Elec_Eng 307 Communications Systems
Description: This course covers the fundamentals of data communication. Specifically, this course explores design principles and performance considerations for communication systems, and provides insight into design challenges for next-generation communication systems and data networks. This course provides hands-on experience with Software-Defined Radios (SDRs).
Course objectives: When a student completes this course, s/he should be able to:
1. Describe the goal, functionality, and trade-offs of the main components of a data communication system.
2. Examine a communication system using concepts from Sampling Theory, Fourier Analysis, Information Theory, and Quantization.
3. Describe solutions to the different impairments caused by the wireless communication medium.
4. Employ the Software-Defined Radio utilized in class to implement a simple wireless communication system.
5. Describe techniques utilized for allowing multiple users to access a shared communication medium.
Course topics:
- Fourier and Sampling Theorem
- Quantization
- Measure of Information
- Source Coding
- Digital Modulation 1D and 2D
- Geometric Signal Representation
- Signal Reception in Noise
- Bit Error Rate (BER) Analysis
- Link Budget
- Channel Capacity and Channel Coding
- Data Link Layer and Error Correction
- Data Networks, ALOHAnet, and WiFi
Acknowledgement: the structure of this course was inspired by the MIT course 16.36 Communication Systems and Networks taught by Prof. Eytan Modiano.
Labs: The course will feature laboratory experiments using LabView and SDRs. Laboratory experiments include:
- Lab 1: Introduction to LabVIEW and to the SDR
- Lab 2: Simple PAM-2 transmitter and receiver design
- Lab 3: Complete QAM-M system and BER analysis
- Lab 4: Effects of the wireless channel and countermeasures
- Lab 5: Introduction to Multiple Access techniques