Edge busyness in delta modulation (AM) is analyzed theoretically and a method of reducing edge busyness is presented. By assuming a simple model for quantizing error waveforms, a theoretical signal-to-edge noise ratio is derived as a function of signal slope. It is shown that more than 10-dB edge-busyness reduction can be achieved by limiting input signal slope to about 80 percent of the\DeltaMoverload slope prior to\DeltaM. The performance is verified through computer simulation and experimentation.

A digital differential pulse-code modulation (DPCM) codec based on ΔM/DPCM and DPCM/ΔM digital conversions is presented as an equivalent replacement of a conventional DPCM codec for TV signals by using digital processing technology. A generalized model and equivalent circuit are shown for the digital DPCM codec, and transfer characteristics and quantizing noises are analyzed. The digital DPCM codec is designed for 1-MHz TV signals and the performance is verified by experiments. By the use of double integration ΔM and digital filter technology, it is shown that at the ΔM sampling rate of 16 MHz the overall SNR performance is sufficiently good for use as a conventional DPCM codec, and the digital code converters can be realized with commercially available transistor-transistor-logic (TTL) medium-scale-integrated (MSI) circuits and low-power emitter-coupled-logic (ECL) integrated circuits (IC's).