A Higher Data-Rate T-DMB System Based on a Hierarchical A-DPSK Modulation

Hierarchical modulation can be effectively used to enhance terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB) or digital audio broadcasting (DAB) systems in response to both the demand for higher data-rate and the need to be backward compatible with legacy receivers. QAM-type modulations are well-liked for hierarchical transmission but require coherent detection based on pilot symbol aided channel estimation. In the T-DMB or the DAB system using DQPSK modulation, however, any available pilot symbols except for the phase reference symbol do not exist. Differential amplitude phase shift keying (DAPSK) modulation is easily applied to the T-DMB system for a hierarchical modulation but may be susceptible to fast fading. As a good candidate for a hierarchical modulation of T-DMB to solve the above problems, we propose an amplitude differential phase shift keying (A-DPSK) modulation which is robust to fast fading by estimating only amplitude coefficients of the channel transfer function with the use of amplitude pilots. To raise the accuracy of channel estimation, we arrange the amplitude pilots in a come-type and introduce a noise-reduction scheme of averaging estimated channel coefficients. Simulation results show that the proposed A-DPSK provides a good choice for achieving a higher data-rate over other possible modulation schemes for advanced T-DMB or DAB systems.