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This course will cover the fundamental principles of wireless digital communications.

Participants will learn how to analyze the performance of digital modulation techniques such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and apply them in modern wireless systems. High-order modulation (such as 256-QAM, 1024-QAM) achieves greater spectral efficiency, thus leading to higher data rates. They form the basis of current and emerging wireless standards (such as 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi). By changing the modulation and coding, the available data rate and robustness of the wireless signal can be adapted to deployment conditions. The course will review the impact of digital modulation on multi-carrier and multi-antenna wireless systems. Participants will also work on a Matlab project.

Course Highlights:

  • Overview of modern wireless systems
  • Review of probability, random processes, noise, and entropy
  • Baseband and passband modulation
  • Receiver design and channel equalization
  • Maximum-likelihood signal detection and optimum mean-square estimation
  • Sampling theorem and quantization for digital modulation
  • Pulse shaping and discrete-time multi-level modulation
  • Power spectral density and spectral efficiency
  • Error-control coding and error performance
  • Link (rate) adaptation using adaptive modulation and coding
  • Multiple access techniques for wireless communications

Course Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the components of a wireless digital communications system
  • Choose an appropriate modulation and coding scheme for a given application
  • Compare the error performance of different modulations
  • Design appropriate receiver structures to achieve given design goals
  • Gain foundational knowledge for more advanced courses such as 4G/5G and OFDM/OFDMA

Software: Students will need the latest version of Matlab to complete their course project.The discounted student version is availabe for purchase online from MathWorks.

Course Typically Offered: Online in Fall and Spring quarters.

Prerequisite: ECE-40051 Signals and Systems or equivalent knowledge and experience. Participants should also be familiar with calculus, probability theory, and random processes.

Next Step: After completing this course, consider taking other courses in the Wireless Engineering certificate program to continue learning.

Contact: For more information about this course, please email unexengr@ucsd.edu.

Course Number: EE-40034
Credit: 3.00 unit(s)
Related Certificate Programs: Wireless Engineering

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