Disadvantages of Pulse Amplitude Modulation
- PAM is susceptible to amplitude changes, which can reduce signal quality and causes information loss during transmission, particularly when noise or channel distortion is present.
- Compared to other modulation techniques, PAM demands a large bandwidth, which results in lower efficiency in accordance with limited bandwidth and lowers the total capacity for data transmission.
- PAM has a reduced SNR, especially in high-noise settings where background noise can obstruct the signal and reduces the accuracy and dependability of the data being sent.
- PAM signal demodulation demands exact time recovery and synchronization procedures, which can be difficult and computationally expensive.
- Especially in overcrowded frequency spectra or difficult electromagnetic environments, PAM signals are susceptible to interference from other signals or electromagnetic sources, which could result in possible signal distortion.
Pulse Amplitude Modulation
Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) is a key modulation technique used in digital communication for transmitting analog data and is one of the most widely used types of analog-to-digital conversion. Its process is simple where the amplitude of a sequence of pulses changes with the instantaneous amplitude of the analog message signal. The analog signal that is to be modulated is sampled by a sequence of pulses that are amplitude-modulated on the carrier to produce the amplitude-modulated pulses.
The analog signal is sampled at regular intervals to enable the amplitude of pulses due to be produced by the carrier to be varied. The sampled values are quantized to a specific number of quantization levels or discrete levels whereupon the process is repeated. Due to its simplicity of implementation and analysis, PAM is often employed in many applications including digital communication, audio transmission, and instrumentation among others. One of the biggest drawbacks of PCM is its sensitivity towards channel errors, as poor-quality channels will introduce noise and distortion, particularly over larger distances and lower data rates.
Table of Content
- What is PAM?
- PAM Block Diagram
- Types
- Mathematical expression
- Construction
- PAM Circuit
- Solved Examples on PAM
- Applications
- Advantages
- Disadvantages