48780 Mobile Communications

6cp

Requisite(s): 48770 Signal Processing
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 which are at the core of design, and implementation of wireless cellular mobile communication systems are presented in order to help 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, hand off, co-channel and adjacent channel interference, which are at the core of providing wireless communication service to subscribers on the move using limited radio spectrum are covered. Also 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 highlighted. Also covered is 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, etc., is 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 demonstrate as to how the capacity of the cellular systems are 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

2007 contribution for post-2004 Commonwealth-supported students: $889.75
2007 amount for undergraduate domestic fee-paying students: $2,460.00
Subject EFTSL: 0.125
Note: The above fees are applicable in 2007 for Commonwealth-supported students who commenced after 2004 and domestic fee-paying undergraduate students only. Pre-2005 Commonwealth-supported 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. Domestic fee-paying 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.