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Course overview
This course covers the fundamentals and intermediate concepts of communications engineering as taught in B.Tech ECE programs. It begins with signal theory and moves through analog modulation techniques, noise in communication systems, digital modulation, and modern digital transmission methods. By the end, students can analyze modulated signals, compute SNR and BER, and apply communication system design principles to exam problems and practical scenarios.
Details
Target audience: Third-year B.Tech ECE students studying Communications Engineering for their end-semester exams or GATE preparation.
Duration: 10 to 12 hours
Prerequisites
- Basic circuit theory and signal representation
- Fourier series and transform concepts
- Probability theory fundamentals for noise analysis
Learning outcomes
- Compute power spectral density and apply the sampling theorem to determine minimum sampling rates
- Derive and compare bandwidth requirements for DSB-SC, SSB, and FM signals
- Calculate SNR and figure of merit for AM and FM systems under additive noise
- Determine BER for ASK, FSK, PSK, and QPSK under given channel conditions
- Analyze PCM systems including quantization noise and step size selection in delta modulation
- Solve GATE-level communications problems covering modulation, noise, and digital transmission
Modules
Module 1: Signal Theory Foundations
Topics
- Fourier transform and frequency domain analysis
- Power spectral density and energy signals
- Bandwidth and channel capacity concepts
- Sampling theorem and aliasing
- Baseband signal representation
Article slugs
fourier-transform-communicationspower-spectral-densitysampling-theorem-aliasingbandwidth-channel-capacity
Lab slug: signal-spectrum-analysis-lab
Module 2: Analog Modulation
Topics
- Amplitude modulation: DSB-SC, SSB, VSB
- Frequency modulation and phase modulation
- FM bandwidth and Carson rule
- Demodulation techniques and envelope detector
- Comparison of AM and FM performance
Article slugs
amplitude-modulation-typesfrequency-modulation-fundamentalsfm-bandwidth-carson-ruledemodulation-techniques
Lab slug: am-fm-modulation-lab
Module 3: Noise in Communications
Topics
- Thermal noise and shot noise models
- SNR at receiver input and output
- Noise figure and noise temperature
- Figure of merit for AM, FM, and DSB
- Pre-emphasis and de-emphasis in FM
Article slugs
noise-in-communication-systemssnr-noise-figurefm-noise-performancepre-emphasis-de-emphasis
Lab slug: noise-analysis-lab
Module 4: Digital Modulation
Topics
- ASK, FSK, PSK, and QPSK fundamentals
- BER analysis for digital schemes
- Differential phase shift keying (DPSK)
- Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)
- Comparison of bandwidth efficiency
Article slugs
ask-fsk-psk-fundamentalsber-digital-modulationqam-modulationdpsk-modulation
Lab slug: digital-modulation-lab
Module 5: Digital Transmission
Topics
- PCM encoding and quantization noise
- Delta modulation and adaptive delta modulation
- Line coding schemes: NRZ, RZ, Manchester
- Inter-symbol interference and Nyquist criterion
- GATE-level problems and past paper analysis
Article slugs
pcm-quantization-noisedelta-modulationline-coding-schemesisi-nyquist-criterion
Lab slug: pcm-transmission-lab