Page 41 - Fundamentals of Communications Systems

Introduction 1.7

for example, details of noncoherent detection of digital signals, information
theory and source coding. While these topics are critical to the training of a
communications engineer, it is not necessary to the understanding of analog
and digital information transmission. The goal is essentially not to lose the
proverbial forest for the trees. Many interesting advanced issues and systems
are pursued in the homework problems and projects. The text is written to build
up a tool set in students that allow them to flourish in their profession over a
full career. Readers looking for a buzzword-level treatment of communications
will not find the text satisfactory. Since the focus of this text is the tools that
will be important in the future, many ideas are not discussed in detail that
traditionally were prominent in communication texts (e.g., pulse modulations).
While a communication text can often take the form of an encyclopedia I have
purposely avoided this format for a more focused tool-oriented version. Writing
this paragraph I feel a little like my mom telling me to “eat my vegtables” but
as I grow in age (and hopefully wisdom), I more fully appreciate the wisdom of
my parents and of learning fundamental tools in physical layer communication
engineering.

1.5 Book Overview
The book consists of four parts:
I Mathematical Foundations
II Analog Communication
III Noise in Communications Systems
IV Fundamentals of Digital Communications

This organization allows a slow logical buildup from a base knowledge in
Fourier transforms, linear systems, and probability to an understanding of the
fundamental concepts in communication theory. A significant effort has been
made to make the development logical and to cover the important concepts.

1.5.1 Mathematical Foundations
This part of the book consists of three chapters that provide the mathematical
foundations of communication theory. There are three pieces of test equipment
that are critical for a communication engineer to be able to use to understand
and troubleshoot communication systems: the oscilloscope, the spectrum ana-
lyzer, and the vector signal analyzer. Most communications laboratories contain
this equipment and examples of this equipment are:
1. Digital oscilloscope and logic analyzer – Agilent 54622D
2. Spectrum analyzer – Agilent E4402B
3. Vector signal analyzer – Agilent 89600