PAM (Pulse-Amplitude Modulation) - definition
PAM (Pulse-Amplitude Modulation) - definition
PAM (Pulse-Amplitude Modulation) is a pulse modulation technique in which information is encoded by changing the amplitude of successive pulses over time. Each pulse carries a specific value of an analogue or digital signal, representing the voltage level corresponding to a sample of the modulating signal. The time of occurrence of the pulses and their width remain constant, while only their height changes, according to the current value of the input signal.
PAM modulation is one of the basic forms of modulation in data transmission and analogue-to-digital conversion systems. In digital applications, pulse amplitudes take on values from a fixed set of discrete levels, allowing each value to be assigned a binary code. In analogue, the amplitude changes continuously, mapping the original signal waveform.
Others use the technique in various areas of telecommunications and electronics, including data transmission over wired channels, next-generation Ethernet systems (e.g. 100GBASE-PAM4), analogue-to-digital converters and optical communications. Due to its simplicity, PAM is often used as a basic stage in more complex modulation schemes such as QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation).
One important aspect of PAM is its susceptibility to linear and non-linear noise and distortion, which requires advanced error correction and filtering methods. In addition, increasing the number of digital amplitude levels (e.g. PAM-4, PAM-8) allows more data to be transmitted in the same bandwidth, but at the same time increases sensitivity to noise and detection errors. Therefore, the design of systems using PAM requires precise adjustment of the transmission path parameters and the use of appropriate modulation and demodulation algorithms.
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