Basic Information

  • Course Code: EE 341 (S2)
  • Course Name: Communication Systems-1
  • Course Offered In: 2023-‘24
  • Semester Season: Autumn
  • Instructors: Prof. Gaurav S. Kasbekar
  • Prerequisites: EE229: Signal Processing -1 and EE325: Probability and Random Processes
  • Difficulty (1 being easy and 5 being tough): 3

Course Content

• Review of signals and systems, Fourier transform, and random processes • Low-pass representation of band-pass signals and systems: downconversion and up-conversion • Analog modulation techniques: Amplitude modulation, DSB, SSB, VSB modulation, Angle modulation: FM and PM • Sampling, quantization and pulse modulation: Sampling and pulse amplitude modulation, PCM and DPCM, Delta modulation • Overview of multiplexing and multiple access techniques: TDMA, CDMA, FDMA and OFDM(A) • Digital modulation techniques: Basics of PSK, ASK, FSK, QAM; ML demodulator implementation with matched filter, decision regions and probability of error analysis • Digital communication over bandlimited channels: Intersymbol interference, Nyquist criterion for ISI-free pulse, raised cosine pulse

Feedback on Lectures

Professor came prepared with the slides and explained the content using them. Blackboard was used at times to explain some concepts. The slides content was exhaustive to prepare for the exams and covered all the concepts perfectly. Professor was eager to solve any doubts and queries the students might face.

The content itself was pretty interesting, with intuitive reasoning of the concepts. The content was not too mathematically intensive and could be understood with ease by paying decent attention to lectures and slides.

Feedback on Evaluations

Exam-policy:

3 Quizzes: 10% each
Best 2 out of 3 quizzes were counted Quiz 1: 1st week of September Quiz 2: Mid-October Quiz 3: 1st week of November

Midsem: 30% Endsem: 50%

Majority of the questions in exams were directly or bit derived forms of the questions given in the tutorials. Quiz 3 and Endsem was on a bit tougher end as compared to other exams, but even they were majorly from the textbook references and the tutorials.

Study Material and Resources

Lecture slides, Regular tutorials (9 in total)

Textbooks • S. Haykin, M. Moher, “Communication Systems”, Fifth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2010 • S. Haykin, “Digital Communication Systems”, John Wiley & Sons, 2014 • B.P. Lathi, Z. Ding, “Modern Digital and Analog Communication Systems”, Oxford, Fourth edition, 2011

Follow-Up Courses

• Communication Networks (EE 706) • Wireless and Mobile Communications (EE 764) • Advanced Communication Networks (EE 740) • Network Security (EE 777) • Fibre Optic Communication (EE 606) • Information Theory and Coding (EE 708) • Error Correcting Codes (EE 605) • Advanced Network Security (EE 6103)

Final Takeaway

It is an interesting core course for all EE UG students. An important course for students interested to pursue CSP specialisation or otherwise any domain related to signals or communications. Solving the tutorials is important to get a good idea of the problem solving methodology of the course. It is not a hectic course and can be done with ease if the student is regular and takes interest in the content.