Physical Communication

6 ECTS credits
175 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4012756ENR for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculteit Ingenieurswetenschappen

Department

Electricity

Educational team

Dries Peumans (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

12 contact hours Lecture
72 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals

Course Content

This course focuses on the channel coding aspects of the physical layer of the OSI communication model. Channel coding is the art of transforming your data such that it gets protected against errors. Shannon proved that using the appropriate channel coding, it is possible to get the maximum amount of data over a given communication channel. This theoretical maximum is also known as the channel capacity.

This course starts from the results on information theory and provides an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art channel coding. As different application domains results into different optimal channel coding techniques, the course is split into three application domains, namely
- digital storage (QR-code, CD/DVD, hard disc, solid-state discs)
- power-limited communication (satellite and space communications)
- bandwidth-limited communication (WiFi and 5G communications)
The course will also include the introduction/recap of the above-mentioned communication standards, giving the students a good overview of the different techniques.

The theoretical aspects will be covered in the 24 hours of lectures. To get a practical understanding of the techniques, 52 hours of hands-on labs are foreseen to cover the three domains. The techniques will be tested and demonstrated using a wireless setup which is built around a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP).

Additional info

Student notes in the format of slides, articles and book references will be provided to the students.

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

The course brings the students into contact with the latest evolutions in channel coding techniques. The theoretical part focuses on channel capacity and error-correction for three different application domains: digital storage, power-limited communication, and bandwidth-limited communication. The lab assignments will comprehensively explore each of these domains.

In summary, during this course the following learning outcomes are targeted

The student is able to analyze and compare channel capacities for different application domains such as digital storage, power-limited communication, and bandwidth-limited communication.
The student gains proficiency in various channel coding techniques including linear block codes, cyclic linear block codes, convolutional codes, and concatenated codes. The student understands the principles behind these codes and their applications in error detection, and error correction.
The student is able to apply channel coding techniques learned in the course to digital storage systems such as HDD & RAID controllers, CD and DVD storage, and QR codes.
The student understands the role of error correction codes like LDPC and Turbo codes in mitigating errors in communication channels with limited power budgets.
The student understands the principles of trellis code modulation, Turbo TCM, and Bit-Interleaved Coded Modulation (BICM), and their applications in communication standards like Ethernet IEEE 802.3, xDSL, DVB-S2, DVB-T2, WLAN IEEE 802.11, and LTE-5G.
The student develops skills in coding, decoding, modulation, and demodulation using hardware emulation setups.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

oral exam with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

It is an open book oral exam that focuses on the practical aspects of the techniques. The student will individually defend the decisions and findings of the lab assignments of the three application domains. This will include questions to check the understanding of the theory behind the techniques.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context