What the syllabus asks you to cover
Basic building blocks of analog and digital communication systems , Signal and noise in communication system.
Start here for the core ideas. A dedicated GitBook topic page was not available; this original guide is introductory. Use the syllabus checklist and references below to study the remaining details.
Follow the information
A communication chain contains a source, transmitter, channel, receiver and destination. The transmitter prepares a signal for the channel; the receiver estimates the intended information from a noisy and possibly distorted observation. Source coding reduces representational redundancy; channel coding adds controlled redundancy to aid error detection or correction.
Compare the trade-offs
Bandwidth, power, data rate, error probability and implementation complexity must be considered together. Analog and digital systems represent information differently, but both use physical waveforms. A digital receiver still operates on a continuous physical signal before making symbol decisions.
Try it
A link sends 2,000 binary symbols each second with one bit per symbol. Its uncoded bit rate is 2,000 bit/s. Adding coding or grouping bits into larger constellations changes the relationship between useful bit rate and symbol rate.
Check your understanding
Draw a complete transmitter and receiver chain and identify where noise enters. Explain the different jobs of modulation, source coding and channel coding. Continue with the source's block diagrams and practical channel models.
Pause and recall
Without looking back, explain the main idea, recall a key definition or formula, and describe when it applies. Include assumptions and units where relevant. Revisit any step you could not explain.