Chapter One
Introduction to communication systems
Topics discussed in this section:
Communication system,
modulation
Communication spectrum and Bandwidth requirements
Noise categorization
Noise calculations
Tewodros solomon (sgt.)
1.1
History
In the past, message have been carried by:
Runners
Carrier pigeons
Drum beats & torches.
These schemes were adequate for the distances and data rates
of the age.
Now replaced by electrical communication systems which can
transmit signals over much longer distances at the speed of
light.
Advantages – reliable and economical, alleviate energy crises e.g
teleconferring, teleshopping, telebanking. (electronic communication
& electronic news service)
1.2
Significance of Human Communication
Methods of communication:
1. Face to face
2. Signals
3. Written word (letters)
4. Electrical innovations:
Telegraph
Telephone
Radio
Television
Internet (computer)
1.3
Elements of communication systems
Main purpose of communication is to transfer information
from a source to a recipient via a channel or medium.
Basic components:
Transmitter
Channel or medium
Receiver
Noise degrades or interferes with transmitted information.
1.4
General block diagram of communication system
Noise
I/p transducer Transmitter Channel Receiver
o/p transducer
Source
destination
1.5
Cont’d..
– The source originates a message such as:
• Human voice
• A television picture or (Video) , Music
• Data , E-mail
– Input transducer converts the data from the source in to
electrical signal(baseband signal or message signal).
– Transmitter modifies the baseband signal for efficient
transmission.
– The channel- is a medium(coaxial cable, a waveguide, an optical
fiber or radio link through which transmitter output is sent)
1.6
Cont’d..
– The receiver reprocesses the signal received from the channel by undoing the signal
modification made at the transmitter and the channel
– Output transducer-converts the electrical signal back to its original form(the
message)
– The destination- the unit to which the message is communicated, e.g. person, (loud)
speaker, Computer
– The channel-attenuate the signal and distorts the signal.
– Contaminated by undesirable signal(noise). Noise is random, undesirable electronic
energy that enters the communication system via the communicating medium and
interferes with the transmitted message.
– The signal strength decreases while the noise increases along the path.
1.7
Modulation
• Base band signals produced by various information sources are
not always suitable for direct transmission over a given channel.
These signals are usually further modified to facilitate
transmission. This conversion process is known as Modulation
• In this process, the base band signal is used to modified some
parameter of a high frequency carrier signal.
• A carrier is a sinusoid of high frequency, and one of its
parameters such as amplitude, frequency, or phase is varied in
proportion to the base band signal m(t)
1.8
Types of Analog Modulation
1. Amplitude Modulation(Am)
2. Frequency Modulation(FM)
3. Phase Modulation(PM)
Need for modulation
1. Modulation for ease of radiation(for efficient transmission)
2. Modulation for multiplexing(simultaneous transmission of
several signals)
3. Modulation to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. E.g FM and
PM
1.9
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The range of electromagnetic signals encompassing all
frequencies is referred to as the electromagnetic spectrum.
1.10
Cont’d..
Frequency Ranges from 30 Hz to 300 GHz
The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into segments:
Extremely Low Frequencies (ELF) 30–300 Hz.
Voice Frequencies (VF) 300–3000 Hz.
Very Low Frequencies (VLF) include the higher end of the
human hearing range up to
about 20 kHz.
Low Frequencies (LF) 30–300 kHz.
Medium Frequencies (MF) 300–3000 kHz
AM radio 535–1605 kHz.
1.11
Cont’d..
High Frequencies (HF) 3–30 MHz
(short waves; VOA, BBC
broadcasts; government and
military two-way
communication; amateur radio,
CB.
Very High Frequencies (VHF) 30–300 MHz
FM radio broadcasting (88–
108 MHz), television channels
2–13.
Ultra High Frequencies (UHF) 300–3000 MHz
TV channels 14–67, cellular
phones, military
communication.
1.12
Cont’d..
Microwaves and Super High 1–30 GHz
Frequencies (SHF)
Satellite communication, radar,
wireless LANs, microwave ovens
Extremely High Frequencies 30–300 GHz
(EHF)
Satellite communication,
computer data, radar
1.13
Noise
• The word 'Noise' in communication theory is a barrier to
communication that may weaken or destroy a message that is
trying to be relayed.
Types of noise
• External and Internal
– Noise whose sources are external to the receiver (External
Noise) e.g atmospheric noise, extra terrestrial noise,
industrial noise
– Noise source created within the receiver itself (Internal
Noise). E.g thermal noise
1.14
Cont’d..
1. Thermal Noise or Johnson Noise: Thermal noise is caused by
the thermal agitation of electrons or other charge carriers in
resistors, capacitors, radiation transducers, electrochemical cells
and other resistive elements in an instruments. The magnitude of
thermal noise is given by
rm s = 4kTR f
where, rms = root mean square noise, f = frequency band width
(Hz), k = Boltzmann constant (1.38 x 10-23 J/K), T = temperature in
Kelvin, =273+0c, R = resistance in ohms of the resistive element.
1.15
Cont’d..
Thermal noise can be decreased by narrowing the bandwidth, by
lowering the electrical resistance and by lowering the temperature of
instrument components.
2. Shot Noise:is encountered wherever electrons or other
charged particles cross a junction.
i rm s = 2 Ie f
Where, irms = root-mean-square current fluctuation,
I = average direct current,
e = charge on the electron (1.60 x 10-19 C),
f = band width of frequencies.
Shot noise in a current measurement can be minimized only by
reducing bandwidth.
1.16
Shot noise
Shot noise is due to the random arrivals of electron packets at
the potential barrier of forward biased P/N junctions.
It is always associated the a dc current flow in diodes and BJTs.
Shot noise modeling
The noise amplitude is represented by the rms value:
in 2 qI D f
where q 1.6 10 19 C
In = rms shot-noise current
iD= direct diode current
∆f= bandwidth of the system
1.17
Noise calculations
Noise sources can be added to a device models to represent
the effect of noise.
We need a means to characterize the noise performance of a
system.
System noise measure:
Noise figure
Noise temperature
Noise figure: F = (S/N)in / (S/N)out
F is a direct measure of the S/N ratio degradation caused by
the system.
1.18
Noise temperature
It is the temperature at which the noise generated from
the source resistance equals to the system noise.
The noise temperature of a system is a better measure
when F is close to 1 (low-noise system)
Noise temperature: Tn = T(F-1)
1.19
