Principles of Communications
Keeping up to date with the most current technologies in the field is essential for all effective electrical and computer engineers. The updated 7th edition of Principles of Communications presents the reader with more in-chapter examples, providing for a more supportive framework for learning. Readers are exposed to digital data transmission techniques earlier in the book, so they can appreciate the characteristics of digital communication systems prior to learning about probability and stochastic processes. They will also find expanded forward error correction code examples, and additional MATLAB problems.
Why Read This Book
You will gain a rigorous yet accessible grounding in both analog and digital communication systems, with updated coverage that introduces digital data transmission early so you can see practical system behavior before diving into probability and random processes. The 7th edition balances theory with hands-on learning—expanded forward error‑correction examples and MATLAB problems let you move from analysis to simulation quickly.
Who Will Benefit
Upper‑level undergraduate and graduate electrical/computer engineering students, plus practicing engineers who need a solid, practical foundation in communication system design and performance analysis.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Calculus, linear algebra, signals & systems (Fourier transforms, linear time‑invariant systems), and an introductory course in probability; familiarity with MATLAB is helpful but not required.
Key Takeaways
- Analyze noise and signal‑to‑noise effects to evaluate receiver performance in AWGN and basic fading scenarios
- Design and compare baseband and passband modulation schemes (PSK, QAM, FSK, ASK) and predict their BER performance
- Apply matched‑filter and optimum detection principles to derive and implement practical demodulators
- Implement and assess simple forward error‑correction techniques and understand their impact on link reliability
- Use Fourier/spectral analysis and sampling theory to design pulse shapes that control bandwidth and intersymbol interference
- Translate analytical results into simulations using MATLAB problems that reinforce performance tradeoffs
Topics Covered
- 1. Introduction to Communication Systems
- 2. Signal Analysis and Fourier Methods
- 3. Random Variables and Probability Fundamentals
- 4. Random Processes and Noise
- 5. Performance Measures and the AWGN Channel
- 6. Baseband Pulse Transmission and the Nyquist Criterion
- 7. Digital Modulation Techniques (PSK, QAM, FSK, M‑ary Signaling)
- 8. Coherent and Noncoherent Detection; Matched Filter Theory
- 9. Passband Modulation (AM, SSB, FM) and Spectral Considerations
- 10. Intersymbol Interference, Equalization, and Synchronization
- 11. Error Control Coding and Forward Error‑Correction Examples
- 12. Information Theory and Channel Capacity
- 13. MATLAB Problems and Computational Examples
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
More approachable and application‑oriented than Proakis' Digital Communications (which is more mathematically dense), and more focused on communications fundamentals than Simon Haykin's broader Communication Systems treatments.
