Fundamentals of Communications

ELE 302 - Principles of Communications

Prof. Kamran Arshad

Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
Professor in Electrical Engineering
J2 Building, Second Floor, DGSR/285-9
Tel: +971 6 705 6752 / 6027
Email: k.arshad@ajman.ac.ae
What is Communication?
“The fundamental problem problem
“The fundamental of communication
of
communication is that
is that of reproducing of reproducing
at one point either
at one
exactly point eithera exactly
or approximately or
message selected
approximately a message selected
at another point”
at another point”

The Mathematical Theory of Communication, Claude Shannon (1948)

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 Data & Signals
q In communication, we want to move data between two points
• Generally, the data usable to a person or application are not in a form that can
be transmitted over a network
• To be transmitted, data must be transformed to signals
— Computer and communication networks only transmit signals

Data Signal

Data are entities that Signals are electrical or

convey meaning
for transmission electromagnetic encoding
e.g. computer file, text, of data
audio, measurement data e.g. telephone
etc. conversation

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Simplified Communication Model

Source Transmitter
Generate data e.g. an Convert data into
email message signal suitable for
transmission e.g.
Modem Transmission
System
Computer or
Communication
network to transmit
signals e.g. internet
Destination Receiver
Utilise data e.g. user Received signal and
reading an email extract data from the
message signal e.g. Modem

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Digital and Analogue Signals
Signals

Analogue Digital
Signals Signals
Analogue signals can have an infinite number of Digital signals can have only a
values in a range over a period of time limited number of defined values

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 Signal Classification

Digital CT Signal
Analogue CT Signal

Digital DT Signal
Analogue DT Signal

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Periodic Signals
Periodic signals are important because many human-made
signals are periodic. Most test signals used in testing circuits are
periodic signals (e.g., sine waves, square waves, etc.)
A Continuous-Time signal x(t) is periodic with period T
if: x(t+ T) = x(t) ∀t

Fundamental period = smallest such T

When we say “Period” we almost always mean “Fundamental Period”

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 Non-periodic Signals
q Non-periodic signals
— It changes without exhibiting a pattern or
cycle that repeats over time

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Big picture so far …

Signal

Digital Analog

Periodic Non-Periodic Periodic Non-Periodic

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Energy Signals
q Any signal is an Energy signal if,
𝐸! < ∞
q Energy of a signal 𝑥(𝑡) is defined as,
$#
𝐸! = ) 𝑥 % 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
"#
or for a complex signal,
$# $#
𝐸! = ) 𝑥 𝑡 𝑥 ∗ 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 = ) 𝑥 % 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
"# "#
q A necessary condition for the energy to be finite is that signal amplitude
goes to zero as time t tends to infinity

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Power Signals
q General equation for signal power Px
#
%$
1
𝑃! = % 𝑥 $ 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇 "#
$
or for complex signals
#
%
1 $
𝑃! = % 𝑥 $ 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇 "#
$
q Power is the time average (mean) of signal amplitude square i.e. Mean Square Value of
a signal 𝑥(𝑡). Root Mean Square (RMS) value of a signal 𝑥(𝑡) is given as,
#
%
1 $
RMS value of x t = 𝑃! = % 𝑥 $ 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇 "#
$

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Problem to Solve
Calculate the Energy or Power of the following basic Sinusoidal signal
c(t) = A cos(wc t + q)

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Useful Relations
Euler’s formulas

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 Example Problems
(Hand Notes)

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 Quick Review of Some
Common Signals
(Hand Notes)

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