Modern Communication Systems

Modern communication systems include satellite, fiber optic, mobile cellular phone, microwave systems and Internet communications; as well as cable TV, AM and FM radio, VHF, UHF, HDTV, shortwave, fire, police, telephone, fax, voice, TV, local government and computer networking systems. This course explores and compares these systems and how to design them, from both a theoretical and practical point of view. Instruction also covers contemporary modulation; coding; and communication theory, including LDPC, turbo coding and convolutional coding; as well as M-ary APSK, PSK, ASK and FSK modulation. Additional topics include spread spectrum systems, such as GPS; the IP protocol; the IOS model; 2G, 3G and 4G wireless systems; iPhone and iPad devices; and various communications standards, such as DVB-S2. Students explore practical and analytical topics in the design and understanding of communication systems, such as Fourier series and integrals, time and frequency domain representation of communication signals, convolution, linear systems, transfer functions, sampling theorem, and probability and statistical theory as applied to communication problems. Students also learn about job opportunities and business trends in the communications field. The instructor in this course will demonstrate the use of Matlab and other software tools for analysis, simulation and problem solving. These tools are provided as part of the course fee as an option for student use and will not be part of the course grading criteria.