Upsampling

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Upsampling is the process of increasing the sampling rate of a signal.

The upsampling factor (commonly denoted by L) is usually an integer or a rational fraction greater than unity. This factor multiplies the sampling rate or, equivalently, divides the sampling period. For example, if compact disc audio is upsampled by a factor of 5/4 then the resulting sampling rate goes from 44,100 Hz to 55,125 Hz, which increases the bit rate from 1,411,200 bit/s to 1,764,000 bit/s. The range of valid frequencies (i.e., those that satisfy the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem) has gone from 22,050 Hz to 27,562.5 (an increase in 5,512.5 Hz).

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[edit] Sampling theorem satisfaction

The upsampled signal satisfies the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem if the original signal does.

Unlike in downsampling which uses a low-pass filter as an anti-aliasing filter, upsampling uses an interpolation filter, which also is a low-pass filter.

[edit] Upsampling process

Consider a discrete signal f(k) on a radian frequency digital frequency range.

[edit] Upsampling by integer factor

Let L denote the upsampling factor.

  1. Add L-1 zeros between each sample in f(k). Or, equivalently define g(k) = \left \{ \begin{matrix} f\left(\frac{k}{L}\right) & \mbox{if } \frac{k}{L} \mbox{ is an integer} \\ 0 & \mbox{otherwise} \end{matrix} \right.
  2. Filter with a low-pass filter which, theoretically, should be the sinc filter with frequency cut off at \frac{\pi}{L}

The second step calls for the use of a perfect low-pass filter, which is not implementable. When choosing a realizable low-pass filter this will have to be considered and it will have aliasing effects.

[edit] Upsampling by rational fraction

Let L/M denote the upsampling factor.

  1. Upsample by a factor of L
  2. Downsample by a factor of M

Note that upsampling requires an interpolation filter after increasing the data rate and that downsampling requires a filter before decimation. These two filters can be combined into a single filter. Since both interpolation and anti-aliasing filters are low-pass filters, the filter with the smallest bandwidth is more restrictive and, thus, can be used in place of both filters. Since the rational fraction L/M is greater than unity when M < L and the single low-pass filter should have cutoff at \frac{\pi}{L}.

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