48780 Mobile Communications

6cp
Requisite(s): 48771 Communication Theory
Subject coordinator: Dr Ananda (Mohan) Sanagavarapu

This subject aims to develop a coherent systems view of mobile communication systems, which is one of the fastest growing fields in the engineering world. It gives further context to telecommunications theory developed in prerequisite subjects by exploring practical examples of wireless communications systems. It particularly emphasises technical and other issues that distinguish mobile systems from other systems. Technical concepts at the core of the design and implementation of wireless cellular mobile communication systems are presented in order to help students understand, appreciate and design current and evolving systems. Throughout the subject, students are encouraged to develop broader skills in methods of design, systems engineering, simulation, technical reading, teamwork and communications, as well as developing and applying technical knowledge.

Broadly, the subject attempts to cover the fundamental design concepts behind cellular mobile communications. Topics include frequency reuse, macro, micro and pico cells, and hand-off, co-channel and adjacent-channel interference. These issues are at the core of providing wireless communication service to subscribers on the move using limited radio spectrum.

Issues such as trunking efficiency, and how trunking and interference issues between mobiles and base stations combine to affect the overall capacity of cellular systems, are also highlighted.

The subject also shows how electromagnetic wave propagation concepts in outdoor and indoor environments are linked to the design of wireless communication systems. Propagation effects such as large-scale path loss, log-normal shadowing, small-scale fading, time delay spread and Doppler spread are highlighted from the point of view of design and analysis. The subject also covers digital modulation concepts, bit error rate analysis of fading channels, equalisation and diversity techniques. Access techniques such as FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and SDMA are introduced with a view to demonstrating how the capacity of cellular systems is impacted by multiple-access techniques. Design and standardisation issues of existing and evolving systems are also introduced.

Assessment: Group assignments, quizzes and a final examination.

Typical availability

Autumn semester, City campus

Fee information

2006 contribution for 2005/06 commencing Commonwealth-supported undergraduate students: $872.38
2006 amount for undergraduate domestic fee-paying students: $2,400.00
Subject EFTSL: 0.125
Note: The above fees are applicable in 2006 for 2005/06 commencing Commonwealth-supported and domestic fee-paying undergraduate students only. Pre-2005 Commonwealth-supported undergraduate students should consult the Student contribution charges for Commonwealth supported students webpage.
Not all students are eligible for Commonwealth supported places, and not all subjects are available to Commonwealth supported students. Other students (such as postgraduate students and international students) should refer to the Fees webpage.

Access conditions

Note: The requisite information presented in this subject description covers only academic requisites. Full details of all enforced rules, covering both academic and admission requisites, are available at Access conditions and My Student Admin.