14:332:427 Communications Systems Design

Course catalog description: Design methods and laboratory experiments dealing with practical aspects of analog and digital communications schemes. Experiments involve component-level circuit construction, interconnection of modular subsystems, and use of interactive, graphics-based, system simulation software packages.

Credits and contact hours: 3 credits; 1 hour and 20-minute session twice a week, every week

Pre-Requisite courses: 14:332:322

Co-Requisite courses: None

Topics Covered:

  • Time and Frequency Analysis; RMS, dBm levels:  definition and measurement; Frequency response of active and passive linear circuits; Noise generator and adder circuits for S/N measurements
  • Sinusoidal Oscillators and Tuned Circuits; Bandwidth and amplitude characteristics; Analog and digital crystal oscillators
  • Balanced Modulators; Implementation using discrete components
  • AM Modulation and Demodulation; DSB-SC, DSB-LC, approximation of ASK; IF amplifier stages; Envelope and synchronous detection; Single-sideband system simulation; Active bandpass intermediate frequency (IF) stages; Super heterodyne receivers
  • Phase Locked Loops; VCO, phase detector, loop filter; Analog and digital implementation methods; PLL properties, effects of loop LPF bandwidth; PLL circuit analyses
  • FM Modulation and Demodulation; PM, FM, approximation of FSK; Tuned circuit discriminator, PLL demodulation methods; FM transmitter and receiver system implementation, Simulation of FM communication systems using CAD methods
  • Pulse Modulation; PWM - measurement of bandwidth, PAM - practical sampling and quantization noise, PCM - line coding techniques 
  • Digital Modulation and Demodulation Methods; ASK, FSK, PSK techniques; Measurement of spectral occupancy of modulated signals; Receiver front-end principles; Carrier recovery using PLL and Costas Loop
  • Digital Data Transmission and Reception; Simulation of digital communication system performance using a communications CAD software package; QPSK modulator and demodulator circuit implementation; Measurement of prototype transmitter/receiver performance

Textbook: P. H. Young, Electronic Communication Techniques, Prentice-Hall; C. W. Sayre, Complete Wireless Design, McGraw Hill; J. G. Proakis, M. Salehi and G. Bauch, Contemporary Communication Systems Using    MATLAB and Simulink, Thomson Engineering.                        

Other supplemental material: 

  • M. C.Jeruchim, P. Balaban and K. S. Shanmugan, Simulation of Communication Systems, Plenum Press.
  • C. Bowick, RF Circuit Design, Newnes Publishing.
  • S. R. Bullock, Transceiver and System Design for Digital Communications, Noble Publishing.
  • K. McClaning and T. Vito, Radio Receiver Design, Noble Publishing.
  • W. Tomasi, Advanced Electronic Communications Systems, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
  • S. Haykin, Communication Systems, Fourth Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.