UNIT – V

Spread Spectrum Modulation

 Spread Spectrum
• Input is fed into a channel encoder
– Produces analog signal with narrow bandwidth
• Signal is further modulated using sequence of digits
– Spreading code or spreading sequence
– Generated by pseudo noise, or pseudo-random number generator
• Effect of modulation is to increase bandwidth of signal to be
transmitted.
• On receiving end, digit sequence is used to demodulate the
spread spectrum signal.
• Signal is fed into a channel decoder to recover data.
Spread Spectrum
 PN (Pseudo Noise or Pseudo Random)Sequences
• PN generator produces periodic sequence that appears to be
random.
• Shift register consists of ‘m’ flip-flops(FF), data from one FF
shifts to next whenever clock pulse is applied.
• The PN sequence is generated at the output of last FF.

Figure: Feedback shift register to generate pseudo-noise sequences

• Length (N)of PN sequence is 2m-1, where m is
the number of flip-flops.
N = 2m-1
• PN sequence is also known as maximum length
sequence.
• Duration of each bit in PN sequence is known
as chip (Tc).
• Period of PN sequence, Tb = NTc
• Rc is the chip rate (chips per second), Rc = 1/ Tc
(b) PN sequence c(t)
 Properties of PN Sequences
1. Balance Property: No. of 1’s is always one more than
no. of 0’s in each period of a PN sequence.
2. Run Property: Run means subsequence of identical
symbols i.e., 1’s or 0’s.
– ½ of the runs of length 1
– ¼ of the runs of length 2
– 1/8 of the runs of length 3 ……

3. Correlation Property: The autocorrelation function of

PN sequence is periodic and binary valued.
Autocorrelation of PN sequence (Rc(τ))
Shift register stages, m Feedback taps
2 (2,1)
3 (3,1)
4 (4,1)
5 (5,2); (5,4,3,2); (5,4,2,1)
6 (6,1); (6,5,2,1); (6,5,3,2)
… …
… …

Table: Feedback taps for shift registers up to 6 stages

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DS-SS)with Coherent
BPSK
• DS-SS BPSK Transmitter:

