Course Overview

This course is an introduction to communication systems that focuses on the analysis and design of analog and digital communication systems based on Fourier analysis. Topics include linear systems and filtering, power and energy spectral density, basic analog modulation techniques, quantization of analog signals, line coding, pulse shaping, and transmitter and receiver design concepts. Applications include AM and FM radio, television, digital communications, and frequency-division and time-division multiplexing. (3C, 3H).

Major Learning Objectives:

Having successfully completed this course, the student will be able to:

Compute the Fourier transform and the energy/power spectral density of communications signals.
Calculate the bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio of a signal at the output of a linear time-invariant system given the signal and the power spectral density of the noise at the input of the system.
Explain the operation of amplitude and angle modulation systems in both the time and frequency domains including plotting the magnitude spectra and computing the power and bandwidth requirements of each type of signal.
Design a basic analog or digital communications system including: (1) the selection of a digital or analog modulation format, (2) the block-diagram design of a transmitter for the system, (3) the block-diagram design of a superheterodyne receiver for the system, (4) the design of a time or frequency division multiplexing scheme, as appropriate, and (5) the choice of an appropriate pulse shape and analog to digital converter (if needed) to meet performance requirements.
Evaluate a given analog or digital communications system in terms of the complexity of the required transmitters and receivers and the power and bandwidth requirements of the system.

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Comments to: buehrer@vt.edu
Last update: August 23, 2001