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Digital Communication Systems for MSc - ELE00131M

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  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Ruwan Gajaweera
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
    • See module specification for other years: 2022-23

Module summary

Digital Communication Systems module extends the theories and concepts covered in Introduction to Communications module in the autumn term. In this module, you will have a deeper look at the main concepts of wired and wireless communication systems, architectures of transmitters and receivers that solve general issues in such communication systems.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2021-22

Module aims

Subject content aims:

  • To provide an understanding of the principal issues and techniques involved in baseband data transmission

  • To introduce the most common forms of passband modulation, both linear and exponential, their characteristics and error rates

  • To introduce the student to radio modem principles and architectures, and provide tools to analyse weak and strong signal handling performance

  • To show how key receiver building blocks can be implemented in both hardware and DSP implementations

Graduate skills aims:

  • To develop skills in the selection and application of appropriate numeric and algebraic techniques

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Be able to describe base- and passband modulation schemes and specify the suitability of a modulation scheme for an application     
     
  • Be able to derive expressions for the bit error rate of base- and passband modulation schemes and evaluate the impact on the error rate due to various factors
     
  • Be able to describe the operation of advanced wireless transmitter and receiver topologies and evaluate their performances
     
  • Be able to describe the advantages and limitations of using DSP techniques in wired and wireless transmitter and receiver topologies.  

Graduate skills learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Be able to explain and evaluate advanced technical concepts concisely and accurately

  • Be able to select, adapt and apply a range of mathematical techniques to solve advanced problems

  • Have developed skills in problem-solving, critical analysis and applied mathematics

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Digital Communication Systems		 8 hours 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Digital Communication Systems		 8 hours 100

Module feedback

'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme.  We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments.

A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.  This can be found at https://www.york.ac.uk/students/studying/assessment-and-examination/guide-to-assessment/

The Department of Electronic Engineering aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme.  In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work.  Students are provided with their examination results within 20 working days of the end of any given examination period.  The Department will also endeavour to return all coursework feedback within 20 working days of the submission deadline.  The Department would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback.  The Department will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum.  Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate.  Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date. 

Students will also receive formative feedback through in-class examples, worked solutions to problem sheets and workshop sessions.

Indicative reading

* Forouzan, B.A., Data Communications and Networking , McGraw-Hill International, fourth edition 2007.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.