ITT 036: Data Communication (Autumn 2025)

Class Timings: Section A: Monday, Wednesday (12:20 - 1:10 pm) and Tuesday (11:30 - 12:20 pm) 

  Section B: Monday, Wednesday (11:30 - 12:20 pm) and Tuesday (12:20 - 1:10 pm) 

Venue: PF3

Piazza page: ITT 036/Autumn2025/home 

Course Overview

In this course, we will focus on covering the basics of data communication and the first two layers of the TCP/IP Model in detail. The objective of this course is to familiarise students with the underlying ideas of the physical aspects of Networks.

Course Outline

• DATA COMMUNICATION NETWORK: Data communication concept, Basic concept of network, Types of networks (LAN, MAN and WAN), Different network topologies like star, ring, hybrid, tree. Network models (OSI and TCP/IP).

• TRANSMISSION MEDIA: Guided and unguided media, twisted wire pair, co-axial cable, optical fibre, microwave links, satellite microwave link, their characteristic features and applications for data transmission.

• DATA AND SIGNALS: Data, Signals, Types of Signals, Bandwidth, spectrum, transmission impairments, Shanon capacity.

• DIGITAL TRANSMISSION TECHNIQUES: Digital-to digital conversions: NRZ, RZ, Biphase, Manchester coding, AMI. Analog-to-digital conversions: Nyquist sampling theorem, quantization, Pulse code modulation.

• ANALOG TRANSMISSION TECHNIQUES: Digital-to-analog conversion: ASK, FSK, PSK, QAM. Signal constellation. Analog-to-analog conversion: amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, phase modulation.

• BANDWIDTH UTILIZATION TECHNIQUES: Frequency Division Multiplexing, Time Division Multiplexing, Wavelength division Multiplexing, Spread Spectrum.

• ERROR DETECTION AND CORRECTION: Errors in data communication: Types of errors, error detection and correction techniques, simple parity check, computation of CRC, Checksum, Hamming code.

• ACCESS CONTROL(*subject to time constraints) : Random access, Controlled access, channelization protocols.

References: We will refer to multiple books and lectures over the duration of this course, some of them are as follows:

• Text Book (TB):

  1. Behrouz A. Forouzan, Data Communications and Networking, 4th Edition [BAF]

• Other References (R):

  1. D. Bertsekas and R. Gallager, Data Networks [BG]

  2. William Stallings, Data & Computer Communications, 8th Edition [WS]

  3. Andrew Tanenbaum, Computer Networks [AT]

  4. Ajit Pal, Data Communications (NPTEL Course) [AP]

Grading Policy:

• Major exam - 50%

• Mid-Term exam - 26%

• Assignments/Quiz/Project - 24%

Quizzes/Assignments: 

• Quiz 1: Fourier Analysis and Module 4 (till Digital signal transmission). Date: 17 Sep

• Assignment 1: Implement a digital signal generator. Here is the complete problem statement. Due date: 23 Oct 31 Oct

• Quiz 2: Line encoding and shift keying. Date: 3 6 Nov

• Quiz 3: CRC and Hamming Code. Date: 17 Nov

Here are the topics we covered in the class and the reference material we used.

1. Lec 0 (Aug 6): General Introduction. Introduction to the course, course objectives, policies, and motivation. 

2. Lec 1 (Aug 11): Concept of data communication, components of a basic communication system, characteristics of a communication system, types of data flow.  (Source: Chapter 1 [BAF])

3. Lec 2 (Aug 12): What is a Network? Various network criteria: performance (transit, response time, throughput, delay), security, reliability, types of connections. (Source: Chapter 1 [BAF])

4. Lec 3 (Aug 13): Types of network topologies - Mesh, star, bus, ring, hybrid, wireless. (Source: Chapter 1 [BAF], Section 15.2 [WS]).

