Communication

systems
Learning outcomes
• describe communication systems in terms of
– signal, carrier, noise, range, data transmission rate and bandwidth
– a source – journey – detector model, with transmitter and receiver
– modulation and demodulation (encoding and decoding)
• calculate the critical angle for total internal reflection using
Snell's law
• describe advantages and limitations of optical fibre systems
• identify UK radio wave bands used for wireless communications
• describe amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM)
and digital signals graphically and in words
• use a variety of appropriate experiments and simulations when
teaching about communications
Communication systems
system carrier signal carried as
hilltop beacons light on-off (fire or no fire)
telegraph electric current on-off (Morse code)
cable TV infrared in optical fibres ultra-fast (on-off) pulses
mob phone microwave ultra-fast (on-off) pulses
AM radio radio wave changing amplitude (AM)
FM radio radio wave changing frequency (FM)
Comms technologies change
Communications: key terms
transmitter ……………........… receiver
encoding …………………….. decoding
modulation…………….... demodulation

All communication systems must contend with noise – unwanted

interference. Engineers consider signal-to-noise ratio.

Other parameters: data transmission rate, range, signal encoding.

Source–journey–detector
A useful model when describing communication systems
based on:
– visible light
– infrared
– microwaves
– radio waves
Fibre optic systems use light

A simple transmitter:
button cell & LED

A simple detector:
phototransistor + multimeter

Infrared light is used more commonly than visible light - less

attenuation and dispersion.
Constructing optical fibres
Two kinds of fibre are used.

long
distances

within a
building
SEP Optical transmission set

schematic diagram
Total internal reflection
In general, when passing from one medium (refractive index n1) to
another medium (refractive index n2),
n sin   n sin 
1 1 2 2
(Snell’s law)

At the critical angle,    and   90 , so

1 c 2
o

n sin   n sin 90  n
1 c 2
o
2

n
sin  
c
2

n 1

In optical fibres, the cladding material typically has a refractive

index ~1% lower than that of the core, so critical angle is ~82o
Wireless communication
… use microwaves and radio waves

Demonstration: Creating a radio wave

 Amplitude modulation

A radio frequency (r.f.) carrier wave of fixed amplitude is generated.

Its amplitude varies once an audio frequency (a.f.) signal is added.
Making a simple radio receiver

A: AM modulated radio wave

B: After diode rectification
C: The r.f. wave is filtered out, leaving a.f. signal
Amplitude modulation

Modulating the amplitude of a carrier wave

 Frequency modulation

A radio frequency (r.f.) carrier wave of fixed amplitude is generated.

Its frequency varies once an a.f. signal is added.
 Frequency modulation

Modulating the frequency of a carrier wave

SKE Physics 17
Digital encoding
(pulse code modulation, PCM)

Digital encoding of a carrier wave

Digital encoding

close-up of part of the previous image

Analogue to digital encoding
analogue signal sampling and encoding the
analogue signal.

Digitised values are in binary form, so the resolution is expressed

in bits. 8 bits encode an analogue value as one of 256 different
levels (28 = 256).
Digital to analogue decoding

Sampling rate too low Resolution too low

Encoding requires a sufficiently high sampling rate & resolution.

UK frequency allocations
http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search
Transmitter locations, with this additional information:
• name of operator
• station type
• height of antenna
• frequency range
• transmitter power
• Maximum licensed power
• type of transmission (usually GSM)
Spectrum analysis
Any waveform can be accurately represented as a sum of sine
waves, each with its own frequency.

If some of the frequencies are lost, then so is some of the

information in the signal.
Bandwidth
Each kind of signal contains a range of frequencies.

system spectrum width bandwidth

telephone 300 - 3400 Hz 3100 Hz

FM radio station 98.2 - 98.6 MHz 0.4MHz

The higher the data rate, the larger the bandwidth and the higher
the frequency band needed.
Bandwidth costs money: e.g. monthly charges for your mobile
phone and Internet services