Share & Export
5G NR
modulation
MCS Table & Calculator
Analyze 3GPP Modulation and Coding Schemes for 5G NR and LTE. Includes eMBB, URLLC, and Low spectral efficiency tables.
Configuration
Mode Selection
3GPP Reference Table
5G NR MCS Table 1 (TS 38.214 Table 5.1.3.1-1 - eMBB)
| Index | Modulation | QAM | Rate × 1024 | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | QPSK | 4 | 120 | 0.2344 |
1 | QPSK | 4 | 157 | 0.3066 |
2 | QPSK | 4 | 193 | 0.3770 |
3 | QPSK | 4 | 251 | 0.4902 |
4 | QPSK | 4 | 308 | 0.6016 |
5 | QPSK | 4 | 379 | 0.7402 |
6 | QPSK | 4 | 449 | 0.8770 |
7 | QPSK | 4 | 526 | 1.0273 |
8 | QPSK | 4 | 602 | 1.1758 |
9 | QPSK | 4 | 679 | 1.3262 |
10 | 16QAM | 16 | 340 | 1.3281 |
11 | 16QAM | 16 | 378 | 1.4766 |
12 | 16QAM | 16 | 434 | 1.6953 |
13 | 16QAM | 16 | 490 | 1.9141 |
14 | 16QAM | 16 | 553 | 2.1602 |
15 | 16QAM | 16 | 616 | 2.4063 |
16 | 16QAM | 16 | 658 | 2.5703 |
17 | 64QAM | 64 | 438 | 2.5664 |
18 | 64QAM | 64 | 466 | 2.7305 |
19 | 64QAM | 64 | 517 | 3.0293 |
20 | 64QAM | 64 | 567 | 3.3223 |
21 | 64QAM | 64 | 616 | 3.6094 |
22 | 64QAM | 64 | 666 | 3.9023 |
23 | 64QAM | 64 | 719 | 4.2129 |
24 | 64QAM | 64 | 772 | 4.5234 |
25 | 64QAM | 64 | 822 | 4.8164 |
26 | 64QAM | 64 | 873 | 5.1152 |
27 | 64QAM | 64 | 910 | 5.3320 |
28 | 256QAM | 256 | 948 | 7.4063 |
Analysis Console
Ready for Analysis
Select an MCS from the table or use quick lookup
Technical fundamentals
What is MCS?
The Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) index determines the modulation order and coding rate used for data transmission. Higher MCS values provide greater spectral efficiency but require better channel conditions (higher SINR).
Modulation types
QPSK: 2 bits
16QAM: 4 bits
64QAM: 6 bits
256QAM: 8 bits
1024QAM: 10 bits
Operational insights
Link Adaptation
The network dynamically adjusts MCS based on channel quality (CQI reports). Optimal conditions (High SINR) allow for higher order modulations like 256QAM, while poor conditions fallback to resilient QPSK.
3GPP Standard Tables
- Table 1: Default eMBB
- Table 2: Low Spectral Efficiency
- Table 3: URLLC High Reliability
- Table 4: Rel-18 1024QAM