Communication System Design

Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Tutorials: 1 session / week, 1.5 hours / session

Prerequisites

6.011 and 6.111

Topics

The course will focus on four major categories as outlined below:

1. Introduction to digital communications
   • Modulation and detection, vector channel representation
   • Equalization
   • Multi-channel systems (modulation methods, waterfiling, bit loading)
   • Practical examples including 802.11a
   • Coding – sequence detection, gap, convolutional and block codes
2. ASIC design fundamentals
   • ASIC design flow, tools, system-on-a-chip design issues
   • Micro-architectures and transformations (parallelism, pipelining, folding, time-multiplexing)
   • Hardware description languages: introduction to Bluespec™ and Verilog® review
3. Theory and building blocks
   • Fast fourier transform (theory, fast algorithms and VLSI implementations)
   • Convolutional and Trellis codes, and Viterbi algorithm (theory, algorithms and VLSI implementations)
   • Synchronization (phase and frequency tracking loops, algorithms and VLSI implementations)
   • Block codes (Hamming, BCH, Reed-Solomon), basic theory and VLSI implementations
4. Wireless channel fundamentals
   • Properties and modeling (fading, Doppler effect,…)
   • Channel estimation (theory and VLSI implementations)

Grading

ACTIVITIES	PERCENTAGES
Midterm	15%
Final	25%
Four major homeworks (10% each) FFT Viterbi Synchronization Channel estimation	40%
Two minor problem sets (5% each)	10%
Final presentation and write-up	10%

Calendar

The calendar below provides information on the courses lectures (L) and Tutorials (T) sessions.

SES #	TOPICS	KEY DATES
L1	Course overview
T1	CppSim
L2	Introduction to practical digital communications
L3	Multi-tone systems	Problem set 1 out
T2	Verilog® review
L4	802.11a transceiver architecture
L5	ASIC design	Problem set 1 due Problem set 2 out
T3	802.11a PHY standard
L6	Micro-architectures and transformations
L7	Bluespec™ overview	Problem set 2 due
T4	Bluespec™
L8	Fast fourier transform: theory and algorithms	Problem set 3 out
L9	Fast fourier transform: practical aspects and basic architectures
T5	Design flow, part 1
L10	Fast fourier transform: advanced VLSI architectures	Problem set 3 due
L11	Convolutional codes
T6	Design flow, part 2
L12	Trellis codes
	Exam 1
L13	Viterbi algorithm
L14	Viterbi algorithm (cont.)
L15	Viterbi algorithm (cont.)
L16	Viterbi algorithm (cont.)
L17	Synchronization introduction
L18	Synchronization OFDM
L19	Synchronization: implementations
L20	Wireless channels
L21	Channel estimation
L22	Block codes: introduction
L23	Block codes: code classes and Reed-Solomon codes
L24	Block codes: implementations
	Exam 2