COURSE OUTLINE

ECM621 - DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN ELEKTRIK

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA PULAU PINANG

PROGRAMME B. Eng (Hons) Electronic/ Electrical Engineering

COURSE Digital Communications (ECM621)
CREDIT HOUR 3
SEMESTER SEP 2013 JAN 2014

COURSE DESCRIPTION / SYNOPSIS:

This course covers digital signal transmission, pulse code modulation, digital
modulations, error detection and correction and information theory.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES (POs)

PO3 Ability to apply specialised knowledge to solve complex electrical / electronic
engineering problems.
PO4 Ability to identify, formulate, and analyse complex electrical / electronic
engineering problems
PO5 Ability to design solution for complex electrical / electronic engineering
problems to meet specifications for
public health, safety and environmental considerations.

COURSE OUTCOMES (COs)

CO1 Ability to analyze the digital communication system and the various
modulation techniques.
CO2 Ability to analysis of detection processes through the probability of bits and
symbols being detected in error correction.
CO3 Ability to acquire and apply the major functional blocks, which make up
complete digital communication systems.
CO4 Ability to analysis of information theory and source coding techniques to
determine the performance and efficiency of the communication systems.
CO5 Ability to apply the analysis in spread spectrum systems.

CO-PO MATRIX
PO3 PO4 PO5
CO1
CO2
CO3
CO4
CO5
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to:
1. Analyze the digital communication system and the various modulation techniques.
2. Analysis of detection processes through the probability of bits and symbols being
detected in error correction.
3. Acquire and apply the major functional blocks, which make up complete digital
communication systems.
4. Analysis of information theory and source coding techniques to determine the
performance and efficiency of the communication systems.
5. Apply the analysis in spread spectrum systems.

COURSE EVALUATION:
Course Work Percentage
1. Tests (1 and 2) 30 %
2. Quizzes / Assignments 10 %

Total Course Work 40 %

Final Examination 60 %
Total Marks 100 %

REFERENCES:
1. Ian A.Glover, Peter M.Grant, Digital Communications, Prentice Hall, 2nd Edition
2004.

2. Wayne Tomasi, "Electronic Communications Systems", Fundametals Through

Advanced ,Prentice Hall, 5th edition, 2001.

3. Couch, L.W., Digital And Analog Communication Systems Prentice Hall, 6th
Edition 2001.

4. Ziemer, R.E. & Peterson, R. L Introduction To Digital Communication Prentice

Hall, 2nd Edition 2001.

5. Proakis, J. G., Digital Communications McGraw-Hill 4th Edition 2001.

LECTURER:

Ali Bin Othman Room: 4.7 BKBA

Tel: 04-382 2507 (Off)/019-426 0206 (Hp)
e-mail: aliman@ppinang.uitm.edu.my

WEB RESOURCES

1. https://sites.google.com/site/ecoursef
2. UiTM i-Learn Portal
 SCHEME OF WORK/ LESSON PLAN
CO-PO READING ACTIVITIES ASSESSMEN
DATE/WEEK TOPIC CONTENT/SUB-TOPIC
MATERIAL T
Sources and sinks of
1 information, digital
communications
( WEEK 1 )
Digital equipment, signal CO1, Chapter 1 Lectures & Quiz 1
Communi transmission and PO4 (Ref #1) Tutorial
cations advantages of digital
Overview communications.

Energy and power

spectral density. The
power spectral density
2 of noise. Bit energy and
( WEEK 2-3 ) CO2,
noise bandwidth. Chapter 2 & Lectures & Quiz 2
PO3,PO4,
Analysis Probability density 3 (Ref #1) Tutorial
PO5
of Signals function. Probability of
bit error and message
error.

Natural and flat topped

sampling, baseband
sampling, Nyquist
criterion and aliasing.
PCM generation and
reconstruction,
3 quantization noise, non-
uniform quantization,
Chapter 5
( WEEK 4-5 ) Sampling companded PCM and CO3,
(Ref #1) Lectures & Quiz 3
and Pulse differential PCM. Delta PO3,PO4,
Chapter 10 Tutorial
Code modulation (DM), PO5
(Ref #2)
Modulati adaptive delta
on (PCM) modulation and
comparison between
DM and PCM. Digital
multiplexing,
International Standards
and hierarchy.

