EXPERIMENT 8: BINARY PHASE SHIFT KEYING (BPSK)

OBJECTIVE
Investigates the generation and reception of binary phase shift keying (BPSK) waveforms.

INTRODUCTION
AM and FM modulation scheme are commonly used to transmit digital signals and this allows for the
channel to be shared. As digital data forms the message instead of speech or music, it is preferred that the
two systems are called ASK and FSK instead. Recalls that ASK uses the digital datas 1s and 0s to switch
a carrier between two amplitudes, while FSK uses them to switch a carrier between to frequencies. An
alternative to these two methods is to use the data streams 1s and 0s to switch the carrier between two
phases. This method is called Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK). Figure 1 below shows what a BPSK
signal looks like time-coincident with the digital signal that has been used to generate it.

Figure 1

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EQUIPMENT
Emona Telecoms Trainer 101
Oscilloscope and Patch Leads
Dual Channel Oscilloscope

PROCEDURE
Part A Generating an BPSK signal
1. Oscilloscope configured as following:
i.
Trigger source control toggled to EXT position
ii.
Trigger source coupling control toggled to the HF REJ position
iii.
Mode control toggled to CH1 position
iv.
Input coupling of CH1 and CH2 toggled to DC position
v.
Timebase control toggled to 10 us/div
2. Sequence Generator Module located and its dip-switch toggled to 00.
3. Equipments are connected as follows:

Figure 2

4. Oscilloscope been used to monitor the digital signal (Sequence Generator Modules output) and
the BPSK signals envelopes.
5. RUN/STOP button utilized, STOP button pressed to view at least one transition of the digital
signal.
6. Digital signal and the BPSK signal are saved as results.

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Part B Demodulating a BPSK signal using product detector

1. Tunable LPF module located. Gain control then toggled to about middle of its travel; and the Cutoff Frequency Adjust control toggled to fully clockwise.
2. Previous equipment connection then modified as Figure 3 below:

Figure 3

3. Digital signal and demodulated BPSK signal waveforms are saved as results.

Part C Restoring the recovered data using a comparator

1. Equipment connection in Part B then modified as Figure 4 below:

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Figure 4

2. Variable DCV modules Variable DC control toggled to middle of its travel.

3. The two signals monitored throughout the experiment using RUN/STOP button. Variable DCV
modules Variable DC control varied until they are the same (phase shift ignored).
4. Digital signal and the restored digital signal waveforms are saved as results.

RESULT
Part A: Generating a BPSK signal
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Digital
Signal

BPSK Signal

Figure 5: Generating BPSK Signal

Phase
Shifting:
90

Phase
Shifting:
270

Part B: Demodulating a BPSK signal using product detector

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Digital
Signal

Demodulate
d BPSK
Signal

Figure 6: Demodulating BPSK Signal

Part C: Restoring the recovered data using a comparator

Digital
Signal

Recovered
Digital
Signal

Figure 7: Restored Digital Signal

DISCUSSION

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1. What happens to the BPSK signal in part A on the data streams logic
transitions?
ANS: The change in logic level causes the BPSK signals phase to change by
180. When the signal is travelling towards a positive peak, the change in
logic level causes it to reverse direction and head back toward the negative
peak (and vice versa).
2. Why is the recovered signal in part B not a perfect copy of the original?
ANS: Due to the existence of the distortions that affect the waveform of the
signal. The original signal only contains two levels of voltage.
3. Why does changing the DC voltage on the comparators input change the
shape of the digital signal?
ANS: The comparator turns the slow rising voltages of the recovered digital
into sharp transitions when the comparator filters the recovered signal by
comparing and following it with the original voltage. The comparators input
voltage must be set correctly in order to get accurate restored digital signal.
4. How do the noise levels used in part D different from each other?
ANS: 0 dB means the power of noise is the same as the message signal. -6dB
means the power of noise is of the signal.

CONCLUSION

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Throughout the experiment, we learnt the process of generating and restoring binary phase shift keying
(BPSK) waveforms. BPSK uses the data streams 1s and 0s to switch the carrier between two phases.
Each time the bit stream changes sign (change in logic level), the phase of the BPSK signal also changes.
To get accurate restored of original signal, comparator is used to filter the demodulated BPSK signal by
comparing and following it with the original carrier voltage. Thus, high voltage will gives logic 1 and low
voltage will results in logic 0.
From students point of view, we discovered that BPSK has proved the best to be implemented in any
communication network in terms of its ability to produces the fewest errors at the receiver. Compared to
ASK and FSK, BPSK is much preferred system. However, in certain condition, it is not necessarily to
entirely implement BPSK. In some other cases, ASK and FSK can be used as the implementation cost is
much cheaper compared to BPSK.

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