ECEG 470/670
Communication and Information Systems

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Bucknell University Course Catalog Description

"Digital and analog communication systems, elements of information theory and contributions of Claude Shannon, signal space, modulation, and case studies of modern digital communication systems."

Detailed Description

More specifically, this course introduces students to the various methods by which radio signals are encoded (that is, modulated) to carry audio, video, and/or digital information from one location to another and how that information is decoded, especially in the presence of noise. Closely related topics such as radio wave propagation, signal fading, multipath effects, and sources of noise and interference will also be covered because of their impact on the performance of communication systems.

These topics are central to understanding the basic operation of cell phones, wireless modems, streaming services, and all of the other radio/wireless devices that are intertwined with our modern lives.

The topics that are likely to be covered in the course include:

• Amplitude modulation (AM)
• Single sideband, suppressed carrier (SSB-SC)
• Frequency modulation (FM)
• Signal generation methods (oscillators, PLLs, DDS systems)
• Basic wireless receiver architectures
• Pulse code modulation (PCM)
• Phase shift keying (PSK)
• Frequency shift keying (FSK)
• Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)
• Spread spectrum

Prerequisite

ECEG 270 is the co-requisite for this course. Other courses or previous experience can be substituted for the prerequisite course with permission of the instructor.

Class Meetings

The lecture portion of this course is scheduled to meet 9:00–9:50 am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in Dana 307. The recitation section is scheduled to meet 9:00–9:50 am Thursday in Dana 305.

Course Outcomes

A student who successfully completes this course should be able to:

1. Evaluate and/or specify the basic performance metrics of an amplitude modulation system (DSB-LC, DSB-SC, and SSB).
2. Evaluate and/or specify the basic performance metrics of an angle modulation system (FM and PM).
3. Perform basic analysis and/or design calculations for phase-locked loops and direct digital synthesizers.
4. Demonstrate how pulse code modulation systems encode analog signals into digital form.
5. Relate signal-to-quantization-noise ratio to various methods for quantizing and compressing pulse code modulated signals.
6. Evaluate the basic performance metrics of an M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) system.
7. Apply the fast Fourier transform (FFT) to basic signal analysis problems.