Welcome Class ECE 390 Introduction to Communication Systems

Welcome Class ! ECE 390 Introduction to Communication Systems ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

Who am I ? • • • Wayne D. Grover 10 years BNR R&D (now Nortel Networks) involved in start-up of TRLabs consortium, ~1987 B. Sc. - Carleton U, Ottawa M. Sc. - U. Essex, U. K. Ph. D. - U. Alberta (‘ 89) - “Self-healing Networks” research and management roles at TRLabs sinception 1992 on Faculty U. of Alberta (ECE) 1995 Full Professor 2002 IEEE Fellow >100 papers, ~26 Patents • Instructor web site: http: //www. ece. ualberta. ca/~grover ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

ECE 390 : Educational Objective • Graduates of ECE 390 will have a basic preparation in analog and digital communications. • They will have basic knowledge and analysis skills applying to AM, FM, and digital communications. This prepares them to: – Take EE 488: performance of these systems in the presence of noise. This can be a path leading to graduate studies in Wireless Communications. – Function as computer engineers and system designers: – Prepare for careers in Telecommunications Industry ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

ECE 390 : “Classical” Careers in Telecom ? • Not a “sure thing” like it used to be: The Telecom “Boom” of ~1997 -2001 created ~350, 000 High Tech Jobs The “Bust” of ~2002 -03 Wiped Out ~500, 000 Jobs !! jobs ? ? ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

ECE 390 : Careers in ECE and Comp. E ! • On the other almost every computer or other electronic system nowadays involves communications technology and theory • My car has a remote keyless entry • Your keyboard may be wireless • My printer has an Infra. Red port • Soon my ‘fridge will have an IP address ! • There’s a LAN in your family car. And on the power lines in my house. • I can play radio channels on my computer • All images, sounds, movies are digital • The I/O channel to a hard drive uses line coding and adaptive equalization. . . • etc. ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

The message is …. • System Designers, Computer Engineers, Electronics Designers (not just “Communication engineers”) all need a grounding in Communication Systems. • This is probably the best real reason to take ECE 390 (and the reason it is now a “core course” for ECE degrees. ) ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

But isn’t AM and FM pretty “old stuff ” …. ? • Digital is hot (and elegant !) • But why FM and AM ? Aren’t they really old and only for our radios? Not really. . . • Today we use AM and FM (PM) to carry digital signals. • AM is also the basis of all digital “lightwave” transmission today • and FDM is the basis of “DWDM” optical networking • FM (PM) is the basis of many other high performance communication systems, including when the payload is digital. And remember…. . Everything is actually ANALOG & “Linear” = High performance ! ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

Relationship to Other Courses • EE 488 Communication in Noise • EE 486 Optical Fiber Communication • EE 489 Telecom. Systems Engineering and at the Grad Level: Digital Communication systems Data & Computer Networks Survivable Transport Network Design Multi-Media Systems ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover

Course Web site • Bookmark it at: www. ece. ualberta. ca/~grover/EE 390/ Lets go there now. . . ECE 390 Introductory Comments W. Grover