NG3S800 - Communication Engineering and Application 01 Jul 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 4

Associated Module Information

Module Code: NG3S800
Module Title: Communication Engineering and Application
Faculty: Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science
Faculty Group: Information and Electronics
Faculty Sub Group: Electronics
Module Leader: Jurgen Richter
Module Team: Ifiok Otung, Eurfyl Davies, Leshan Uggalla, Elango Nagasundaram
First Intended Intake: SEP 2015 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100163 - electrical and electronic engineering
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 4
Valid From 01 Jul 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

The aims of this module are to:
Understand and develop knowledge of systems and techniques used in telecommunications.
These cover
• cable, radio, mobile communications and television systems as well as relevant
• communications networks and information theory & coding considerations.
Through design studies addressing pertinent issues in:
• radiowave propagation, cable transmission, mobile radio systems and digital television, students will learn how to analyse, apply and synthesise solutions to practical problems.

Content Summary

I. Wireless transmission:
a) Radiowave propagation: Free space; attenuation, absorption, reflection, refraction and diffraction of radio waves; path loss; power calculations (link budgets) in point to point links; multipath propagation.
b) Antennas: Radiation patterns, polarisation, directivity, beamwidth and gain; specification of common antenna types and their applications.
c) RF power amplification: solid state amplifiers, wideband amplification, amplifier stability.
II. Guided media:
a) Transmission lines: Travelling waves on cable, microstrip and waveguides; mismatched lines and the use of Smith charts for impedance matching.
b) Optical Fibres: Principles of transmission; dispersion; bit rate limitations due to losses and dispersion effects; design of optical fibre links.
III. Information Theory and Error Control Coding:
a) Information content and entropy coding; ISI & bandwidth constraint on symbol rate; Shannon’s law & noise constraint on bit rate; matched filter; noise impact in digital transmission systems.
b) Error control coding: Effectiveness and limitations of error control coding; ARQ techniques; interleaving & concatenation; linear block codes.
IV. Applied communication systems:
Personal Communication Systems: The cellular radio concept; implementation and evolution of mobile comms systems; multiple access techniques; spread spectrum techniques; network concepts and IP; queuing theory and application in network design
Television systems: Composite and component video; digital broadcasting; HDTV and multi-channel television services; capacity and bandwidth considerations; OFDM.
Introduction to 3/4/5G Mobile network architecture.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 48
Tutorial 12
Practical classes and workshops 12
Independent Study 104
Directed Study 24
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Acquired coherent and detailed knowledge about systems to distinguish the techniques and technologies used in communication engineering in its various applications, like Mobile Networks and Digital broadcasting.
LO2 Through appropriate design examples, students will be able to critically analyse, apply and synthesise solutions to?real life?telecommunication problems

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 A written report that draws on knowledge and material from the module or course. 0 2000 30 No 40
Synchronous Onsite Assessment (Exam) Onsite Closed Book Examination 1 A test of knowledge and understanding by previously unseen questions, delivered onsite and time constrained to not more than 3 hours 150 N/A 70 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report 1
Onsite Closed Book Examination 1

Reading List

Otung I, Digital Communications: Principles and Systems, Institution of Engineering and Technology, London, ISBN 978-1-84919-611-6

Saunders S, Aragon-Zavala, A, Antennas and propagation for wireless Communications (2nd?ed), Wiley; ISBN 9780470848791

Rappaport T, Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice (2nd?ed), Prentice Hall, ISBN 978-0130422323

Benoit, Herve: “Digital Television – satellite, cable, terrestrial, IPTV, mobile TV in the DVB framework”, 3rd ed., Focal Press, London, ISBN 978-0240520810