Information and Communication
Keywords |
Classification |
Keyword |
OFICIAL |
Physics |
OFICIAL |
Telecommunications |
Instance: 2010/2011 - 2S
Cycles of Study/Courses
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The student will develop the ability to understand the fundamentals in terms of technical concepts and principles on communications systems for the transmission of information, realizing the underlying complexities regarding technologies and system operation.
Non-technical competences: collaborative working; communication skills. Outcome: students should be able of collaborative work, namely understanding, implementing, collecting and discussing data in small laboratory experiments for the production of the required reports.
Technical competences: students should be able to recall, recognize and interpret terms, concepts, basic principles and specifications of communication systems. With this knowledge students should be capable of analyze and evaluate systems technologies and architectures, as well as required services.
Program
Introduction to Telecommunications.
Signal representation. Recall of concepts acquired in Signal Theory.
Signal filtering. Passive, active and digital filtering.
Analog communications. Modulations: AM, FM and FDM systems.
Digital encoding of analog sources: PCM. Advantages of digital systems. Baseband and passband systems. Introduction to digital modulations.
Channel perturbations. Distortions and noise and its ubiquity. SNR relation.
Data compression. Error-correcting coding.
Transmission Lines: characteristic parameters. The propagation equation. Impedance, reflection and matching. Transients in lines.
Optical fibers. Structures and propagation principles. Attenuation and dispersion.
Introduction to communications networks. data transfer modes.
Introduction to computer networks. Layered architecture and protocols. The TCP/IP model.
Mobile communications: a brief explanation.
Mandatory literature
Apontamentos disponibilizados pelos docentes
Guiões dos trabalhos laboratoriais
Simon Haykin;
Communication systems. ISBN: 0-471-17869-1
Fawwaz T. Ulaby ; trad. José Lucimar do Nascimento;
Eletromagnetismo para engenheiros. ISBN: 978-85-600-3119-1
Jeff Hecht; Understanding fiber optics 5th ed., Prentice Hall, 2005. ISBN: 0131174290
William Stallings;
Data and computer communications. ISBN: 0-13-571274-2
Complementary Bibliography
Apontamentos de Teoria de Sinal
Paul Horowitz, Winfield Hill;
The art of electronics. ISBN: 0-521-37095-7
Teaching methods and learning activities
Lectures: presentation of fundamental concepts, accompanied by typical examples and the resolution of some typical problems, as a way of consolidating the underlying concepts and principles Self-guided study will be pursued through some small homework assignments, called "micro-tests", which will then be graded.
Laboratory sessions: dedicated to implementing small experiments, requiring the handover of two-pages reports for each experiment.
Software
Matlab
Evaluation Type
Distributed evaluation without final exam
Assessment Components
Description |
Type |
Time (hours) |
Weight (%) |
End date |
Attendance (estimated) |
Participação presencial |
56,00 |
|
|
Preparation for laboratory classes |
Trabalho escrito |
18,00 |
|
|
Tests |
Exame |
2,00 |
|
|
|
Total: |
- |
0,00 |
|
Amount of time allocated to each course unit
Description |
Type |
Time (hours) |
End date |
|
Estudo autónomo |
56 |
|
Praepartion for Tests |
Estudo autónomo |
30 |
|
|
Total: |
86,00 |
|
Eligibility for exams
To have access to the course grading process, the student must satisfy the following:
- obtain minima of 4 (out of 20) in each of the two tests in the semester and 7,5 (out of 20) on the average of the two;
- perform a minimum of seven of the ten proposed laboratory experiments. The final laboratory grade is the average of the best eight grades and has a minimum of 10 (out of 20). If only seven experiments are performed, the eighth grade will be entered as zero.
- attend a minimum number of Laboratory sessions, as established by the general evaluation rules.
Calculation formula of final grade
The final grade is obtained by the following weighted sum:
0,35 * (average(test 1 and test 2)) + 0,60 * (laboratory grade) + 0,05 (micro-tests and continuous evaluation).
Continuous evaluation is accomplished during Lab Classes and is based on the student's performance on Lab work and participation in group (20%) and reports (80%).
Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)
The students with special status that cannot attend the laboratory sessions must do two experiments of the ten proposed experiments. The selection is by draw. They also should do the 2 tests. The final grade is obtained by the following weighted sum: 0,60 * (average(test 1 and test 2)) + 0,40 * (laboratory grade (average(experiments 1 and 2)).
Students that have laboratory grade from previous academic year are dispensed from attending laboratory sessions as long as they opt for maintaining that grade.
Classification improvement
Not applicable.