Course Number: ECSE 4560/6560

Course Title: Digital Communications (Spring 2019-2020, Undergraduate/Graduate)

Class schedule: Monday & Thursday, 12:30 pm-1:50 pm

Classroom: LOW 3039

Credit hours: 3

Instructor: Derya Malak

Office: JEC 6038

Office Hours: Wednesday 4pm-6pm, Friday 1pm-2pm

Course Description:

The main objective of this course is to provide a comprehensive treatment of the theory, design, and implementation of reliable high-speed digital communication systems. The focus of this class is the reliable transmission and reception of digital symbols over channels with noise. The course is meant to provide a strong foundation for both research and industry practice in communications.

Learning Outcomes:

• An ability to design digital modulation and demodulation systems.
• An ability to design and implementation of receivers for communication systems.
• An understanding of source coding techniques.
• An understanding of communication channels and channel coding techniques.
• An understanding of multicarrier modulation schemes and OFDM.
• An understanding of information theoretic fundamentals for digital communications.
• An understanding of basic wireless communication models.

References:

J. G. Proakis and M. Salehi, Communication Systems Engineering, 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2002 (Textbook). Bookstore link

R. G. Gallager, Principles of Digital Communication, Cambridge University Press, 2008.

A. J. Viterbi, J. K. Omura, Principles of Digital Communication and Coding, McGraw-Hill, 1979.

J. G. Proakis and M. Salehi, Fundamentals of Communication Systems, 2nd Edition, Pearson, 2005.

A. Goldsmith, Wireless Communications, Cambridge University Press, 2005.

D. Tse, P. Viswanath, Fundamentals of Wireless Communication, 1st Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2005.

T . M. Cover, J. A. Thomas, Elements of Information Theory, 2nd Edition, Wiley Series in Telecommunications and Signal Processing, 2006.

S. Haykin, Digital Communication Systems, Wiley, 2006.

J. Cioffi, Digital Communications, Stanford University EE379 course notes.

A. Lapidoth, A Foundation In Digital Communication, Cambridge, 2009.

Proakis and Salehi, Digital Communications, 5th Ed, McGraw Hill.

Prerequisites:

ECSE 2500 Engineering Probability and ECSE 4520 Communication Systems or permission of instructor.

Grading Criteria:

The grade will be based on the average homework grade (worth 10%), project (worth 10%), two midterm exams in class (worth 25% each), and a final exam (worth 30%).

Homework will be assigned every 5-6 classes (about 5 homeworks total) and posted on Piazza. These homeworks will be a mixture of paper-and-pencil problems to hand in, and MATLAB problems. You may discuss problems with other students, but you must prepare your solution independently.

Homework is due at the start of class (defined as the first 10 minutes) on the date indicated and you will turn in your homework in class. Late homework will not be accepted. Any questions about grading should be directed to Dr. Malak.

The project description can be found here .

All exams will be closed book. Dr. Malak will assist in grading the exams and handle any questions or appeals.

Course policies:

• If you require extra time on exams or another form of accommodation, please contact the Dean of Students Office or the Office of Disability Services for Students. Please do this early in the term so that we have plenty of time to plan.
• You are expected to approach the instructor with any issue that may affect your performance in class ahead of time. This includes absence from important class meetings, late assignments, inability to perform an assigned task, the need for extra time on assignments, etc. You should be prepared to provide sufficient proof of any circumstances based on which you are making a special request as outlined in the Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
• Grade appeals, on homework or exam, must be submitted in writing within 72 hours of its return to the class. No verbal complaints will be considered.

Academic Integrity:

Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are their own. Acts that violate this trust undermine the educational process. The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities and The Graduate Student Supplement define various forms of Academic Dishonesty and you should make yourself familiar with these. In this class, all assignments that are turned in for a grade must represent the student’s own work.

Submission of any assignment that is in violation of this policy may result in a penalty of an F in the class, and may be subject to further disciplinary action.