Digital Communications (H6106)

15 credits, Level 6

Spring teaching

The aim of the module is to introduce the basic principles of digital communications and provide the students with knowledge and skills required in the design and performance analysis of digital communication systems.

The following topics will be covered:

• introduction
• digital versus analogue
• main components of digital communication systems
• digital baseband transmission
• sampling
• quantisation
• PCM/DPCM
• data transmission fundamentals
• line coding
• binary and multilevel signalling
• multiplexing
• detection of digital signals
• noise in communication systems
• inter-symbol interference
• decision theory
• digital modulation and demodulation
• ASK/FSK/PSK/DPSK
• probability of error performance and bandwidth efficiency
• fundamentals of information theory and channel coding
• research project and simulation work using MATLAB software tools.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 40 hours of contact time and about 110 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to COVID-19, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses:

• Electrical and Electronic Engineering (with an industrial placement year) BEng
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering (with an industrial placement year) MEng
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng