IT 327: Digital Communications
Spring 2012
Instructor
Barry Lunt
265E CTB; phone 422-2264; home: 356-9619
Office Hours: Mon 1:00 – 2:00; Tues 8:00 – 9:00; Wed 11:00 – 12:00; Thurs 9: 00 – 10:00; other
times by appointment. Please do not just come by and expect I will be free; I do not wish to
disappoint you.
TAs: Adam Youngberg, Francis Mensah
Texts
"Electronic Communication Systems – A Complete Course", 4th edition, by William Schweber; published
by Prentice-Hall. Although this book is technically out of print, there is a special BYU edition
available.
Packet: “Digital Communications Readings”; B. Lunt is listed as the author.
Handouts: various, from several sources. See also Additional Class Materials link on course website
(http://www.et.byu.edu/groups/it327/).
Course Objectives
This course is designed to be taken by students majoring in IT. It forms a basis for understanding the
modern issues of communication, particularly in the digital domain. The supporting objectives are:
1) Understand the concepts of resistance, reactance, inductance, capacitance and impedance
2) Learn to analyze DC circuits and AC circuits
3) Understand the operational principles of transformers and their applications
4) Understand how communications links are characterized
5) Understand the limitations of communications links
6) Learn the main types of signal modulation (amplitude, frequency, phase)
7) Learn the properties of physical communication media
8) Learn about digital information and how it is communicated
9) Learn about modern communication systems, including television, facsimiles, telephone,
modems, LANs, WANs, satellite, cell phone and optical systems.
10) Understand the main types of multiplexing (time, frequency, spatial, and code division)
Homework
Homework assignments are due the class period after completion of each chapter. Your
homework must show how you arrived at the answers, since the answers alone do not allow the
awarding of partial credit. Additionally, many of the answers are in the back of the book, so the answer by
itself does not show you did the work.
The purpose of homework is exercise; studies show that homework significantly improves student
comprehension and retention, so make it worth your while. Homework will be graded by the TAs. It
should be turned in before the start of class in the IT 327 locker (#3077), and will be returned in class.
Late homework (or labs, or Outside Reading Reports) are counted off at the rate of 10%/school day,
up to a maximum deduction of 50%. However, if they are never turned in, you get 0%. The purpose of
this leniency is to encourage you to do it; doing it does make a difference. Also, I strongly discourage
"blowing off" a homework assignment, lab, or Outside Reading Report; as far as grades go, a "0" is
basically the same as two "E's".
Reading
I require that you read the text. As a student, I assumed that one of the bare minimum things I
should do is read the text; I believe you should assume the same. As a teacher, I have found in very easy
to tell when the class is keeping up on the reading of the text; the lectures flow, the questions are sharper,
and we proceed through the material at the appropriate pace. I have always found that if I am behind in
lectures, it is strongly correlated with (and likely due to) students not reading the text. Read it through
lightly first, familiarizing yourself with the material, figures, and topics, understanding how it fits into the
class outline as a whole. After the lecture, re-read the material for that day, emphasizing those items
covered in class. It will dramatically aid your retention and your understanding.
A word of warning - when I can tell students are not reading the text, I have been known to give
unannounced closed-book quizzes at the start of some classes.
Professionalism
You will probably leave BYU being highly competent in your technical area of training.
However, one of the main things people are actually hired for is their professionalism. This broad term
includes your attitude, your ability to get along well with co-workers, your work ethic, integrity, low
absenteeism, no unexcused absences, and effort to stay current in the field. This is why it is often who you
know (actually who knows you) that gets you hired, and not what you know. Therefore, one of the areas I
emphasize in all my undergraduate classes is this area of professionalism, in the hopes that our BYU
graduates will continue to be widely known for their high standards of professionalism. The areas in
which I evaluate professionalism include attitude, participation, attendance, and Outside Reading Reports,
each of which are described below.
Attitude
Your attitude shows in all you do, by your approach to life, and particularly your approach to
problems and challenges. I also look at things like homework, quizzes and labs which are missed and
then not made up. Choosing to not complete something that is part of your grade reflects very poorly on
your attitude. This area is admittedly somewhat subjective, but I will inform you via Gradebook where
you stand in this category.
