Radio Frequency Engineering
Credit points
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
Location
Prerequisites
Co-requisites
(Corequisite units must be studied concurrently with this unit)
Overview
In this unit students will acquire advanced theoretical knowledge, practical and critical analytical skills which can be applied to investigation and resolution of complex problem solving scenarios inherent in modern 21st century wireless communication systems. The unit material has been developed to enhance students’ communication skills, individual and group project participation and other professional capabilities important to a practising Engineer. This unit provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of general wireless communication systems and the subsystems involved in them. It provides an overview of existing wireless systems with special reference to hardware implementation. Unit material has been developed to include Noise and Distortion, Duplexing methods and Propagation modelling at UHF with emphasis on Path loss, free space and plane earth models. In particular, Okumura's model will be used in Radio link design. Students are expected to take into account Shadowing, Rayleigh multipath fading, fade duration and level crossing rate and Delay spread when developing a link budget. In addition, coherence bandwidth, Antenna parameters, Diversity systems, Multiple-Input-Multiple- Output (MIMO), Interference cancellation, Modulation and coding for the mobile channel are topics that will be taught.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Determine and critically evaluate appropriate radio hardware components to meet a specified dynamic range (noise and third order distortion) specification for wireless equipment;
- Utilise and critique the difference between different duplexing methods and discriminate the relevant performance trade-offs;
- Implement high level technical competence to perform basic path loss estimation and radio link design, using calculations or specialised prediction software;
- Analyse the causes of radio frequency fading and identify the most appropriate diversity countermeasure to this fading; and
- Utilise and critique different MIMO modes of operation.
Assessment
For Melbourne campuses
A pass must be achieved in each assessment item to complete the unit.
Assessment type: Exercise | Grade: 20%
Exercises x 2
Assessment type: Assignment | Grade: 45%
Practical Assignment
Assessment type: Test | Grade: 35%
Problem solving test
Required reading
Recommended Texts: Wong, D. K. (2012) Fundamentals of wireless Communications 5th ed. Hoboken: Wiley Rappaport T. S. (2002) Wireless Communications. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Molisch, A. F. (2005) Wireless Communications. 2nd ed. Chichester: Wiley
As part of a course
This unit is not compulsory for any specific course. Depending on the course you study, this unit may be taken as an elective.