Digital Communication Systems using MATLAB and Simulink
Digital Communication using MATLAB and Simulink is intended for a broad audience. For the student taking a traditional course, the text provides simulations of the MATLAB and Simulink systems, and the opportunity to go beyond the lecture or laboratory and develop investigations and projects. For the professional, the text facilitates an expansive review of and experience with the tenets of digital communication systems.
Why Read This Book
You will get a hands-on, simulation-driven tour of modern digital communications that bridges theory and practice using MATLAB and Simulink; the book emphasizes building, testing, and visualizing complete transmitter–channel–receiver chains so you can turn concepts into working experiments. If you want practical labs, reproducible simulations, and step-by-step examples of modulation, channel modeling, and performance analysis, this book gives you ready-to-run workflows and insights for classroom projects or professional exploration.
Who Will Benefit
Students taking a course in digital communications and practicing engineers who need a simulation-first, MATLAB/Simulink–based reference for designing, testing, and experimenting with digital communication systems.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Introductory signals & systems (continuous/discrete-time), basic probability and random processes, linear algebra, and familiarity with MATLAB scripts and basic plotting; (Simulink experience helpful but not required).
Key Takeaways
- Simulate end-to-end digital communication links in MATLAB and Simulink, including transmitter, channel, and receiver blocks
- Analyze system performance using BER curves, eye diagrams, and spectral analysis (FFT) under AWGN and fading channels
- Implement and compare common digital modulation schemes (BPSK, QPSK, QAM, ASK, FSK) and baseband/passthrough filtering
- Design and test digital filters and spectral estimation methods for communication and signal-conditioning tasks
- Model channel impairments and apply equalization, synchronization, and adaptive filtering techniques to recover signals
- Use MATLAB/Simulink toolboxes to prototype algorithms for advanced topics such as OFDM, error-control coding, and basic wavelet-based analysis
Topics Covered
- 1. Introduction to Digital Communications and Simulation Tools
- 2. MATLAB and Simulink Basics for Communication Engineers
- 3. Signals, Systems, and Spectral Analysis (FFT, PSD)
- 4. Digital Modulation: Baseband and Passband Schemes (BPSK, QPSK, QAM, FSK)
- 5. Pulse Shaping and Digital Filter Design for Communications
- 6. Channel Models: AWGN, Multipath, and Fading
- 7. Performance Metrics: BER, Eye Diagrams, and Link Budgeting
- 8. Synchronization: Timing, Carrier Recovery, and Phase Tracking
- 9. Equalization and Adaptive Filtering in Receivers
- 10. Multicarrier Systems and OFDM Fundamentals
- 11. Error Control Coding and Practical Receiver Design
- 12. Advanced Signal Processing Topics: Spectral Estimation and Wavelets
- 13. Case Studies and Projects: Audio/Speech, Radar, and Communication Links
- 14. Building System-Level Simulations and Real-World Deployment Considerations
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Compared with Proakis' Digital Communications (theory-heavy), Silage's book is far more simulation- and MATLAB/Simulink-focused, offering practical lab-style examples similar in spirit to MathWorks' communication tutorials but organized as a classroom/textbook.