Excellence
The basic requirements of this class, if completed well, will probably not quite earn you an A,
since 4% of your grade will come from my assessment of your creativity or excellence effort. This effort
must be in helping other students, helping the IT program, or clearly going beyond the basic requirements
of this class by learning a specific topic to a greater depth than it is covered in class. It will be graded on
how well you did any or all of these. It can be done alone, or in teams of 2-3 students. It should take 3-5
hours of effort per student. Individuals or teams should each turn in a 1-page description of what you did,
why it was excellent, and what it meant to you; teams may turn in a single 1-page description or
individual descriptions. The due date for this will be Thurs, June 7, but it may be turned in earlier if
completed before that. Brief descriptions of past Excellence projects can be found on the class website
(www.et.byu.edu/groups/it327), under Excellence Projects.
Integrity
Integrity is not only a professional expectation, but something expected of all BYU students. You
have agreed in writing to adhere to the standards of the LDS Church; integrity requires that you abide by
this agreement. I fully support the Honor Code, the BYU Dress and Grooming Standards, the mission of
BYU, and the leaders of the LDS Church. If I have reason to question your integrity, you will be notified
in writing. Cheating on tests or quizzes, or plagiarizing, are serious violations of the Honor Code and
professional integrity, and may result in failure of this class and even expulsion from the University.
Unfortunately, I have found it necessary to expound on the topic of plagiarism. A student is guilty
of plagiarism if he or she attempts to present as their own a sentence, sentences, paragraphs, graphs,
figures, or original ideas belonging to another. Reports MUST be in your own words, unless quoted. Any
figures, tables, pictures, etc. not of your own creation MUST be properly attributed.
Preventing Sexual Discrimination or Harassment
Sexual discrimination or harassment (including student-to-student harassment) is prohibited both
by the law and by Brigham Young University policy. If you feel you are being subjected to sexual
discrimination or harassment, please bring your concerns to the professor. Alternatively, you may lodge a
complaint with the Equal Employment Office (D-240C ASB) or with the Honor Code Office (4440).
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability that may affect your performance in this course, you should get in touch
with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (1520 WSC). This office can evaluate your
disability and assist the professor in arranging for reasonable accommodations.
Participation
You learn better when you participate. There is no such thing as a dumb question – a question is
an indication of a desire to learn. Feel safe to make mistakes and ask questions in class; you are not
expected to know all the answers (yet!).
I expect you to work hard in this class; learning is a difficult process. In return for your
commitment to work hard, I promise to make the classes worth your while, and to see that the
information we cover is relevant to your career.
Attendance and Tardiness
In industry, attendance is a professional expectation; the same is true in my class. Regular
attendance will be taken. An unexcused absence will count against your grade; an excused absence will
not. If you miss class, all you need to do is tell me that you had a good reason for being absent; no details
will be requested. You may tell me in person, by phone, by email (luntb@byu.edu), by note, by spouse or
roommate, etc.
Classes will start on time; occasional 5-minute quizzes will be given at the start of class. You are
responsible for what you miss if you are late. Quizzes CAN be made up for full credit, but only for 1
week. After that, they will only be worth 50% maximum, but that is a LOT better than 0%.
Outside Reading Reports (ORRs)
Outside reading is also a professional expectation, both in industry and in my class. Do it
regularly, and turn in a 1-page report every 2 weeks (approximately). You should turn in 3 throughout
the term. Due dates are May 8, May 22, and June 5.
The report should include a title and a summary of the article in your own words. Also required
is a complete listing of the source of the article (name of periodical or the URL, date, page #s [if in print
form], and author). The report may be hand-written, but must be clearly legible. These should be turned
in to me in class and will be graded by myself; 10 points each.
The report will be graded on 1) spelling & punctuation; 2) grammar and other writing errors; 3)
ownership; and 4) complete reference. Ownership consists of telling me what this article meant to you,
not just what it said. One grammar or other writing error does not lose a point; after the first writing
error, one point is deducted for every three writing errors.
Any technical source is approved, including videos, books, and periodicals. Most are available
in the HBLL, in the TK7800-7999 section. There are also some excellent IT magazines with related
articles in 345 CTB; the ones most likely to have related articles are IEEE Spectrum, Electronic Design,
Computer, and IEEE Communications. WWW sources are also acceptable, if from reputable sources.
Up to two restorative extra credit points may be earned if the report is on a topic related to the class.
(Restorative extra credit points means they can restore lost points; >10 points is not possible, unless I am
truly impressed by your report, which does happen but is rare.)
