3/10/2014 MSK modulation | GMSK modulation | GMSK modulator and demodulator

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MSK-GMSK
This tutorial on GSM covers following:
GSM Frame Structure
GSM Burst types
GSM speech processing
GSM Channel types-logical,physical
GSM logical channels and mapping
GSM Mobile network entry procedure
GSM Mobile originated call flow
GSM Mobile terminated call flow
GSM Downlink PS Call
GSM Uplink PS call
GSM VAMOS Basics
GSM AMR basics
GSM Modulation types-MSK,GMSK
GSM Physical Layer
GSM Protocol Stack
GSM Mobile Phone Basics
GSM Radio Frequency Planning
This page describes MSK(Minimum Shift Keying) and GMSK(Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying)
modulation techniques. It covers GMSK modulator and GMSK demodulator based on QPSK modulation
method.
MSK Modulation
3/10/2014 MSK modulation | GMSK modulation | GMSK modulator and demodulator
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GMSK is the derivative of MSK modulation scheme and MSK is derived from Offset QPSK modulation. In
MSK modulation scheme instead of rectangular pulse wave; half cycle sine wave is used. Frequency of logical
zero and logical one differs by half of data rate. Modulation index is 0.5 here. MSK modulation mathematical
equation is outlined below.

Fig.1 MSK Equation
MSK modulation waveform is depicted below in figure for NRZ data signal.

Fig.2 MSK modulation signal in time domain
GMSK Modulation
Gaussian Minimum Shift keying or GMSK modulation scheme is used in GSM/CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet
Data) technologies. There are two main methods to generate GMSK. The first one is FSK modulation and the
second one is QPSK modulation. The first one is based on GMSK VCO architecture and is not ideal for
coherent demodulator. We will discuss second type used in GSM depicted in figure 3 and 4 below. Figure 3
mentions GMSK modulator and figure 4 mentions GMSK demodulator.
3/10/2014 MSK modulation | GMSK modulation | GMSK modulator and demodulator
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Fig.3 GMSK Modulation Block Diagram
As shown in the GMSK modulator Gaussian filter is applied to NRZ signal after it is passed through integrator
block. This gives . By applying COS and SIN function to this gives out I and Q components which bits with
cos and sin function respectively using mixing function. Both the chains are summed up and will give out S (n).
The same process is understood well by trigonometric equation mentioned in Fig.3.

Fig.4 GMSK Demodulator Block Diagram
As shown in fig.4 GMSK modulator basically derives back using arctan function, which is applied to
derivator block to obtain NRZ signal back. Before doing this mixing and Low pass filtering is done to obtain I
and Q components from two chains.The same is understood well by trigonometric equations mentioned in fig.
4.
Bandwidth efficiency for MSK and GMSK is 1 bit/s/Hz also known as spectral efficiency. Figure 5 below
depicts MSK, GMSK waveforms.
3/10/2014 MSK modulation | GMSK modulation | GMSK modulator and demodulator
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Fig. 5 MSK/GMSK spectral density
Advantages- Modulated carrier in MSK contains no phase discontinuities and frequency changes occur at zero
crossing of carrier. This helps in keeping PAPR low hence do not require highly linear power amplifier. GMSK
spectral efficiency is better than MSK as shown in figure 5. Also it has reasonably less demodulator complexity.
Disadvantages- Power spectral density of MSK does not fall fast hence will not reduce interference completely
between adjacent channels. Hence GMSK is designed with various BT factors. BT of 0.3 gives good rejection
against adjacent channels as the curve fall fast as shown in figure 5.
RELATED LINKS
what is modulation
BPSK modulation
QPSK modulation
QAM modulation
8-PSK modulation
BPSK vs QPSK -Difference Between BPSK and QPSK modulation techniques.
QPSK vs OQPSK vs pi/4QPSK-Difference between QPSK,OQPSK and pi/4QPSK modulation techniques
Differential Encoder and Decoder
Qam Modulation
Phase Modulation
Frequency Modulation
3/10/2014 MSK modulation | GMSK modulation | GMSK modulator and demodulator
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4
GSM/GPRS/EGPRS Links
GSM protocol stack
GSM Physical layer
GSM MO Call
GSM MT Call
GSM downlink PS call
GSM Uplink PS call
GPRS protocol stack
GSM phone basics
what is GSM
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GSM versus GPRS
GSM VAMOS basics
EDGE basics
AMR Concept in GSM
MSK/GMSK modulation
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Amplitude Modulation
Quadrature Modulation
Modulation Rate
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