RF Communications with Emphasis on Digital Modulation (IT183-29-0)

SynopsisModulation plays a key role in increasing the data rate in an increasingly scarce bandwidth environment. Digital modulation has several advantages over its analog counterpart such as better bandwidth efficiency, superior immunity to noise, low power consumption, error correction, data encryption and compatibility with existing digital data services. These advantages, coupled with advances in digital signal processing (DSP) and in analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), have spawned the current migration to digital RF communications formats.

In a typical digital communications system, complex techniques are used to transmit and receive digitally-modulated signals through the radio channel. These complexities pose a challenge for RF and digital engineers in designing, testing and troubleshooting the communication systems. Signal impairments can be traced back to a component, device, or subsystem of the digital RF communications system.

What You Will Learn

• Describe the block diagrams of a wireless communication system
• Understand the current issues of wireless systems
• Understand the differences between analog and digital modulations
• List and explain the digital modulation fundamentals and its advantages
• Explain the basic of Source and Channel Codings
• Explain the multiple access techniques
• Explain the basic building blocks of a wireless RF transmitter and receiver
• Understand RF transmitter and receiver architectures used in communication systems
• Perform practical measurement of digital RF transmitter and receiver

Who Should AttendThe target participants for this class are primarily engineers and technical professionals working in wireless communication industries, and are involved in the design, evaluation, planning, installation & commissioning, testing & QA, operation & maintenance, technical support and deployment of wireless network and equipment.

PrerequisiteTechnical background in electrical, electronics, physics, and mathematics at Diploma or Degree levels, with basic understanding of communication system and wireless communications.

Course MethodologyThis course is presented in classroom style, supplemented with instructor-led demo and hands-on session using Agilent test equipment for signal generation, verifications and measurements. Instruments and demonstration board that will be used in the class include:

• Agilent Arbitrary Function Generator
• Agilent 6000 Series Oscilloscope or Agilent N9020A MXA Signal Analyzer
• Agilent VEE Run Time Environment Software
• Agilent Vector Signal Analyzer Software 89601A
• DreamCatcher ME1100 RF Digital Communication Test Board

Course Duration3 days, 9am - 5pm

Course StructureIntroduction to Wireless Communication System and Modulation
Block Diagram of Wireless Communication Systems
RF Issues in Wireless Communication Systems
Evolution of Wireless Communication Systems
Introduction to Modulation
Review of Analog Modulation
Fundamental of Digital Communication
Digital Modulation Techniques
Introduction to Source and Channel Coding
Overview of Multiple Access Techniques
Link Analysis - Link Budget, Signal-to-Noise Calculation

RF Transceiver Building Block and Measurement Fundamental
Basic Building Blocks of Wireless Transmitter and Receiver (Transceiver)
Wireless RF Transmitter Architectures - Direct Conversion, Direct Modulation, and Impulse Radio
Wireless RF Receiver Architectures - Regenerative, Super-heterodyne, Image Rejection, Direct Conversion, Low-IF, Digital-IF and Impulse Radio
RF Transceiver Examples
RF & Microwave Measurements Fundamentals
Measurement Domains for Digital RF Transceiver

• Frequency measurement
• Time domain measurement
• Modulation errors (EVM, phase error and others) measurement
• Interference measurement

Measurements of Digital RF Transceiver (1 day with lab and demo sessions)
Introduction of Test & Measurement equipment - Spectrum Analyzer, Vector Signal Generator, Digital Modulation Analyzer & One-box tester for field testing
Measurement of Digital RF Transmitter

• Channel Power
• Occupied Bandwidth (OBW)
• Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR)
• Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) - phase, time
• Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF)

Measurement of Digital RF Receiver

• Bit Error Rate (BER), Sensitivity
• Co-channel Rejection
• Adjacent and Alternate Channel Selectivity
• Spurious Immunity
• Maximum input level

Practical Lab and Demo

• Maximum Output Power Measurement
• Occupied Bandwidth Measurement
• Adjacent Channel Power Ratio Measurement
• Cumulative Distribution Function Measurement
• Error Vector Magnitude Measurement