Undergraduate Course: Signals and Communication Systems 2 (SCEE08007)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of Signal Processing, Communication, and Information Theory. The course aims to provide an insight into time domain and frequency domain analysis of continuous-time signals, and provide an insight into the sampling process and properties of the resulting discrete-time signals. The course then introduces the students to basic communication modulation techniques, as well as probability theory for analysing random signals. At the end of the module students will have acquired sufficient expertise in these concepts to appreciate and analyse physical-layer communication signals. |
| Course description |
1. Course overview, and introduction to signals, systems, communications and the broader topic of signal processing (1 hour).
2. Nature of, and types of signals; definitions of continuous time, discrete time, periodic, aperiodic, deterministic and random. Introduction to phasors and concept of frequency of single tone, typical signals and signal classification, power and energy (2 hours).
3. Signal decompositions and concept of signal building blocks (1 hour)
4. Fourier Analysis, including trigonometric and complex Fourier series, Fourier transforms, Parseval's theorem, physical interpretations, and plotting spectra (3 hours).
5. Convolution, including the concept of an impulse and the impulse response of a linear system; the concept and application of convolution, and evaluating the convolution integral using graphical methods (3 hours)
6. Nyquist's Sampling Theorem and Discrete-Time Signals (including discrete-time convolution) (3 hours)
7. Introduction to communication theory and modulation techniques, including OOK, FSK, and PSK (2 hours)
8. Multiplexing techniques, including Frequency Division Multiplexing and Time Division Multiplexing (2 hours)
9. Basic Information theory and probability (3 hours).
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
11/01/2027 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Formative Assessment Hours 1,
Summative Assessment Hours 1.5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
63 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% written examination. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognise and describe common classes of signals, with examples; determine whether a given signal is an energy or power signal; compute the appropriate measure
- Evaluate and interpret Fourier transforms for common classes of signals; plot magnitude and phase spectra; apply Parseval¿s theorem; predict the effect of an LTI system using its frequency response.
- Recall the Nyquist sampling theorem; analyse the effect of sampling on the frequency content of a signal
- Describe analogue and digital modulation schemes, including AM, FM/PM, OOK, FSK, and PSK.
- Explain the concept of signal multiplexing (e.g. frequency-division and time-division multiplexing); analyse simple multiplexing communication systems.
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Reading List
| See lecture notes for full reading list. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Continuous and discrete-time signal,Fourier analysis,Nyquist sampling theory,communication system |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elliot Crowley
Tel:
Email: elliot.j.crowley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Ilaria Monfroni
Tel:
Email: imonfron@ed.ac.uk |
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