Information and Communication

Code:

EEC0137

Acronym:

IC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics
OFICIAL	Telecommunications

Instance: 2015/2016 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Electrical and Computers Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIEEC	227	Syllabus	2	-	6	56	162

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.

Learning outcomes and competences

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.

Working method

Presencial

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

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, Prentice Hall, 2005. ISBN: 0131174290
Andrew S. Tanenbaum, David J. Wetherall; Computer networks. ISBN: 978-0-13-255317-9
Docentes da UC; Apontamentos fornecidos pelos docentes.
Docentes da UC; Guiões dos trabalhos laboratoriais

Complementary Bibliography

Paul Horowitz, Winfield Hill; The art of electronics. ISBN: 0-521-37095-7
William Stallings; Data and computer communications. ISBN: 0-13-571274-2
Docentes da UC TSIN; Apontamentos de teoria do sinal

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures: presentation of fundamental concepts, accompanied by typical examples, as a way of consolidating the underlying concepts and principles. Laboratory sessions: dedicated to implementing small experiments, requiring the handover of two-pages reports for each experiment. Some of these sessions will be dedicated to the discussion and resolution of typical problems.

Software

MatLab / Simulink

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	50,00
Trabalho laboratorial	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	106,00
Frequência das aulas	56,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

To have access to the course grading process, the student must satisfy the following:

- obtain minimum of  7 (out of 20) on the average of the two written tests;

- perform the six proposed laboratory experiments; the final laboratory grade is the average and has a minimum of 9 (out of 20).

- attend a minimum number of Laboratory sessions, as established by the general evaluation rules.

Missing the laboratory class dedicated to an experiment is equivalent to a grade of zero in that assignment.

Students that have already obtained a valid laboratory grade will keep this grade and should only do the two written tests.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade is obtained by the following weighted sum: 0,50 * (average(test 1 and test 2)) + 0,50 * (laboratory grade).

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The students with special status that cannot attend the laboratory sessions must do two experiments of the  proposed experiments. The selection is by draw. They also should do the 2 tests. The final grade is obtained by the following weighted sum: 0,65 * (average(test 1 and test 2)) + 0,35 * (laboratory grade (average(experiments 1 and 2)).

For the students with a laboratory grade, the final grade is obtained by  the formula as specified above for regular students.

Classification improvement

Not applicable.

Observations

Test 1: to be specified

Test 2: to be specified