5. Lec 4 (Aug 18): Classification of Networks - based on the architecture and size, comparison of LAN and WAN, the Internet (overall structure). (Source: Chapter 1, 2 [BAF], Lecture 2 [AP])

6. Lec 5 (Aug 19): Need for layering, layered Architecture, physical and logical communication, introduction to the TCP/IP and OSI Models, layers in the OSI model, their classification, devices found on those layers, and their smallest data unit, encapsulation. (Source: Chapter 2 [BAF], Lecture 2 [AP])

7. Lec 6 (Aug 20): Encapsulation, OSI Model Layers, and their functionalities - Physical, Data link, Network layer. (Source: Chapter 2 [BAF], Lecture 2 [AP])

8. Lec 7 (Aug 25): OSI Model Layers and their functionalities - Network (Logical addressing, routing), Transport (process to process delivery, segmentation and reassembly, flow and error control), Session and Presentation. (Source: Chapter 2 [BAF], Lecture 2 [AP])

9. Lec 8 (Aug 26): Application layer in OSI Model, Introduction to the TCP/IP Model, Host-to-Network layer, network layer protocols (IP, ARP, RARP, ICMP, IGMP), Transport layer protocols. (Source: Chapter 2 [BAF], Lecture 2 [AP])

10. Lec 9 (Sep 1): Application layer protocols, addressing in TCP/IP model with illustrated examples: physical address, logical address, port number, specific address. Transmission media and its types.  (Source: Chapter 2, 7 [BAF]). Check this reference for Port no.'s.

11. Lec 10 (Sep 2): Transmission media and its types. Guided transmission media: Twisted cable, coaxial cable and fiber optic. Unguided transmission media - modes of propagation: ground wave, sky wave. (Source: Chapter 7 [BAF], Chapter 4 [WS])

12. Lec 11 (Sep 3): Unguided transmission media - modes of propagation: ground wave, sky wave, line of sight, radiowaves, Microwaves - Terrestrial and satellite microwaves, infrared waves. (Source: Chapter 7 [BAF], Chapter 4 [WS]) 

13. Lec 12 (Sep 4): Introduction to Data and signals, Analog and digital signals, periodic and aperiodic signals, parameters defining fundamental periodic signal: amplitude, period, and frequency, phase, wavelength, time-domain plot, frequency spectrum of analog signals, bandwidth. (Source: Chapter 3 [BAF], Chapter 3 [WS])

14. Lec 13 (Sep 8): Digital signals, bit rate, bit duration, bit length, reasons for choosing periodic analog signal and non-periodic digital signal, digital signal as a composite analog signal, baseband and broadband transmission. (Source: Chapter 3 [BAF], Chapter 3 [WS])

15. Lec 14 (Sep 9): Signal or transmission impairment and its causes, attenuation - challenges, solutions, measurement, dBm unit, delay distortion. (Source: Chapter 3 [BAF], Chapter 3 [WS])

16. Lec 15 (Sep 10): Noise - thermal noise (and its quantification), induced noise, intermodulation noise, crosstalk, impulse noise, SNR ratio, channel capacity, data rate limits, Nyquist's data rate, Shannon capacity with numericals. (Source: Chapter 3 [BAF], Chapter 3 [WS])

17. Lec 16 (Sep 15): Performance of networks, bandwidth: in Hz and in bps, throughput, latency and its components, and bandwidth-delay product. (Source: Chapter 3 [BAF], Chapter 3 [WS])

18.  Lec 17 (Sep 16): Digital-digital conversion (line coding), characteristics of line encoding, bandwidth, baseline wandering, self-synchronisation, DC component, and other characteristics. (Source: Chapter 4 [BAF], Lecture 7 [AP])

19. Lec 18 (Sep 17): Line encoding schemes - problems and characteristics:  Unipolar NRZ, Polar NRZ-L, NRZ-I. (Source: Chapter 4 [BAF], Lecture 7 [AP])