• Binary data bk is given to NRZ level encoder to obtain bipolar NRZ

sequence, b(t).
• Pseudo noise sequence generator generates PN sequence c(t) and is
multiplied with b(t) to produce direct sequence spread signal m(t).
• BPSK modulator modulates m(t) with the carrier signal φ(t) and
generates output signal x(t).
 Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DS-SS)with
Coherent BPSK
• DS-SS BPSK Receiver:
• DS-SS BPSK Receiver:
• Received signal y(t) is multiplied with the carrier signal
and the product signal is then passed through a LPF to
produce m^(t). (The bandwidth of LPF is equal to that
of m(t)).
• This signal is applied to the second demodulator which
despreads the signal.
• The integrator integrates the product of the detected
message signal and pseudo noise signal over one bit
period, Tb.
• The decision is then taken depending up on the polarity
of output (v) of the integrator.
 Performance of Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum system
1. Processing Gain (PG): PG is defined as the ratio the
bandwidth of spread message signal to the bandwidth
of unspreaded data signal.
2. Probability of error of DS/BPSK System:
3. Jamming Margin:
Ranging using DS-SS
Ranging using DS-SS
 Frequency Hop Spread Spectrum (FH-SS)
• Frequency hopping means to transmit the data bits in
different frequency slots.
• The total bandwidth of the output signal is equal to the
sum of all these frequency slots or hops.
• Hop rate (Rh): The rate of change of frequency hops.
• Symbol rate (Rs): the rate at which k-bit symbols of data
input sequence are generated.
• Types of frequency hopping:
– Slow Frequency hopping
– Fast Frequency hopping
 Slow Frequency Hopping
• When several symbols of data are transmitted in one
frequency hop, then it is called slow frequency
hopping.
• One frequency hop = Several symbols are transmitted
• Rh < Rs
• M-ary FSK is used along with frequency hop spread
spectrum.
• ‘k’ successive bits of input sequence represent 2k = M
symbols.
• Those M distinct symbols are transmitted with the help
of M-ary FSK modulation.
Transmitter of FH/MFSK System
 Transmitter of FH/MFSK System
• The input binary sequence is applied to the M-ary FSK modulator. The
modulator output is the particular frequency (out of M frequencies)
depending upon the input symbol.
• The output of FSK modulator is then applied to the mixer. The other i/p
to mixer is particular frequency from frequency synthesizer.
• The o/p of mixer is the sum frequency component of FSK signal and
frequency hop, known as FH/MFSK signal.
• The i/ps of frequency synthesizer are controlled by PN sequence
generator.
• The ‘t’ successive bits of PN sequence generator control the frequency
hops generated by the synthesizer.
• Since the bits of PN sequence generator change randomly, the frequency
hops generated also change randomly.
Receiver of FH/MFSK System
 Receiver of FH/MFSK System
• The received FH/MFSK signal is applied to the mixer along with
the synthesizer output.
• The sum and difference frequencies are generated by the mixer.
Only difference frequencies are allowed to pass the mixer, which
are exactly M-ary FSK signals.
• These signals are given to the non-coherent M-ary FSK detector
which detects the symbols transmitted.
 Example of slow frequency hopping
1. In the fig., 3 bits of PN sequence are used to select a hop i.e.,
there are 23 = 8 hops over complete bandwidth.
2. Two bits of i/p data represent one symbol. Here, two symbols
are transmitted on one frequency hop.
3. There will be total M=22=4 symbols. Thus in a single hop,
there are 4 different frequencies that correspond to 4 different
symbols.
4. In fig., two symbols can occupy any two frequencies in one
hop out of four.
5. The symbol 01 has FSK frequency of f2. and because of
frequency hopping this frequency is increased to fH+f2.
6. Symbol 11 has frequency of fH+f4. The hop frequency fH is
controlled by bits of PN sequence.
 Fast Frequency Hopping
• When several frequency hops are used to transmit one
symbol, then it is called fast frequency hopping.
• Several frequency hops = One symbol transmitted
• Rh > Rs
• Advantage of fast frequency hopping is that, before
the jammer tries to complete reception of one symbol,
carrier frequency changes.
Example of Fast Frequency Hopping
 Example of Fast Frequency Hopping
1. The first two bits 01 of i/p binary data form one
symbol (since bits per symbol are two).
2. Two hops are used to transmit one symbol.
3. As shown in figure, the frequency of FSK signal for
symbol 01 is f2. this symbol is transmitted in first
hop (fH1+f2) and also in other hop (fH6+f2).
Comparison of slow and fast frequency hopping
 Synchronization in spread spectrum systems

1. Spread spectrum systems are essentially synchronous. The

pseudo noise sequences generated at the receiver and
transmitter must be the same and locked to each other.
2. The synchronization of the spread spectrum systems can
be considered in two parts: Acquisition and tracking.
3. Acquisition means initial synchronization of the spread
spectrum signal.
4. Tracking starts after acquisition is complete. Acquisition
is also called as coarse synchronization and tracking is
called as fine synchronization.
 Acquisition of DS Signal using Serial Search

• It is based on the serial search concept.

• The received signal is correlated with the generated PN
sequence over the time interval NTc.
• The o/p of correlator is compared with a threshold.
• If it exceeds the threshold, then the required
signal is obtained.
• If it does not exceed, the PN generator o/p is
advanced by half chip duration and correlation
is performed.
• The o/p of correlator is again compared with
the threshold and the procedure is repeated.
Acquisition of DS Signal using Serial Search
• The VCO consists of frequency synthesizer, PN
generator and clock generator.
• The tuned filter passes only the intermediate frequency
f0.
• The envelope detector generates the output which is
compared with the threshold voltage.
• When the i/p frequency and frequency of VCO are
same, the o/p of threshold detector is high and the
clock generator starts running continuously.
• Then the signal is said to have acquired and the
tracking starts.
Comparison of Spread Spectrum Methods
Comparison of Spread Spectrum Methods
 Applications of Spread Spectrum Modulation
1. Anti-jamming for military applications
2. Low probability of intercept
3. Mobile communications
4. Secured communications
5. Distance measurements
6. Selective calling
7. CDMA communication