Chapter 4

Digital Transmission

4-1 DIGITAL-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSIONData can be either digital or analog.

Signals that represent data can also be digital or analog.

In this section, we see how we can represent digital data by using digital signals. The conversion involves three techniques: Line codingBlock codingScrambling.

4-1 DIGITAL-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSION

4-1 DIGITAL-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSION

Line CodingLine coding is the process of converting digital data to digital signals.

Line coding converts a sequence of bits to a digital signal.

At the sender, digital data are encoded into a digital signal; at the receiver, the digital data are recreated by decoding the digital signal

Figure 4.1 Line coding and decoding

Signal Element Versus Data Element

A data element is the smallest entity that can represent a piece of information: this is the bit.

In digital data communications, a signal element carries data elements.

A signal element is the shortest unit of a digital signal.

In other words, data elements are what we need to send; signal elements are what we can send.

Figure 4.2 Signal element versus data element

S = c * N * 1/r

WhereS: Signal Ratec: case factorN: Data Rater: Ratio of No of Data Elements to the No of Signal ElementsSignal Rate versus Data Rate

A signal is carrying data in which one data element is encoded as one signal element. If the bit rate is 100 kbps, what is the average value of the baud rate if c = .Example 4.1

Solution

Bandwidth vs. Data Rate

Nmax = 1/c * B * r

Baseline WanderingRunning average of the received signal power. This average is called the baseline.

A long string of 0s or 1s causes Baseline Wandering.

DC ComponentsSelf Synchronization

In a digital transmission, the receiver clock is 0.1 percent faster than the sender clock. How many extra bits per second does the receiver receive if the data rate is 1 kbps? How many if the data rate is 1 Mbps?Example 4.3

Figure 4.4 Line coding schemes

Unipolar SchemeAll the signal levels are on one side of the time axis, either above or below.

It is called NRZ because the signal does not return to zero at the middle of the bit.

Very primitive scheme, almost obsolete.

Figure 4.5 Unipolar NRZ scheme

Polar SchemeVoltages are on the both sides of the time axis.

In polar NRZ encoding, we use two levels of voltage amplitude.

We can have two versions of polar NRZ: NRZ-L (the level of the voltage determines the value of the bit) and NRZ-I (the change or lack of change in the level of the voltage determines the value of the bit).

Figure 4.6 Polar NRZ-L and NRZ-I schemes

Polar Scheme NRZBaseline wandering is a problem for both variations, it is twice as severe in NRZ-L.

The synchronization problem (sender and receiver clocks are not synchronized) also exists in both schemes. Again, this problem is more serious in NRZ-L than in NRZ-I.

Another problem with NRZ-L occurs when there is a sudden change of polarity in the system. For example, if twisted-pair cable is the medium, a change in the polarity of the wire results in all 0s interpreted as I s and all I s interpreted as 0s. NRZ-I does not have this problem.

Polar Scheme - RZUses three values: positive, negative, and zero.

In RZ, the signal changes not between bits but during the bit.

The main disadvantage of RZ encoding is that it requires two signal changes to encode a bit and therefore occupies greater bandwidth.

A sudden change of polarity resulting in all 0s interpreted as 1s and all 1s interpreted as 0s, still exist here, but there is no DC component problem.

Figure 4.7 Polar RZ scheme

Polar Scheme - BiphaseIn Manchester encoding, the duration of the bit is divided into two halves.

The voltage remains at one level during the first half and moves to the other level in the second half.

The transition at the middle of the bit provides synchronization.

First, there is no baseline wandering. There is no DC component because each bit has a positive and negative voltage contribution. The only drawback is the signal rate.

Figure 4.8 Polar biphase: Manchester and differential Manchester schemes

The minimum bandwidth of Manchester and differential Manchester is 2 times that of NRZ.

Bipolar SchemesIn bipolar encoding (sometimes called multilevel binary), there are three voltage levels: positive, negative, and zero.

The voltage level for one data element is at zero, while the voltage level for the other element alternates between positive and negative.

No DC component.

But has a synchronization problem.

Figure 4.9 Bipolar schemes: AMI and pseudoternary

Multilevel SchemesEither 2m = Ln or 2m < Ln

The code designers have classified these types of coding as mBnL, where m is the length of the binary pattern, B means binary data, n is the length of the signal pattern, and L is the number of levels in the signaling.

A letter is often used in place of L: B (binary) for L =2, T (ternary) for L =3, and Q (quaternary) for L =4.

Note that the first two letters define the data pattern, and the second two define the signal pattern.

Multilevel Schemes 2B1QUses data patterns of size 2 and encodes the 2-bit patterns as one signal element belonging to a four-level signal. In this type of encoding m =2, n =1, and L =4.

The average signal rate of 2BlQ is S =N/4. This means that using 2BIQ, we can send data 2 times faster than by using NRZ-L. However, 2BlQ uses four different signal levels, which means the receiver has to discern four different thresholds.

The reduced bandwidth comes with a price. There are no redundant signal patterns in this scheme because 22 =41.

Figure 4.10 Multilevel: 2B1Q scheme

Figure 4.11 Multilevel: 8B6T scheme

Figure 4.13 Multitransition: MLT-3 scheme

Table 4.1 Summary of line coding schemes

4-3 TRANSMISSION MODES

The transmission of binary data across a link can be accomplished in either parallel or serial mode.

In parallel mode, multiple bits are sent with each clock tick. In serial mode, 1 bit is sent with each clock tick.

While there is only one way to send parallel data, there are three subclasses of serial transmission: asynchronous, synchronous, and isochronous.

Figure 4.31 Data transmission and modes

Figure 4.32 Parallel transmission

Figure 4.33 Serial transmission

In asynchronous transmission, we send 1 start bit (0) at the beginning and 1 or more stop bits (1s) at the end of each byte. There may be a gap between each byte.

Asynchronous here means asynchronous at the byte level,but the bits are still synchronized; their durations are the same.

Figure 4.34 Asynchronous transmission

In synchronous transmission, we send bits one after another without start or stop bits or gaps. It is the responsibility of the receiver to group the bits.

Figure 4.35 Synchronous transmission

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