TELCOM 2710: Foundations of Wireless Communications

Fall 2002

The objective of this course is to cover the physical layer communication issues for wireless systems. This course is an overview of wireless communication fundamentals with a detailed discussion of radio propagation in different environments, digital transmission, modulation and coding and antennas for wireless systems. This course is a pre-requisite to understand and appreciate other courses in wireless communications such as TELCOM 2720: Cellular Telephony and PCS and TELCOM 2721: Mobile Data Networks.

Prerequisites: TELCOM 2210 - Electronic Communications 2 or its equivalent
Calculus, knowledge of Fourier Transforms, and Probability

Recommended: Matlab Student Edition with Simulink and Communications Toolbox

1. Instructor:

               Dr. David Tipper
               Office: SIS 749
               Phone: (412)-624-9421
               E-mail: tipper@tele.pitt.edu
               Web page: http://www.tele.pitt.edu/tipper.html
               Office hours: Monday: 1:30 a.m. - 3 p.m, Wednesday: 1:30 p.m. - 3:.00 p.m. or by appointment

2. GSA: Wiklom Teerapabkhajorndet
               Office: SIS 410
               Phone: (412)-624-4099
               E-mail: wiklom@mail.sis.pitt.edu
               Office hours:?

3. Required Textbook

                Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications 2/e
               by Bernard Sklar, Prentice Hall
                 ISBN: 0-13-084788-7

References: (On Reserve in SIS Library)

Radio Propagation for Modern Wireless Systems - Henry Bertoni, Prentice Hall
Digital Communications - John Proakis, McGraw Hill
Digital Communications - Simon Haykin, John Wiley and Sons

4. Grading

                      Homework       25%
                      Labs                 15%
                      Midterm            25%
                      Final                  35%

5. Policies

All work must be the student's own unless collaboration is explicitly permitted
Late assignments will not be accepted unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Homework is due ONE week after it is assigned unless otherwise mentioned.
Homework will be assigned every week unless otherwise mentioned.
Check for homework on the web page even if it is not explicitly mentioned in class

Labs will be due TWO weeks after assigned

Students are responsible for doing the labs and submitting the reports to me
Check for lab instructions and changes on the web page regularly

Keep checking the web page for other changes regularly
All written work must be legible and clear to receive credit.

6. Course Outline

This schedule is only a guideline and is subject to change depending on the progression of the course.

8/29: Introduction; Components of a communication system; Wireless Vs. Wired; Wireless systems
9/5: Review of signals and systems; Energy, Power, Autocorrelation and Spectrum; Fourier transforms;
9/12: Review of digital modulation; geometric interpretation; signal constellation
9/19: Issues in wired and wireless digital transmission - coherent detection, intersymbol interference, etc.
9/26: Issues in digital transmission continued: GMSK and pi/4-DQPSK; Effects of Rayleigh fading.
10/3: The radio channel - issues: coverage, data rates, receiver design and characteristics affecting these issues
10/10: Midterm exam, Path loss models
10/17: Path loss models; fading margins.
10/24: Data rate and receiver design issues: multipath delay spread and Doppler
10/31: Techniques of overcoming the effects of the radio channel - equalization, OFDM, spread spectrum
11/7: OFDM and spread spectrum continued; Diversity techniques; UWB.
11/14: Introduction to coding theory; Block codes;
11/21: Convolutional codes; Soft decisions; Interleaving;
11/28: Thanksgiving - No Class
12/5: Coding theory continued; Turbo codes; Introduction to antennas; smart antennas; software radio.
12/12: Final exam

7. Class Notes