Grading
The final grade is based on a percentage of possible points:
93.4-100% = A
80.0-83.3% = B90.0-93.3% = A76.7-79.9% = C+
86.7-89.9% = B+
73.4-76.6% = C
83.4-86.6% = B
70.0-73.3% = C-
66.7-69.9%
63.4-66.6%
60.0-63.3%
<60.0%
Weighting is as follows:
Professionalism: Attendance, Attitude, Participation, ORRs
Excellence Project
Homework - due after end of each section
Quizzes - about 10; 5 minutes max; 10 pts each
Lab reports - each lab is 50 pts
Tests - 3 tests; open-book, take home
=
=
=
=
D+
D
DE
10%
4%
20%
16%
25%
25%
Final Day for Turning Everything In
By University policy, the last day of classes (Mon, June 11) is the last day anything (except the
final exam) may be turned in. If you plan to make up missed quizzes, homework, labs, reading reports,
or the Excellence Project, it must be turned in no later than midnight, June 11. No exceptions are
possible.
LABS
Policies
Lab reports will be due as arranged by the TA. Labs may be printed out or turned in
electronically, as arranged by the TA; the TA will also arrange where or how they will be returned. No
attendance will be taken for labs; however, the Lab Assistant will only be available during these hours
and other hours previously arranged. Late labs will be counted off at 10% per school day, with a
maximum deduction of 50%. The focus of the lab grading will be the completeness of the lab report
(see Lab Reports below).
Teaching Assistant
The teaching assistant (TA) is responsible for the labs, and grades the lab books and homework.
He or she will also (hopefully) be available for help on labs and homework outside of lab time at a time
which we will arrange as soon as possible. Please feel free to talk to him/her or myself about any lab
concerns or questions.
Procedures
The lab is in Room 335; the combination is 26951. Please take good care of the equipment in
this room; report any equipment failures to the TA.
Many of the labs in this class will require the use of some highly specialized digital
communications equipment, which is very costly equipment. For some of this equipment, we do not
have enough for every lab team to have access to their own, so you will need to sign up for times or
work out other ways to share the equipment. The TA will help work this out.
Lab experiments are a very important part of your learning experience. Do your best; work in
groups of 2 (no groups of 3 are allowed), and always do your fair share of the work.
Lab Reports
The purpose of your lab report is to provide a blow-by-blow description of the work you
performed in completing your lab. Do not use scratch paper; record all of your work in your lab report. I
prefer you use ink; if changes are necessary due to misspellings or grammatical errors, simply cross out
the mistake and re-write. If a procedural mistake is made, take care to note in the margin why it was
wrong; then simply go on.
The lab report is not graded on neatness; however, legibility and comprehension are essential.
The bottom line on a lab report quality is repeatability; could someone else read what you have done
and understand what you did, how you did it, and why you did it? Label all figures, diagrams, tables,
drawings, etc.
The parts of a lab report are:
1. LAB # and TITLE: Write a short, descriptive title for the lab. Put the Lab # at the top of
EACH page.
2. OBJECTIVE: Write a statement that will explain what you are setting out to do.
3. PROCEDURES: This is the main body of the report. State what was done, show how it was
done, and why; also show the results. The lab should consist of several short procedures, all connected
together by the overall objective of the lab.
4. EQUIPMENT USED: Record the manufacturer and model number of each piece of equipment
used.
5. REPORT: Compare your results against what you expected. Interpret your findings.
6. CONCLUSION: Tell what you have learned from this experiment. Step back, think, review,
and get a good feeling for what you have done and what it has meant to you, then write it down.
7. NAME and DATE: Put your name and the date of completion at the end of each lab report.
Proposed Schedule
Date
April 24
April 26
Topic(s)
Reading
(prior to
class)
Intro’s; Syllabus;
Resistor Color Code;
Terms; Ohm’s Law;
Power; Series Circuits;
Voltage Dividers
Parallel
packet, Faber: 1-9
Circuits;
Current
packet, Faber: 9-22
Dividers;
Power
#1: Ohm’s Law & Series
Circuits
Conductanc
e; Electronic
Measuring
Equipment
AC
Waveforms,
Terms;
Vectors &
Vector Math
Conductanc
e; Electronic
Measuring
Equipment
AC
Waveforms,
Terms;
Vectors &
Vector Math
Homework Assignments
(After Chapter is
finished)
Chap
1:#8,9,10,11,
14,16,17,25,28
(p. 33) (#1)
Chap
1:#32,35,36,40,
42, 47,48,49
(p. 33, 34)
(#2)
Lab
May 1
Inductance; Inductors;
Inductive Reactance;
Transformers
Capacitance; Capacitors;
Capacitive Reactance;
Impedance
Resonance
packet,
Faber: 4346; 49-50
packet,
Faber: 4950; 46-49;
50-57
packet,
Faber: 5057; 57-62
Chap 2:
13,14,16,17,31,32 (p. 63,
64)
(#5)
Chap 2: 22,26,28,30 (p.
