Course Aim

The Fundamentals of Communications Systems course introduces attendees to the fundamental principles, concepts, technologies, and systems associated with modern communications systems. No prior technical or communications knowledge is assumed—in fact, the course is ideally suited to those who do not necessarily have a technical background. Attendees receive a copy of the presenter’s book Fundamentals of Communications and Information Systems.

Course Outline

Introduction: Brief History of Communications | Communications System Model | Analogue Signals | The Sine Function | Frequency / Wavelength | Complex Waveforms | The Frequency Domain / Bandwidth | The Electromagnetic Spectrum | Basic Circuit Theory | Decibels | Binary Numbers | Digital Signals / Digital Modulation | Advantages / Disadvantages of Digital Signals | Signalling Speed / Information Rate | Synchronous / Asynchronous Transmission

Modulation: Analogue Modulation | Amplitude Modulation – AM / DSB / SSB / ISB | Frequency Modulation | Phase Modulation | Digital Modulation – ASK / FSK / PSK | Digitisation of Analogue Signals / Waveform Coding – PCM / DM /

Source Coding: Quantisation | Entropy Coding | Predictive Coding| Transform Coding | Video Coding | Speech Coding | Line Coding

Channel Coding: Error Control – FEC / ARQ | Block Codes | Convolutional Codes

Encryption

Multiplexing & Multiple Access: Frequency Division Multiplexing | Time Division Multiplexing | Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing | Time Division Multiple Access | Frequency Division Multiple Access | Code Division Multiple Access | Frequency Hopping | Time Hopping (Ultra Wideband) | OFDMA

Transmitters and Receivers: Transmitter Design | Receiver Design

Transmission Media: Transmission Line Theory | Copper Transmission Lines | Optical Fibres

Radio Propagation: History | Ground Wave – Space and Surface Wave | Sky Wave | Scattered Wave

Antennas: Antenna Characteristics | Resonant and Travelling Wave Antennas

Types of Communications Systems: Simplex, Half-duplex and Duplex Systems | Switching - Circuit, Message, Packet and Cell

Networking: ISO OSI 7-Layer Model | History of LANS | LAN Standards | Network Topologies / Devices | Ethernet / Token Ring

Internetworking Repeaters / Bridges / Routers / Gateways / Firewalls / Switches | Internetwork Protocols—TCP/IP | Internet History | Structure / Growth | Protocols / Addressing and Routing | Broadband Access—ADSL / VDSL

Satellite Communications: Advantages / Disadvantages | Principles | Orbits | Sub-Systems | Launch Techniques | Ground Coverage | Multiple Access FAMA / DAMA / FDMA / TDMA / CDMA

Mobile Communications: Cellular Architecture | First Generation  | Second Generation (Digital) | Third generation | Fourth Generation | Fifth Generation

Course Material

TBC