This is supplemental course information, designed to give you a fuller picture of the course and an expanded look at the topics covered. This is an unofficial document. The USC Course Catalog is the binding description of all university courses. Information such as books, materials covered, and the order of topics is subject to change. Please consult instructor for this semseter to get more upto date course information.
Catalog Data:
475 Communication Technology (3, Fa) Fundamentals of wireless communication from a device point of view. Lab experiments and design project. Recommended preparation: EE 241, EE 301b.
Text book:
Digital Communications, by B.Sklar, (Prentice Hall) 2000.
Course Coordinators:
Dan M. Goebel, Adj. Professor of Electrical Engineering
Topics:
1. AM, FM and Digital Modulation
2. Noise, Antennas and Propagation
3. Link Budgets
4. Wireless Systems Hardware
5. Cell phones, Satellite Communications, and Wireless Local Area Networks
In detail:
1. Basic description of modulation techniques
2. Description of noise sources, antenna theory and microwave transmission through circuit elements and channels
3. Calculation of the power levels and noise levels in digital links, and the determination of the signal to noise ratio, data rates and bit error rates.
4. Presentation of the hardware used in microwave systems and its performance
5. Examples of communications links and their performance
Course Objectives:
To introduce the student to the fundamentals of communication link design and the hardware used in communications systems.
Course Outcomes:
The students will be able to:
1. Understand modulation techniques.
2. Understand the sources of noise in communications systems and the propagation and amplification of noise in active and passive components.
3. Calculate antenna gain for common antenna geometries, and understand the role of polarization in antenna performance.
4. Calculate microwave signal and noise power levels in communications circuits.
5. Analyze the signal to noise ratio for analog and digital communication links.
6. Determine the digital data rate capability and bit error rate of links.
7. Select microwave hardware appropriate for communication link design.
8. Perform trade-off s of component performance and cost based on hardware products available in the industry.
9. Understand the application of communication link principles to different applications such as satellite and LAN.
10. Design elementary communication links and determine the link budget.
Laboratory Projects:
Two laboratory projects and a final design project performed in teams with class presentation.
Prepared by: Dan M. Goebel Date: October 10, 2002
