Instructor: Frank E. Green (fgreen@umbc.edu)

Office Hours: ECS 217 one hour prior to class and by appointment

Web Site: www.research.umbc.edu/~fgreen

Text: Wireless Communications: Principles & Practice by Theodore S. Rappaport

Other Lecture Material, Notes (handout & available on web site)

This course provides an introduction to mobile radio telephony. A brief discussion of the evolution of mobile radio communications is followed by a discussion of transforming signal representation between the time and frequency domains. The cellular phone concept explores the allocation and assignment of communication channels. After a high-level overview of signal propagation, signal modulation techniques are described. This will include the principles of digital and linear modulation techniques that alter signal parameters to represent digital information propagated through the atmosphere. The section on wireless networks will a generic wireless architecture and it’s connection with the fixed telecommunications infrastructure. An in-depth study of the GSM and IS-95 CDMA cellular phone systems will be presented to include architecture, channel structure and call processing techniques. Finally, a brief discussion will be held on newer technologies such as GPRS and W-CDMA.

Students are required to have completed computer science math courses in computations, calculus 1 & 2. Students should have a good understanding of college-level trigonometry

Students will present a topic related to wireless communications to the class. After approval of the topic by the instructor, students will present their scholastic research of a topic that is to the technical depth of the course. The research will reflect each student’s in-depth study and represent new insight that the student has learned. Presentations must not be tutorials or repetition of material presented during lecture. The presentation must be in the student’s own words and demonstrate a technical understanding and insight gained from the research. Presentations will be graded based on originality (20%), clarity (20%), demonstrated understanding (30%), technical depth and complexity (30%). All references will be noted. Students are responsible for scheduling their presentations and arranging any visual aids.

Students will be evaluated based upon their performance on the following:

Examinations will consist of multiple choice, problem solving and/or short answer essay questions. Makeup exams will be given for excused absences and must be taken within one week of the originally scheduled date to be accepted.

Final Grades will be computed using CSEE & UMBC Grading Guidelines:

A = Top 10% - 15% grades

B = Next 20% - 30% grades

C = Next 30% - 40% grades

No incomplete grades will be assigned. The presentation must be completed by the end of the semester.

Evolution of Mobile Phone Communications: high-level overview of cellular phone development: 1^st generation (analog) and 2ND generation (digital), cordless telephone

Complex Phasors: real signals using complex phasors, complex sinusoidal waveform representation using the real & imaginary axes

Discrete Fourier Transform: DT equation, derivation and meaning, DFT analysis frequencies, deriving an N-point transform, Euler’s equation

Laplace Transform: Laplace analysis technique- its derivation & transformation between an equation in the continuous time domain and its Laplace transform

Cellular Concept: basic concepts, frequency reuse equations, cell geometry calculations, co-channel reuse factor and relation to interference (shown with math examples)

Channel Assignment: general discussion of fixed and dynamic assignment

Handoff Strategies: techniques described, prioritization, dwell time, schemes, applications in 1^st and 2ND generation systems

Fading & Multipath: high-level discussion of small- and large-scale fading, factors in multipath signal propagation

Equalization: general description of inter-symbol interference, correction by equalization , training sequences

Diversity: brief description of diversity, types of diversity

Interleaving: what it is

Modulation: what is modulation, AM & FM, digital modulation basics, discussion of ASK, PSK, BPSK, QPSK, OQPSK equations, waveforms & constellation diagrams described in some detail. Power spectral density plots (dB versus frequency) described also. Spread spectrum modulation techniques, PN sequences described to include direct sequence and frequency hopped spread spectrum. Block diagram, equations for signal, processing gain and performance described.

Multiple Access: FDMA, TDMA concepts, efficiency

Multiple Access: Spread Spectrum; Frequency Hopped, CDMA, (some) hybrids

Wireless Networks: architecture (Base Stations, Mobile Switching Centers, etc.,) in 1^st & 2ND generation systems described (high-level), PSTN basics, connection with SS7/Intelligent Network

GSM: architecture, addressing, channel types (traffic, broadcast, control) described, frame structure, signal processing- the basics applied in GSM described.

CDMA (IS-95): Architecture, signal modulation techniques, forward and reverse channel structures & specifications, long & short PN sequence generation, power control, signal processing- basics applied to CDMA/IS-95

References:

Periodicals and Magazines

• Alcatel Telecommunications Review
• Communication International
• IEEE Communications
• IEEE Personal Communications
• Mobile Communication International
• Mobile Computing
• Mobile Networks & Applications
• Mobile Radio Technology
• Satellite Communications
• Satellite Times
• Wireless Business & Technology
• Wireless Networks
• Wireless Networks & Applications

Texts

Mobile Radio Communications, 2nd Edition, Steele & Hanzo

Applications of CDMA in Wirless/Personal Communications by Garg, Smolik and Wilkes)