20. Lec 19 (Sep 22): Polar RZ, biphase encoding schemes - Manchester and Differential Manchester, Bipolar line coding schemes: AMI, Pseudoternary. (Source: Chapter 4 [BAF], Lecture 7 [AP])

21. Lec 20 (Sep 23): Block coding, Need for scrambling, basic ideas, Scrambling techniques: B8ZS, HDB3. (Source: Chapter 4 [BAF], Lecture 7 [AP])

22. Lec 21 (Sep 24): Analog to digital conversion, Pulse code modulation (PCM): sampling, quantization, encoding, bit rate computation. (Source: Chapter 4 [BAF], Lecture 8 [AP])

23. Lec 22 (Sep 29): Differential PCM, Delta Modulation: basic working, issues, adaptive delta modulation. Transmission modes: parallel, serial (asynchronous, synchronous, isochronous). (Source: Chapter 4 [BAF], Lecture 8 [AP])

24. Lec 23 (Sep 30): Introduction to Digital-analog conversion, data and signal elements, carrier signal and bandwidth, digital-analog conversion, ASK - BASK or OOK, Multilevel ASK (definition and implementation), FSK definition and implementation (non-coherent and coherent). (Source: Chapter 4, 5 [BAF], Lecture 8 [AP])

All the best for the Mid-term exams!

25. Lec 24 (Oct  13): Recap of digital-analog conversion: BASK, FSK, PSK, BPSK, Differential PSK, and its implementation. (Source: Chapter 5 [BAF], Chapter 5 [WS])

26. Lec 25 (Oct 14): QPSK implementation, constellation diagram - representation, interpretation for different schemes, QAM. (Source: Chapter 5 [BAF], Chapter 5 [WS])

27. Lec 26 (Oct 27): Need for Analog-analog conversion, amplitude (AM), frequency (FM), and phase (PM) modulation. Bandwidth utilization: introduction, motivation, and goal. Multiplexing, definition, and difference from multiple access. (Source: Chapter 5, 6 [BAF])

28. Lec 27 (Oct 28): Frequency division multiplexing, wavelength division multiplexing, time-division multiplexing, synchronous time-division multiplexing. (Source: Chapter 6 [BAF])

29. Lec 28 (Oct 29): Synchronous time-division multiplexing, and its disadvantages, data rate management in synchronous TDM: multilevel multiplexing, multiple slot allocation, and pulse stuffing. Frame synchronization in synchronous TDM, statistical TDM: basic idea, differences with synchronous TDM. (Source: Chapter 6 [BAF])

30. Lec 29 (Oct 30): Spread spectrum: basic idea, working principle- Frequency Hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) and Direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS): basic idea, working and applications. Introduction to error control, Error, types of errors. (Source: Chapter 6, 10 [BAF])

31. Lec 30 (Oct 31): Introduction to error control, modular arithmetic, Block coding, minimum Hamming distance, and its relation with error detection and correction, linear block codes, simple Parity check, 2-D parity check. (Source: Chapter 10 [BAF], Chapter 6 [WS], Chapter 3 [AT])

32. Lec 31 (Nov 3): Cyclic codes, CRC working - encoder, decoder with examples. Polynomial representation and the involved operations. (Source: Chapter 10 [BAF], Chapter 6 [WS], Chapter 3 [AT])

33. Lec 32 (Nov 4): Polynomial version of CRC - both sender and receiver side with examples, Cyclic code analysis, good generator properties: single-bit error, two isolated single-bit errors. (Source: Chapter 10 [BAF], Chapter 6 [WS], Chapter 3 [AT])

34. Lec 33 (Nov 6): Good generator properties: odd number of errors, burst errors, standard polynomials, checksum: working with examples, Error correction: automatic repeat request, forward error correction, Hamming code: working with examples. (Source: Chapter 10 [BAF], Chapter 6 [WS], Chapter 3 [AT]). Hamming code source.

This is all for this course. All the best for the Major exams!