Introduction

Principles of Communications

Prof. Mao Wang

Communication System Block Diagram
Message Transmit Received Recovered Recovered
Message signal
signal signal message signal message

Info
Transducer Transmitter Channel Receiver Transducer
source

➢ Communications, at least in the context used in this course, is the conveyance of

message from one point to a second point
➢ The channel is the physical medium for transporting the signal produced by the
transmitter and delivering it to the receiver
➢ Wireless: Atmosphere/free-space, underwater acoustic channels
➢ Wired: Wirelines, coaxial cables, waveguides, fiber optic cables

Professor Mao Wang

Electromagnetic Transmission Channels
Electromagnetic Spectrum
f (Hz)
0
10 3
10 6
10 109 1012 1015 1018

Light
Radio and microwaves Infrad Ultraviolet and X-rays

l (m) 108 105 102 10-1 10-4 10-7 10-10

kHz MHz GHz

3 30 300 3 30 300 3 30 300

VLF LF MF HF VHF UHF SHF EHF

100 10 1 100 10 1 100 10 1

km m mm

➢ Electromagnetic-wave propagation channels

➢ The basic physical principle involved is the coupling of electromagnetic energy into a
propagation medium (free-space or atmosphere) by means of a radiation element – antenna
➢ Radio frequency (RF) spectrum that has been used for practical communications ranges from
10kHz to 30GHz
➢ Ground waves (MF and lower)
➢ Sky waves (HF)
➢ Direct waves (VHF and higher)
➢ Guided electromagnetic-wave channels
➢ Wirelines (LF and lower)
➢ Coaxial cables (MF)
➢ Waveguides (SHF and EHF)
➢ Optical fibers (200 THz)

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 Communication System (Cont’d)
Transmit signal Received Recovered Recovered
Message Message signal
signal message signal message

Transducer Transmitter Channel Receiver Transducer

➢ A message contains certain amount of info (otherwise there is no need to

transmit the message)
➢ Continuous – Info state changes continuously, e.g., voice, video
➢ Discrete – Info state is discrete, e.g., alphabets, data
➢ A transducer converts the message into a signal that is suitable for transmission
➢ E.g., a microphone converts an acoustic signal into an electrical signal
➢ A signal is the variation of a quantity, often an electrical voltage or current, with
time
➢ The purpose of the transmitter is to couple the signal to the channel
➢ For example, the message signal is modulated onto a radio frequency
(known as the carrier) for transmission through the radio frequency
channel
➢ The receiver’s function is to provide an estimate of the message signal from the
received signal

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Transmission of Messages through
Bandlimited Channels

Principles of Communications

Prof. Mao Wang

Representation of a Message
➢ In a electrical communication system, a message or a symbol is represented by
an electrical (voltage or current) waveform or pulse in order to be transmitted
over an RF channel
Electrical pulse

Message (e.g., I’m fine.)

Message (e.g., I’m not fine.)

Professor Mao Wang

Representation of a Message
➢ In a electrical communication system, a message or a symbol is represented by
an electrical (voltage or current) waveform or pulse in order to be transmitted
over an RF channel
➢ The waveform must be bandlimited in order to be transmitted through a
bandlimited channel
➢ The bandwidth of the waveform must be no greater than that of the
channel
Electrical pulse

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Baseband Waveform and Spectrum

➢ The narrower the pulse is (the faster the symbols can be

transmitted), the wider the bandwidth it occupies
sinc pulse, sinc(Wt )

sin ( x )
sinc( x )
x

Baseband spectrum Baseband pulse

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 Transmission of a Message
➢ In a electrical communication system, a message or a symbol is represented by
an electrical (voltage or current) waveform or pulse in order to be transmitted
over an RF channel

+1 +1 +1

Message A Transmitter Channel Receicer Message A

Message B Transmitter Channel Receicer Message B

-1 -1 -1

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Effect of Symbol Transmission Rate
+1

-1

+1

No ISI -1

Severe ISI
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Maximum Symbol Rate

1
W

Maximum Symbol Rate = 𝑊

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Channel Limitation
➢ The number of resolvable (noninterfering) pulses that can be transmitted per
sec over a bandlimited channel is proportional to the channel bandwidth
➢ More precisely, Nyquist concluded that the maximum number of symbols
resolvable in a 𝑇-sec interval with a channel of bandwidth 𝑊-Hz is no greater
than 𝑊𝑇
➢ Symbol rate ≤ channel bandwidth 𝑊
➢ Implied a restriction on the amount of information that can be communicated
reliably over a physical channel
➢ 𝑊𝑇 – communication resources or degrees of freedom
➢ There is a limited amount of information can be reliably communicated on
a given amount of resources
GHz
30

SHF
3

UHF
300

VHF
RF Spectrum

WT
W
MHz
30

HF

T
3

MF
300

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LF
kHz
30
 Carrier Modulation

Principles of Communications

Prof. Mao Wang

The Need for Carrier Modulation
➢ A message signal in its original form, i.e., the baseband signal, is typically not
suited for transmission over a physical communication channel – It needs to be
translated into a type of waveform that can be accommodated by the intended
channel
➢ If the signal is to be transmitted through the atmosphere, frequency
translation is necessary to raise the signal spectrum to an RF frequency
➢ that is assigned by the radio spectrum regulatory agency
➢ that can be radiated efficiently with antennas
➢ If more than one signal shares a channel, frequency translation allows
different signals transmit at different spectral locations without interfering
with each other

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Carrier Modulation Mathematical Model
➢ The baseband pulse/signal (modeled by a complex time function) is impressed
on an RF sinusoidal carrier (modeled by a complex phasor), which shifts the
baseband signal to the appropriate frequency band, which becomes a passband
signal

s (t ) s (t )e j 2 fct

e j 2 f c t
Baseband signal Carrier Passband/RF signal
W

0
W

Frequency
0 Up-conversion fc

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Practical Up-Conversion
sin 2 f ct

sI ( t ) Q sI (t )sin 2 f ct

(Quadrature)
 sI (t ) 
s(t )    s (t )  sI (t )cos2 f ct  sQ (t )sin 2 f ct
 sQ (t ) 
(In-phase)
Baseband signal Passband/RF signal
sQ (t ) I sQ (t )cos 2 f ct

GHz
cos 2 f ct

SHF
Carrier

3
UHF

300

RF Spectrum
VHF
WT
W

Carrier frequency fc

MHz
30
T

HF

3
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MF
 Communication Block Diagram

Pulse Up Down Pulse

Info symbol generator converter RF Channel converter detector Info symbol

Baseband signal Passband/RF signal

(Complex) (Complex)

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