EE 477

Introduction to Digital
Communications
Fall 2023
Instructor: Mutlu Koca
Boğaziçi University
 Review of Communication Signals
Types of Information
• Major classification of data: analog vs. digital
• Analog signals
• speech (but words are discrete)
• music (closer to a continuous signal)
• temperature readings, barometric pressure, wind speed
• images stored on film
• Analog signals can be represented (approximately) using bits
• audio: 8, 16, 24 bits per sample
• digitized images (can be compressed using JPEG)
• digitized video (can be compressed to MPEG)
• Bits: text, computer data
• Analog signals can be converted into bits by quantizing/digitizing
 Digital Messages
• Early long-distance communication was digital
• semaphores, white flag, smoke signals, bugle calls, telegraph
• Teletypewriters (stock quotations)
• Baudot (1874) created 5-unit code for alphabet. Today baud is a unit meaning one
symbol per second.
• Working teleprinters were in service by 1924 at 65 words per minute
• Fax machines: Group 3 (voice lines) and Group 4 (ISDN)
• In 1990s the accounted for majority of transPacific telephone use. Fax machines are
still in use.
• First fax machine was Alexander Bains 1843 device required conductive ink.
• Pantelegraph (Caselli, 1865) set up telefax between Paris and Lyon.
• Ethernet, Internet
 Analog vs. Digital
What is Digital Communication?
x(t) x(t)

t t
0

(a) (b)

x(t) x(t)

Ts
t t
0 Ts 0

(c) (d)

Introduction to Digital Communications 9

 Analog vs. Digital Communication
• Analog communications: Transmitted signals are analog waveforms,
which can take infinite variety of shapes → Once the analog signal is
distorted, the distortion cannot be removed.
• Digital communications: Transmitted signals belong to a finite set of
waveforms → The distorted signal can be recovered to its ideal shape,
hence Regenerative
removing all theRepeater
noise or interference.
in Digital Communications

Severely
Original pulse Some distortion Degraded Regenerated
degraded

1 2 3 4 5 Propagation distance

Digital communications: Transmitted signals belong to a finite set

of waveforms ! The distorted signal can be recovered to its ideal
 Analog vs.andDigital
Analog DigitalAmplitude
Analog message Modulation
Amplitude Modulations

1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
1
AM signal

0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
BASK signal Digital message

1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
Introduction to Digital Communications 8
 Analog vs.
WhyDigital Amplitude Modulation
Digital Communications?
Received BASKTransmitted BASK Received AM Transmitted AM

1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
2
0
−2
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
2
0
−2
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
Introduction to Digital Communications 10
 Analog Why
vs. Digital
Digital Amplitude Modulation
Communications?
Received BASKTransmitted BASK Received AM Transmitted AM

1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
5
0
−5
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
1
0
−1
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
5
0
−5
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
t
Introduction to Digital Communications 11
 Another Example
Digital Transmission and Regeneration
Simplest digital communication is binary amplitude-shift keying (ASK)

(a) binary signal input to channel; (b) signal altered by channel;

(c) signal + noise; (d) signal after detection by receiver
 BlockBlock
Diagram
Diagramof
of a Communication
a Communication SystemSystem

Synchronization

Source Sink
Transmitter Channel Receiver
(User) (User)

(a)

Transmitter Receiver

Source Channel De- Channel Source

Modulator
Encoder Encoder modulator Decoder Decoder

(b)

Note: “Synchronization” block is only present in a digital system

Introduction to Digital Communications 13
 Analog vs. Digital
• Advantages of Digital Communications:
• Digital signals are much easier to be regenerated
• Digital circuits are less subject to distortion and interference
• Digital circuits are more reliable and can be produced at a lower cost than analog
circuits
• It is more flexible to implement digital hardware than analog hardware
• Digital signals benefit from digital signal processing (DSP) techniques

• Disadvantages of Digital Communications:

• Heavy signal processing
• Synchronization is crucial
• Larger transmission bandwidth
• Non-graceful degradation, intersymbol interference effects, etc.
 Digital Communications
DigitalCommunication
CommunicationSystem

Source of User of
Transmitter Receiver
information information
Message Estimate
signal of message
Channel signal
Transmitted Received
signal signal

