Digital Communication

Aim

After passing the course, the student should

• be able to reliably perform standard calculations regarding digital modulation and binary codes for error control coding
• be able to, with some precision, analyze and compare various choices of digital modulation methods and coding methods in terms of error probabilities, minimum distances, throughput, and related concepts
• be able, to some extent, to perform calculations for solutions to practical engineering problems that arise in communication
• be able, to some extent, with experimental purpose design and evaluate communication systems of the kinds treated in the course

Content

• Baseband and passband communication: Pulse functions that satisfy the Nyquist criterion, typical orthogonal basis functions, single-carrier and multi-carrier signals (e.g., OFDM), relationship between bandwidth and symbol time.
• Channels: Delay spread, dispersive and non-dispersive channels, and their relation to inter-symbol interference.
• Digital modulation in AWGN channels: ML detection of symbols, coherent and non-coherent detection. Exact error probabilities and common bounds, soft decisions. Common signal constellations (e.g., FSK, PSK, ASK, QAM).
• Digital modulation in dispersive channels: ML detection of symbol sequences, complexity considerations, Viterbi algorithm.
• Codes for error control: Binary linear codes, binary field, generator and parity check matrices, weights and distances. Error detection and error correction capabilities. Example of binary codes (e.g., repetition codes, parity check codes, Hamming codes, product codes). Bounds and asymptotic behaviors. Encoding and decoding of convolutional and CRC codes.
• Implementation aspects: Synchronization, link adaptation in packet transmission.