Learning objectives
The goals of the course, in terms of knowledge and comprehension, are the following:
- to give to the students an overview of main communication systems, with particular attention to wireless systems.
The abilities to use the knowledge and comprehension skills outline above can be summarized as follows:
- to understand the operational principles of a communication system from its architecture.
Prerequisites
- - -
Course unit content
Introduction to communication systems. The ISO-OSI model. Characterization of the wireless propagation medium. Contention access methods (with fixed resource assignment and with random access). Communication noise. Cellular network plannin. Personal area networks (PAN). Evolution of cellular systems from 2G to 3G: GSM, GPRS, UMTS. Wireles local area networks (WLAN): 802.11 protocols and real cases. Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems.
Full programme
LECTURE 1: Introduction to the course. The ISO-OSI model.
LECTURE 2: Overview on the propagation characteristics: power gain, transmission loss and use of repeaters. Propagation modes, Friis formula, and fading.
LECTURE 3: Physical layer: modulation.
LECTURE 4: Physical layer: channel coding.
LECTURE 5: Medium access control techniques with fixed resource assignment: TDMA and FDMA.
LECTURE 6: Spread spectrum modulation (ideal, PN sequences and autocorrelation). Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS): general formulation, transmitter/receiver structure, impact of narrowband interference. CDMA systems with multiple access intereference.
LECTURE 7: FDD and TDD for uplink and downlink in cellular systems. Limitations of FDMA and TDMA systems. Limitations, from multiple access, in CDMA systems and computation of the maximum sustainable number of users per cell.
LECTURE 8: Thermal noise. Equivalent noise temperature. Noise figure. Sensitivity of a receiver.
LECTURE 9: Comparison between FDMA, TDMA, CDMA: format flexibility, robustness to frequency selective fading, system capacity (ex., AMPS and GSM), and hand-over. Planning of cellular networks: introduction, concept of cell cluster, geographical user density.
LECTURE 10: Planning of cellular networks: reuse distance, signal-to-interference ratio in uplink and downlink.
LECTURE 11: Random access protocols: Aloha and slotted Aloha (with throughput computation), CSMA (vulnerability interval, retransmission strategies, hidden and exposed node problems, time details on the collision avoidance (CA) mechanism in IEEE 802.11 networks).
LECTURE 12: Direct throughout comparison between Aloha and CSMA systems. Personal Area Networks (PAN): Zigbee standard (characterization at the physical, MAC, network and application layers).
LECTURE 13: The GSM standard. GSM network architecture and organization: MSS, BSS, NSS, call procedures.
LECTURE 14: The GSM signal: overview on used frequency bands and physical layers. FDMA/TDMA access format, with details on multiframe/frame structure.
LECTURE 15: GSM channel models. Evolution of GSM: GPRS and EDGE. Introduction to UMTS systems.
LECTURE 16: Differences between 3G and 2G technologies. UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) scheme and some details on the core network (CN).
LECTURE 17: Wi-Fi systems: IEEE 802.11 protocols, WLAN implementation and troubleshooting.
LECTURE 18: Wi-Fi systems: advanced scenarios and the real case of a Wireless internet service provider (WISP).
LECTURE 19: LTE systems (1).
LECTURE 20: LTE systems (2).
LECTURE 21: LTE systems (3).
Bibliography
- A. B. Carlson e P. B. Crilly, Communication Systems: an Introduction to Signals and Noise in Electrical Communication, Mcgraw Hill Higher Education, 5th edition, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0071263320.
- P. M. Shankar, Introduction to Wireless Systems, Wiley, 2001, ISBN-13: 978-0471321675.
- K. Pahlavan e Prashant Krishnamurthy, Principles of Wireless Networks: a Unified Approach, Prentice Hall (Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies Series), 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0130930033.
- S. Haykin e M. Moher, Modern Wireless Communications, Prentice Hall, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0130224729.
- F. Muratore (Ed.), UMTS: Mobile Communications for the Future, Wiley, 2001, ISBN: 0-471-49829-7.
- Rysay Research/3G Americas, HSPA to LTE-Advanced: 3GPP Broadband Evolution to IMT-Advanced (4G), September 2009.
Teaching methods
During the lectures variou topics related to performance analysis of communication systems, as detailed in the program, will be covered.
Assessment methods and criteria
During the teaching period there will be a midterm (relative to the topics covered in the first half of the course) following by a final (relative to the topics covered in the second part of the course).
The regular exams will be written.
Other information
The teaching and suppport material will be provided in part by the teacher.
