Digital Communications

Professors George Efthymoglou (Department Chair)
Course category Core
Course ID DS-305
Credits 5
Lecture hours 3 hours
Lab hours 2 hours
Digital resources View on Aristarchus (Open e-Class)

Learning Outcomes

The aim of the course is to study digital modulation and demodulation techniques in baseband and bandpass telecommunication systems. It also presents the detection theory of these signals using the method of matched filtering The course also covers the analytical evaluation of the performance of digital configurations on a communication channel with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and fading. Finally, an introduction of OFDM multi-carrier transmission is introduced.

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

  • Has become familiar with methods on data transmission at baseband and bandpass
  • Has become familiar with the concepts of ASK, FSK, M-FSK, PSK, DPSK, M-PSK, M-QAM
  • Handle OFDM modulation and demodulation techniques.
  • Make simulation models of digital modulations and evaluates the bit error probability in AWGN.

Course Contents

  • Telecommunication budget analysis. Filters with zero ISI (Nyquist filters).
  • Noise figure, composite noise figure and noise temperature, calculation of effective receiver temperature.
  • Baseband transmission methods, probability of error for matched filter detection in AWGN.
  • Binary passband modulations: ASK, FSK, and PSK; M-ary signalling: M-FSK, M-PSK, and QAM; demodulation techniques and symbol error probability in AWGN and fading channels.
  • Filters with zero ISI (Nyquist filters).
  • Spectral efficiency of digital modulations.
  • Link Budget according to system specifications.
  • Channel coding, convolutional codes and Viterbi algorithm, performance of convolutional codes in AWGN channel.
  • OFDM transmission and detection.
  • OFDM with cyclic prefix for zero intercarrier interference.

Recommended Readings

  • Proakis J. & Salehi M. (2001): Communication Systems Engineering, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall.
  • Sklar B. (2001): Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall.