓−
𝑅𝑏
< 𝑓𝑥
2 2𝑓𝑥 2
𝑓𝑥 = 𝑅𝑏 /2 0 𝑓 >
𝑅𝑏
+ 𝑓𝑥
2

1 𝜋𝑓 𝑓
P(f) fx fx

𝑃 𝑓 = 1 + cos Π
2 𝑅𝑏 2𝑅𝑏
f

And Rb/2

Rb/2 – fx Rb/2 + fx

cos 𝜋𝑅𝑏 𝑡
𝑝 𝑡 = 𝑅𝑏 2 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐(𝜋𝑅𝑏 𝑡)
1 − 4𝑅𝑏 𝑡

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 13

 Exercise: choose the correct answer

Compared to a sinc pulse, the raised-cosine pulse with full roll-off factor (𝑟 = 1) has the advantage of:
a) less transmitted power.
b) less bandwidth.
c) faster rate of decay.
d) less DC value.
e) All of the above.

Data at a rate of 7 𝑘𝑏𝑖𝑡/𝑠 is to be transmitted over a baseband channel of bandwidth 4 𝑘𝐻𝑧 using Nyquist
criterion pulses. Determine the maximum value of the roll-off factor 𝑟 that can be used.
a) 4/7
b) 7/4
c) 1/4
d) 1/7
e) 3/7

Is it possible to design a system with zero ISI and symbol rate greater than twice the bandwidth?
Justify your answer in view of Nyquist zero ISI criterion.
DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 14
 Exercises
1. A leased telephone line of bandwidth 3 𝑘𝐻𝑧 is used to transmit
binary pulses. Calculate the data rate (in bits per seconds) that can
be transmitted if we use baseband communications with roll-off
factor 𝑟 = 0.25.
1
2. A binary data is to be transmitted using baseband binary 0.5
transmission with the pulse shape having the spectrum shown in f kHz

the figure. What is the transmission rate that results in zero ISI. 10 12 15 17

Explain how you got your answer.

3. A pulse 𝑝 𝑡 whose spectrum 𝑃 𝑓 is shown in the figure satisfies
Nyquist’s criterion. If 𝑓1 = 0.7 𝑀𝐻𝑧 and 𝑓2 = 1.3 𝑀𝐻𝑧, determine
the maximum rate at which binary data can be transmitted by this
pulse using Nyquist criterion. What is the roll-off factor?
Show your steps.

DR. ALI HUSSEIN MUQAIBEL 15