Digital Communications
Reference Books
B.P. Lathi, and Zhi Ding
“Modern Digital and Analog Communication“
(The Oxford Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering)
5th Edition, Oxford Press, 2019

Pabitra Kumar Ray, and Bernard Sklar
“Digital Communications: Fundamentals & Applications“
2nd Edition, Pearson, 2009

Course Goals
- Introductory course on modern digital communication systems.
- The basic communication system theory, probability and random processes, baseband digital data transmission, coherent and non-coherent digital modulation techniques and analysis of bit error probability.
- Bandwidth efficiency and transmission of digital data through band-limited channels.
Course Modules
Module 1 – Introduction
- Communication Systems
- Design Challenges: Channel Distortions and Noises
- Message Sources
- Channel Effect, Signal-To-Noise Ratio, and Capacity
- Modulation and Detection
- Digital Source Coding and Error Correction Coding
- A Brief History Review of Modern Telecommunications
Module 2 – Signals and Signal Space
- Size of Signal
- Classification of Signals
- Some useful Signal Operations
- Unit Impulse Signal
- Signals versus Vectors
- Correlation of Signals
- Orthogonal Signal Sets
- Trigonometric Fourier Series
- Frequency Domain and Exponential Fourier Series
- Matlab Exercises
Module 3 – Analysis and Transmission of Signals
- Fourier Transform of Signals
- Transforms of Some Useful Functions
- Some Fourier Transform Properties
- Signal Transmission Through a Linear Time-Invariant System
- Ideal vs Practical Filters
- Signal Distortion over a Communication Channel
- Signal Energy and Energy Spectral Density
- Signal Power and Power Spectral Density
- Numerical Computation of Fourier Transform: the DFT
- Matlab Exercises
Module 4 – Analog Modulations and Demodulations
- Baseband versus Carrier Communications
- Double-Sideband Amplitude Modulation
- Amplitude Modulation
- Bandwidth-Efficient Amplitude Modulations
- FM and PM: Nonlinear Angle Modulations
- Bandwidth Analysis of Angle Modulations
- Demodulation of FM Signals
- Frequency Conversion and Superheterodyne Receivers
- Generating FM Signals
- Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
- Phase-Locker Loop and Applications
- Matlab Exercises
Module 5 – Digitization of Analog Source Signals
- Sampling Theorem
- Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)
- Digital Telephony: PCM in T1 Systems
- Digital Multiplexing Hierarchy
- Differential PCM (DPCM)
- Delta Modulation
- Vocoders and Video Compression
- Matlab Exercises
Module 6 – Principles of Digital Data Transmission
- Digital Communication Systems
- Baseband Line Coding
- Pulse Shaping
- Scrambling
- Digital Receivers and Regenerative Repeaters
- Eye Diagram: an Important Diagnostic Tool
- PAM: M-ary Baseband Signalling
- Digital Carrier Systems
- M-ary Digital Carrier Modulation
- Matlab Exercises
Module 7 – Performance Analysis of Digital Communication Systems
- Optimum Linear Detector for Binary Polar Signaling
- General Binary Signaling
- Coherent Receivers for Digital Carrier Modulations
- Signal Space Analysis of Optimum Detection
- Vector Decomposition of White Noise Random Process
- Optimum Receiver for White Gaussian Noise Channels
- General Error Probability of Optimum Receivers
- Equivalent Signal Sets
- Nonwhite (Colored) Channel Noise
- Other useful Performance Criteria
- Non-coherent Detection
- Matlab Exercises
Module 8 – Spread Spectrum Communications
- Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) Systems
- Multiple FHSS User Systems and Performance
- Applications of FHSS
- Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
- Resilient Features of DSSS
- Code Division Multiple-Access (CDMA) of DSSS
- Multiuser Detection (MUD)
- Modern Practical DSSS CDMA Systems
- Matlab Exercises