64)
(#6)
Chap 2: 42,43, 45(ad),47(a-d),48 (p. 65)
(#7)
#3: Inductors &
Transformers
May 3
May 8
SCHWEBER:
The Electro-magnetic
Spectrum.
SCHWEBER:
Chap 1
Fourier & spectral
analysis
Chap 2
Decibels & noise
Chap 3
Amplitude Modulation
Chap 4: 1-3
ORR #1
Chap 5: 9
May 10
Frequency Modulation;
Phase Modulation
Chap 6: 1-2, 78
Wire & cable media
Chap 7
Ch 1: Questions 2,4,5,7,12,
13,14, 15; Problems 5,7
(section 1.4)
(#8)
Ch2: Questions 1,6,7,9,10,14,
19; Problem 5.
(#9)
#4: Shannon’s Law;
Spectral Analysis
Ch 3: Questions 1,3,4,5,7,14,
19; Problems 3.2:3,6; 3.3:5;
3.4:7; 3.7:3; 3.8:6
(#10)
Ch 4: Questions 1,3,5,6,10;
Probs 4.2:1,7; 4.3:2
Ch 5: Question 18
(#11)
Ch 6: Questions 3,4,5,6; Probs
6.2:1,4.
(#12)
Ch 7: Questions 2,6,7,11,12;
Probs 7.2:5; 7.3:2, 7.5:1,3
(#13)
#6: Wire Media
Characterization
Date
May 15
May 17
May 22
ORR #2
May 24
Topic(s)
Reading
(prior to class)
Transmission lines
Chap 8
Digital information
Chap 10
Digital communication
fundamentals
Chap 11
Digital communication
systems
Chap 12
Digital modulation &
testing; TV
TV/video & fax
Chap 13
Frequency synthesis;
Direct conversion;
Chap 15
Chap 14
Homework Assignments
(After Chapter is finished)
Lab
Ch 8: Questions 1,2,3,4,5,9,
10,11; Probs 8.1:1,3; 8.2:1;
8.4:1,4,5,9
(#14)
Ch 10: Questions 1,3,5,7,8,9;
Probs 10.2:4,5; 10.3:1,3
(#15)
#7: Transmission
Lines
Ch 11: Questions 3,4,6,8,10,
11; Probs 11.2:4; 11.3:2,3
(#16)
Ch 12: Questions 1,4,5,10,11,
12,13,16,19,20,23; Probs
12.2:1; 12.4:4,6; 12.7:1
(#17)
#8: A/DCs & DACs
Ch 13:
Questions
1,3,6,8,10,
13, 14,18;
Probs
13.1:1;
13.2:1;
13.3:1,2,5
(#18)
Ch 14:
Questions
1,3,5,6,
7,9,10,16,17
,22
(#19)
#9: ASCII; TTL; RZ; NRZ
Ch 15: Questions 1,2,3,7;
Probs 15.2:1,2
(#20)
#10:EDC: Parity, CRC, FEC
May 29
Telephone system
Chap 16
Ch 16: Questions 1,2,4,7,13,
16,21; Probs 16.3:6,7 (#21)
May 31
Serial links;
Chap 17
LANs, WANs, others;
Satellite communication
Chap 18
Ch 17: Questions 1,2,3,8,9,
13,15,17,20,23. No Probs.
(#22)
Ch 18: Questions 1,2,6,8,9,
14,19,22,23,34,35. No Probs
(#23)
Ch 19: Questions 1,2,4,8,11,
12,15,18. No Probs
(#24)
Chap 19
#11: Digital Channel
Testing: QAM
Constellations, Eye
patterns
#12: Digital Channel
Testing: Multi-level
QAM & PSK; BER
June 5
Cellular; Wireless
systems; Multiplexing
Chap 20
Ch 20: Questions 2,3,4,14,
15,18,20,23. No Probs (#25)
Chap 22
Ch 22: Questions 1,2,4,8,9,
13,14. No Probs.
(#26)
Chap 24
Ch 24: Questions 1,3,5,7,8,
18. No Probs.
(#27)
Excellence Project due
#13: Fiber
transmission
ORR #3
June 7
Fiber optics
Final Exam: Thursday, June 14, 3:00 PM - 4:50 PM
No lab this week