The main objective of a communication system is the transfer of

information over a channel
Digital communication: transmitted signals belong to a finite set of
waveforms
Estimate of message signal: decision-making regarding the digital
meaning of that waveform
Performance is usually expressed as bit-error-rate (BER)
Introduction to Digital Communications 15
 Analog communication systems
! Metric is fidelity, closeness to original signal
! We want m̂(t) ≈Metrics
Performance m(t)
A common
! Analog measure
!communicationof infidelity
systems is energy of diffe
Performance MetricsPerformance Metrics
! Metric is fidelity, closeness
! T to original signal
! Analog communication systems
• Analog communication systems
! We want m̂(t) ≈ m(t) 2
| m̂(t) − m(t)| dt
! Metric is fidelity, closeness to original ! Asignal
common measure of0infidelity is energy of differen
• Metric is fidelity, closeness to original signal
!• We want
want m̂(t) ≈ ! m(t)
Digital communication systems ! T
• A common measure of infidelity is energy of difference signal: | m̂(t) − m(t)| 2
dt
! A common measure of infidelity is energy of difference signal:
! Metrics are data rate R in bits/sec and probabilit
0

• Digital communication
! Tsystems
! Digital communication systems
2
• Metrics are data rate R in bits/sec |m̂(t)
and!− m(t)| are
probability
Metrics dtof bit rate
data error, Pebits/sec
R in = P{andb̂ #=probability
b} o
• Without noise, we never experience bit errors
0

• With
! Digital noise, Pe depends
communication on! signal
systems power,noise,
Without noise power,
we never dataexperience
rate, and
Pechannel
= bit
P{b̂ errors
#= b}
characteristics.
!• Data rateare
Metrics R isdata
limited !in With
ratebyRsignal power,noise,
bits/sec !noise
and P e depends
power, on
bit signal
distortion
probability
Without noise, ofnever
we and
errorcanpower, noise po
be bit errors
experience
estimated using tools of Information
channelTheory (will see near the end of the
!characteristics.
semester) With noise, Pe depends on signal power, noise powe
Pe = P{channel
b̂ #= b} characteristics.

! Without noise, we never experience bit errors

! With noise, Pe depends on signal power, noise power, data rate, and
channel characteristics.
 Future Wireless Networks
Ubiquitous Communication Among People and Devices
Digital Communications Applications

Next-Gen Cellular/WiFi
Smart Homes/Spaces
Autonomous Cars
Smart Cities
Body-Area Networks
Internet of Things
All this and more …
 Existing and Provisioned Systems
(wireless only!!)
• Current:
• 4G Cellular Systems (LTE-Advanced)
• 6G Wireless LANs/WiFi (802.11ax)
• mmWave massive MIMO systems
• Satellite Systems
• Bluetooth
• Zigbee
• WiGig
• Optical Wireless
• Emerging
• 5G/6G Cellular and 7G WiFi Systems
• Ad/hoc and Cognitive Radio Networks Much room
• Energy-Harvesting Systems
• Chemical/Molecular For innovation
• Visible light
Ultimate Vision: Internet of Things (IoT)
 EE 477: Course Content
• Representation of digital modulation in time, vector and frequency
domains.
• Data transmission through AWGN channel. Bandpass data
transmission.
• Optimum receiver design. Error probabilities for binary/m-ary
transmission.
• Carrier and pulse synchronization.
• Communications over fading multipath channels.
• Equalization.
• Introduction to Information Theory and Coding.
 EE 477: Course Organization
• Prerequisite: EE371, EE372, MATLAB
• Instructor: Mutlu Koca (E-mail: [email protected])
• TA: İbrahim Kahraman ([email protected])
• Lectures: TT 78, ThTh 78 (KB Kisrchoff.)
• Textbook:
• J.G. Proakis and M. Salehi, Communication Systems Engineering,5th ed., Prentice
Hall, 2007.
• Additional Resources:
• Simon Haykin, Communication Systems, 5th Ed., by, John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
• I.A. Glover, P.M. Grant, Digital Communications, 3nd ed., Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
• Etc.
EE 477: Course Grading
• Course grade is based on a weighted sum of problem sets, 2 hourly
midterms and final examination scores, with the following weights.
• In class assignments and mini quizzes: 5 %
• Problem Sets: 15%
• Midterm I: 25%
• Midterm II: 25%
• Final: 30%
• Course outline is given in the syllabus.
• What Follows?: Spring 2024
• EE 470 Mobile Communications
• EE544 Wireless Digital Communications