GATE EC 2014 Set 1 — Question 61
Go beyond PYQs with Success TrackerAI-powered personalised practice and doubt support. Unlimited practice on eligible plans; AI usage limits apply.NAT+2 / -0HardDigital Modulation (ASK, PSK, FSK, QAM)Digital Modulation & DetectionCommunicationsSNR & BER AnalysisError Probability
Communications → Digital Modulation & Detection → Digital Modulation (ASK, PSK, FSK, QAM)
Last updated
Question
Let be the BER of a BPSK system over an AWGN channel with two-sided noise power spectral density . The parameter is a function of bit energy and noise power spectral density. A system with two independent and identical AWGN channels with noise power spectral density is shown in the figure. The BPSK demodulator receives the sum of outputs of both the channels.
If the BER of this system is , then the value of is _____.

Correct answer
1.4 to 1.42
Solution
For a standard BPSK system over an AWGN channel with noise power spectral density , the Bit Error Rate (BER) is given by:Given that is a function of bit energy and noise PSD, we identify .In the provided system, the BPSK signal is transmitted through two independent AWGN channels. The output of the summer is:where are independent noise components.
1.Signal Component: The combined signal amplitude is .
2.Noise Component: The combined noise is . Since and are independent, the variance of the sum is the sum of the variances:
The BER for a BPSK system with signal amplitude and noise variance is . Substituting our values:Since , we can write:Comparing this with the given form , we find:The value of is approximately 1.414, which falls within the range [1.4, 1.42].Continue learning with Success Tracker
A step still unclear? Work through it with support
Use Success Tracker to ask about the reasoning, then try another GATE EC question to check your understanding.
AI-powered practice· Unlimited practice on eligible plans
- PYQs with solutions
- Attempt available previous-year questions, then compare your reasoning with the worked solution. Coverage varies by stream.
- Practice that adapts
- Choose a topic, work on weaker areas and bookmark questions to revisit. Your attempts feed your progress tracking.
- AI doubt support
- Ask follow-up questions about a step or concept while practising, instead of stopping at the final answer.
Unlimited practice is available on eligible plans. Free practice and AI usage have limits; check the current plan allowances before choosing.
This page stays readable without an account. AI responses can be wrong; check them against the solution and source material.
More questions on Digital Modulation & Detection
2026 Set 1 Q22Consider a discrete memoryless source with an alphabet of four source symbols. is a…2026 Set 1 Q32A wireless digital transmission scheme is using -QAM over an additive white Gaussian noise…2026 Set 1 Q44A QPSK modulated signal from an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel is received with an…2026 Set 1 Q55Let the relevant bandwidth () of a digital communication system be and…2026 Set 1 Q57Consider a real, narrowband signal where the maximum…