Communication Theory

Communication Theory (217 - 13497)
Study: Bachelor in Communication System Engineering
Semester 2/Spring Semester
2ND Year Course/Lower Division

Please note: this course is cross-listed under a few engineering departments. Students should select the course from the department that best fits their area of study.

Students are Expected to have completed:

Statistics (First year, second semester)
Systems and Circuits (First year, second semester)
Linear Systems (Second year, first semester)

Compentences and Skills that will be Acquired and Learning Results:

Knowledge and management of the basic concepts and techniques for digital and analog communication such as noise, modulation and demodulation processes in digital communications, the information theory as a tool to establish the limits in communication systems and the fundamental techniques for analog communications.

Therefore, the subject has the goal of allowing the student to acquire the following general competences:
- Knowledge and development of technical skills required in the telecommunications field with emphasis in the analysis and mathematical characterization of a communication system.

The same way than the following specific competences:

- Acquisition of the knowledge of mathematics and statistics that will be used as a tool to solve engineering problems in the context of communication systems. (PO a, PO e, and PO k)
- The ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data and results. (PO b)
- Design of a communication system with the constraints given by its critical parameters such as cost, consume of power, bandwidth, transmission rate, and complexity. (PO c)
- Ability of effective communication of information, in speech and in writing. (PO g)

Description of Contents: Course Description

1. Noise in communication systems: stochastic processes for signal representation; white noise; signal to noise ratio.
2. Modulation and detection in Gaussian channels: information modulation; demodulation and detection; error probability and BER; introduction to channel coding.
3. Fundamental limits in digital communications: probabilistic channel models; digital channels; Gaussian channels; source coding
4. Analog modulation fundamentals: linear and angular modulations; signal to noise ratio in analog communications

Learning Activities and Methodology:

Three teaching activities are proposed: Theoretical classes, exercise classes and laboratory exercises.

THEORETICAL CLASS AND EXAMPLES (3.5 ECTS)
The theoretical class will be given in the blackboard, with slides or by any other means to illustrate the concepts learnt. In these classes the explanation will be completed with examples. In these sessions the student will acquire the basic concepts of the course. It is important to highlight that these classes require the initiative and the personal and group involvement of the students (there will be concepts that the student himself should develop).

CLASS EXERCISES (1.5 ECTS)
Before the exercise class, the student will have available the exercise formulation. The student should solve the exercises proposed in order to assimilate the concepts obtained in the theoretical class in a more complex environment and to self-evaluate his knowledge.
In the exercise class one student will have to present the exercise proposed solving and the rest of students should give feedback on this particular problem solving. This will encourage the opinion exchange between students and the professor and among students

LABORATORY EXERCISES (1 ECTS)
Basic concepts learnt during the course are applied in the laboratory and by means of simulation. The student should participate actively the exercise implementation; the level of the student involvement in this work grows from the first exercise to the last one where the student will be encouraged to propose and solve the problem.

Assessment System:

The final exam will determine 60% of the total course grade (6 points). (PO a, PO c, PO e, PO g, and PO k)
The rest of the grading 40% (4 points) is obtained along the academic year as follows:

1. At the end of each course chapter there will be an exercise that has to be solved in class. There will several of these tests, that will sum a total of 2 points to the total grade. (PO a, PO c, PO e, PO g, and PO k)
2. In the classes of problems, participation and doing the different exercises will sum up to 1 point to the total grade (PO a, PO c, PO e, PO g, y PO k)
3. Laboratory exercises. There are 4 exercises, the total grade here is 1 point. (PO b, PO k)

The detailed rules for the rest of the grading will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Basic Bibliography:

A. Artés, F. Pérez González, J. Cid, R. López, C. Mosquera, F. Pérez Cruz.. Comunicaciones Digitales. Pearson Educación, 2007.
Haykin, S.. Communication Systems. 4ª edición, New York, Willey, 2001.
J. G. Proakis, M. Salehi. Communication Systems Engineering. 2ª edición, Englewood Cliff, NJ, Prentice-Hill, 2002.