ELEC 470 / 670
Digital and Analog Communication Systems

Bucknell University
Spring, 2001

Overview:

Our goal is to understand the basic principles that are used in the analysis and design of analog and digital communication systems. The material that we discuss in this course is fundamental to every modern communication system, including AM and FM radio, television, digital audio and video, telecommunications, wireless communication, modems, satellite communication, optical fiber communication, and many others. We will also examine current issues in the rapidly changing field of communications.

Instructor and Office Hours:

Richard J. Kozick
Office: Room 220 Dana
Phone: (570) 577-1129
FAX: (570) 577-1822
Email: kozick@bucknell.edu
Web: http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~kozick

Tentative office hour schedule for Spring, 2001 is Monday 9-10 AM, Tuesday 10-11 AM, Wednesday 1-2 PM.
Please contact me to arrange other times.
(Refer to the course home page for the most up-to-date office hours)

Prerequisite:

ELEC 320 or undergraduate course in signals and linear systems.

Required Textbook:

B.P. Lathi, Modern Digital and Analog Communication Systems (Third Edition), Oxford University Press, 1998.

We will make use of the Communications Toolbox for MATLAB that is available on the Sun computers. On-line tutorials for MATLAB and the Sun computers are linked to the course home page. The tutorials can be accessed directly at
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~kozick/tutorials.html

We may also use another software package (SystemView by Elanix) later in the course.

Other Books:

The library has many books on communication systems. Another good source for current topics is the IEEE Communications Magazine, which is available in the library.

Course Home Page:

The home page for the ELEC 470 course is located at the URL
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~kozick/elec47001
It can also be accessed by following the link from my home page at
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~kozick

The course home page contains the homework assignments, syllabus, links to Web pages related to communications, and other course information. Data files and sample MATLAB programs will be posted on the home page that you may download and use for homework and project assignments.

Grading:

The grading in this course will be objective, so that you are not competing against one another for a limited number of high grades. There is no "curve" that prescribes the number of A's, B's, C's, etc. - it is possible for the entire class to earn A's. The intent of this policy is to encourage cooperation among the class. I hope everyone does well, and I hope we can all work together to grow in our understanding of communication systems.

Graduate students will receive additional assignments that treat some topics in greater detail. Final grades for the course will be computed as follows.

** Original Grading: ** 

2 exams at 15% each                30%
Final exam                         20%
Homework                           15%
Projects                           25%
Quizzes and class participation    10%

** Revised Grading, as of January 23, 2001: ** 

1 mid-term exam                    20%
Final exam                         20%
Homework                           15%
Computer projects                  15%
Special topic report               20%
Quizzes and class participation    10%

Exams and Quizzes:

One mid-term exam will be given on the following date:
** EXAM DATE REVISED January 23, 2001, and again on March 1, 2001 **
Mid-Term Exam: Tuesday, March 27, 2001
The course will conclude with a final exam.
Short quizzes (announced or unannounced) will also be given to check your understanding of the material as we proceed through the course. Missed quizzes cannot be made-up, but your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned regularly. It will be due at the beginning of class on the specified due date. On some assignments, only a subset of the problems will be graded (I will tell you which ones). Late assignments will not be accepted because solutions will be distributed and reviewed during class on the due date.

You are encouraged to work on the homework with groups of your classmates. The purpose of the homework is to practice with the material and to improve your understanding. I encourage you to learn from each other, and also to ask me when you have questions. However, the homework solutions that you submit for grading must be written individually. Be sure that you understand the reasoning for each problem, even if you initially solved the problem with help from your classmates. Keep in mind that most of your grade in this course is determined by exams and quizzes, which you will have to do by yourself.

Computer Projects:

We will work on one or more design projects during the semester in order to gain a better understanding of communication systems. Projects will typically involve design and simulation of communication systems with MATLAB or other software. More details about the projects will be provided as the semester progresses.

** Special Topic Reports: (added January 23, 2001) **

Students will investigate a communications topic of interest individually or in pairs and deliver a presentation to the class. A sign-up sheet will be provided for you to choose a topic and choose a date for presentation so that we can have approximately one presentation per week during March and April.

Some possible topics for special topic reports are available at http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~kozick/elec47001/proj_ideas.html

Tentative Outline:

The following is a tentative list of topics for the course. The corresponding chapters in the Lathi text are also indicated.