EE 686 High-Level Operation, Performance, Standards, and Control of Wireless Communications Systems
Control of Wireless Communications Systems Provides the student with depth in the overall understanding of the high-level definition and operation of a contemporary wireless system. Since many wireless systems involve connections among hardware developed by different commercial manufacturers, national and international standards play a major role in the evolution of wireless systems. Earlier first generation systems evolved to today’s second generation systems, with third generation systems expected shortly. One component of this course relates to these important standards. There are several fundamentally different wireless systems applications simultaneously evolving. Some relate to personal communications services (e.g., cellular telephony, wireless modems, etc.). Others relate to LANs, implemented in wireless rather than wired technologies to allow mobility or ease of access but providing data rates competitive with wired systems. Satellite communications systems (e.g., the Iridium system) are emerging and promise to provide a particularly interesting means of extending communication services. GPS systems provide an important means of determining one’s position to high accuracy. Digital and software radios exploit the familiar concept of radio transmissions to provide digital information (and draw upon channel assignment schemes related to the radio metaphor). In addition to the commercial development of separate (and non-integrated) wireless systems of the various types above, there are important military applications in which the various systems are integrated to provide a versatile communications systems designed for battlefield applications. Upon completion of this course, the student will have depth of understanding in the high-level, systems-oriented view of wireless systems.