Experimental Analysis Comparing Uniform PCM Quantization and μ-law Non-uniform Quantization

This experimental study performs a comparative analysis of uniform PCM quantization and μ-law non-uniform quantization methodologies. In digital signal processing implementations, the quantization process typically involves mapping continuous amplitude values to discrete levels using mathematical transformation functions. For uniform PCM, the code implementation would utilize equal step sizes across the entire dynamic range, while μ-law quantization applies a logarithmic compression characteristic that provides more quantization levels for smaller amplitudes. The experiment employed a sample dataset where both quantization schemes were applied using algorithmic processing that involves: amplitude normalization, quantization level calculation, and reconstruction error analysis. Key functions in the implementation include dynamic range scaling, μ-law companding transformation (using the standard μ-law equation: y = sign(x) * ln(1+μ|x|)/ln(1+μ)), and inverse quantization mapping. Performance evaluation focused on measuring quantization distortion through signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations and analyzing waveform preservation characteristics. The comparative results provide significant insights into quantization efficiency, particularly regarding how μ-law non-uniform quantization maintains better signal quality for low-amplitude components while uniform PCM offers simpler implementation with consistent step sizes. These findings inform optimal quantization strategy selection in practical digital signal processing applications such as audio coding and telecommunications systems.