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Brief description of the unit:

(1) Fundamentals of antennas & transmission lines

Antenna parameters, different types of antennas, and principles of antennas arrays.
Characteristics of transmission lines, matching.

(2) Communication channel models

AWGN channels
Path loss and shadowing
Multipath fading, flat/frequency selective and slow/fast fading channels

(3) Fundamentals of analogue modulation

Amplitude modulation and frequency modulation: principles and transceiver design.
Frequency Division Multiplexing.

(4) Basics of baseband digital modulation

Nyquist sampling theory, quantisation and ADC.
Pulse Code Modulation and Pulse Width Modulation.

The course unit aims to: 

1) Provide the basic knowledge of antennas & transmission lines

2) Introduce different types and models of communication channels

3) Familiarise students with the use of signals and systems methods for efficient utilisation of radio spectrum, using example applications from contemporary communication systems.

4) Introduce different types of analogue modulations and frequency translation methods.

5) Introduce sampling theorem and basics of baseband digital transmission techniques.

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

ILO 1: Identify and compare key antenna parameters and their relevance to modern communication systems.

ILO 2: Describe the key properties of transmission lines and communication channel types, and explain their impact on communication system performance.

ILO 3: Apply signals and systems analysis methods on fundamental types of communication systems.

ILO 4: Design different types of analogue modulation systems and transceivers.

ILO 5: Apply Nyquist sampling theorem to analogue-to-digital conversion and baseband digital modulation schemes.

Lectures with worked examples.

Coursework forms 20% of the overall unit assessment.

Written exam - standard exam feedback provided after the exam board.

Coursework - Feedback provided via Canvas system three weeks after the submission deadline.

An introduction to analog and digital communications: Haykin, S. S., Wiley, 1989.
Analogue and digital communication techniques: Smillie, Grahame., Arnold, 1999.
Principles of digital and analog communications: Gibson, Jerry D., Collier Macmillan, 1989. 
Communication systems: Haykin, Simon S., John Wiley, 2010. 
Communication systems : an introduction to signals and noise in electrical communication: Carlson, A. Bruce, McGraw-Hill, 2010.