MID SEMESTER BREAK WEEK 6

Information, entropy
4 and source information
rate. Channel capacity
Informati of discrete and CO4,
Chapter 9 Lectures & Quiz 4
on Theory continuous channels. PO3,PO4,
( WEEK 7-9 ) (Ref #1) Tutorial
and Source coding, variable PO5
Source length coding and
Coding source coding examples.
 Error detection and its
applications. Linear
5
block code. Cyclic codes. CO4,
Chapter 10 Lectures & Quiz 5
( WEEK 10-12 ) Convolution codes and PO3,PO4,
Error (Ref #1) Tutorial
trellis diagram. Practical PO5
Control
coders.
Coding
Digital modulations:
amplitude shift keying
(ASK), frequency shift
keying (FSK) and phase
shift keying (PSK).
6 Comparison of these
shifts keying techniques.
( WEEK 13-14 ) CO5, Quiz 6
Bandpass M-symbol PSK, Chapter 6 Lectures &
PO3,PO4,
Digital quadrature amplitude (Ref #1) Tutorial
PO5
Transmiss modulation and
ion quadrature phase shift
keying (QPSK). Minimum
shift keying (MSK),
Gaussian MSK and trellis
coded modulation.

Walsh codes and

orthogonality.
7 Applications in spread
spectrum theory. CO5,
( WEEK 15 ) Chapter 9 Lectures & Quiz 7
Spread Spreading factor and PO3,PO4,
(Ref #4) Tutorial
Spectrum orthogonal variable PO5
Signals spreading factor.
Applications in 3G
network.
REVISION WEEK 16
 TENTATIVE TEACHING SCHEDULE
ECM621
Semester Sep 2013-Jan 2014

Week Duration Content

1 9/9-13/9 Digital Communications Overview
Sources and sinks of information, digital communications equipment, signal
transmission and advantages of digital communications.
2 Analysis of Signals
16/9-20/9 Energy and power spectral density. The power spectral density of noise. Bit
energy and noise bandwidth.
3 Analysis of Signals
23/9-27/9 Probability density function. Probability of bit error and message error.
4 Sampling and Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)
30/9-4/10 Natural and flat topped sampling, baseband sampling, Nyquist criterion and
aliasing.
5 Sampling and Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)
7/10-11/10 PCM generation and reconstruction, quantization noise, non-uniform
quantization, companded PCM and differential PCM.
6 14/10-18/10 MID SEMESTER BREAK
Sampling and Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)
7 Delta modulation (DM), adaptive delta modulation and comparison
21/10-25/10
between DM and PCM. Digital multiplexing, International Standards and
hierarchy.
8 Information Theory and Source Coding
28/10-1/11 Information, entropy and source information rate. Channel capacity of
discrete and continuous channels.
8 31 October 2013 TEST 1:
11.00 am - 1.00 pm 1. Digital Communications Overview
2. Analysis of Signals
3. Sampling and PCM
9 Information Theory and Source Coding
4/11-8/11
Source coding, variable length coding and source coding examples.
10 Error Control Coding
11/11-15/11
Error detection and its applications.
11 Error Control Coding
18/11-22/11
Linear block code. Cyclic codes.
12 Error Control Coding
25/11-29/11
Convolution codes and trellis diagram. Practical coders.
13 2/12-6/12 Bandpass Digital Transmission
Digital modulations: amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying
(FSK) and phase shift keying (PSK).
14 9/12-13/12 Bandpass Digital Transmission
Comparison of these shifts keying techniques. M-symbol PSK, quadrature
amplitude modulation and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK). Minimum
shift keying (MSK), Gaussian MSK and trellis coded modulation.
14 12 December 2013 TEST 2:
11.00 am - 1.00 pm 1. Information Theory and Source Coding
2. Error Control Coding
3. Bandpass Digital Transmission
15 16/12-20/12 Spread Spectrum Signals
Walsh codes and orthogonality. Applications in spread spectrum theory.
Spreading factor and orthogonal variable spreading factor. Applications in
3G network.
16 23/12-27/12 REVISION WEEK
17 30/12/2013-19/1/2014 EXAMINATION WEEKS