FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
LEARNING GUIDE FOR

RADIO IV

EER411

COMPILED BY: B S PAUL

2015

PURPOSE OF SUBJECT
The successful learner will be able to describe, discuss, analyze and evaluate key
concepts, techniques, devices and systems relating to spectral analysis, digital radio,
frequency generation, noise and antennas. For a detailed breakdown, see the section:
SUBJECT OUTCOMES AND SYLLABUS TOPICS (p.6).

CONTACT INFORMATION
Lecturer:
Office:
Tel:
e-mail:

Dr B S Paul
Room 5127
(011) 559 6939/ 0747604063
bspaul@uj.ac.za

TEXTBOOK
The prescribed textbook is compulsory.
Electronic communication techniques
Author:

P.H. Young (5th Ed)

Prentice Hall
0-13-048285-4

Modern Digital and Analog Communication Systems

Author:

B. P. Lathi(3rd Ed)
Oxfod University Press
0-19-511009-9

SUPPLEMENTARY BOOKS
The following supplementary books is recommended to be consulted for additional
information. (You are not restricted to the books listed here, you can use any other book
as well.)
1)

Electronic Communication (4th edition)

Dennis Roddy and John Coolen
McGraw-Hill

2)

Electronic Communications (5th edition)

Kennedy
McGraw-Hill

3)

Eletronic Communications
Thomas Adams
Delmar

4)

Modern Electronic Communication

G.M. Miller
Prentice Hall

CONTACT TIME
Lectures will be every Tuesday, from 16:30 to 20:30. Learners are expected to attend all
lectures.

ASSESMENT
Students will be assessed on their laboratory work and laboratory reports, three 90-minute
written tests(best two will be taken), and a final written exam of 3 hours.
The final mark for this subject consists of an exam mark and a year mark. The exam
mark accounts for 60 percent and the year mark makes up the remaining 40 percent.
The year mark is calculated as follows:
SM =0,7(T1 +T2) + 0,3(practical/assignments)
The practical/assignment mark is the average of all the practicals. (Practical assessment
is explained in detail in a later section.)
In order to gain entrance into the examination for Radio 4, the learner must obtain:

A sub-minimum of 40% for the semester mark.

Must have completed all of the necessary prescribed laboratory experiments to the
satisfaction of the lecturer with a laboratory mark of greater than 50%.

TEST DATES
3

The actual test dates will be announced in class.

TEST DATES:
Test 1:
Test 2:
Test 3:

RULES

Learners will attend all the lectures and laboratory sessions.

Learners will write all the class tests and hand any assignments on the required dates,
learners not handing in assignments (this include lab reports etc.), will be penalized.
Late arrival of learners for lectures or labs will not be tolerated.
Cell phones must be switched off, or switched to silent, during lectures.
Plagiarism will be treated in a very serious light. Tests, Lab reports, etc. must be your
own work. If lab reports are copied from fellow learners, all the corresponding lab
reports will get a zero mark plus additional steps will be taken.
No credits will be given for previous labs.
If you do not have a laboratory mark exceeding 50%, you will not have exam
entrance.

SUBJECT OUTCOMES AND SYLLABUS TOPICS

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology reserves the right to
modify this list of outcomes at any time. Learners will be given timely notice.
SYLLABUS TOPICS
The objectives of Radio IV are to familiarize the learner with:
1.
Spectral analysis
2.
Digital radio
3.
Frequency generation
4.
Noise
5.
Antennas
CRITICAL CROSS-FIELD OUTCOMES (CCFO)
This subject will enable students to achieve the following critical cross-field outcomes:
1.

Identify and solve problems

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Work in a team
Organise and manage themselves
Collect, analyse and evaluate information
Communicate effectively (via written reports)
Use science and technology
Recognise problem solving contexts
Participate as a responsible citizen

SUBJECT OUTCOMES
The summary in the table below is an overview of the subject outcomes.
Outcomes
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,
devices and systems relating to spectral analysis
and solve relevant problems.
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,
devices and systems relating to pulse and digital
modulation and solve relevant problems.
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,
devices and systems relating to digital
communication concepts and solve relevant
problems.
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,
devices and systems relating to data
communication techniques and solve relevant
problems.
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,
devices and systems relating to digital radio and
solve relevant problems.
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,
devices and systems relating to phase-locked
loops and solve relevant problems.
The learner will be able to draw, describe, discuss,
analyse and evaluate key concepts, techniques,

Assessment method
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,
classification, definition, description,
summarisation, explanation or
sketching.
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,
classification, definition, description,
summarisation, explanation or
sketching.
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,
classification, definition, description,
summarisation, explanation or
sketching.
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,
classification, definition, description,
summarisation, explanation or
sketching.
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,
classification, definition, description,
summarisation, explanation or
sketching.
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,
classification, definition, description,
summarisation, explanation or
sketching.
Written tests involving recall,
completion, recognition, calculation,

devices and systems relating to antennas and

solve relevant problems.

classification, definition, description,

summarisation, explanation or
sketching.

SCHEDULE
This is a preliminary schedule and may change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Week 1:
1.
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.

Signal Spectra
Fourier series and signal analysis
Fourier transforms
Effect of Filters on Signals

Week 2:
2.
2.1.
2.2.
2.3.

SPECTRAL ANALYSIS

PULSE AND DIGITAL MODULATION

Pulse and Digital Modulation

Sampled data and the Sampling Theorem
Pulse Amplitude Modulation
Digital Modulation

Week 3 4: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION CONCEPTS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Digital information
Information Transfer Rate
Signalling (Baud) Rate
System Capacity
Bandwidth Considerations
Power in Digital Signals
PCM Systems Analysis
PCM Telephony Circuitry

Week 5:
1.
2.
3.
4.

DATA COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES

Standard Digital Codes

Error Detection
Noise and Data Errors
Carrier Systems and Modems

Week 6 - 9:

DIGITAL RADIO AND SPACE COMMUNICATIONS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Modems and Digital Modulation Techniques

Noise and Error Performance
Space and Frequency Diversity
System Gain, Power and Noise Budgets
Satellite Access for Global Networking
Spread Spectrum Systems
Multiple Access Cellular Systems
Digital Modulation in Wireless Cellular and Personal Communication Systems
RF Receiver and Transmitter System Considerations

Week 10 - 11:PHASE-LOCKED LOOPS

1.
2.
3.
4.

Loop Components
Basic Loop Behavior
Loop frequency response and bandwidth
Frequency synthesisers

Week 12:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

ANTENNAS

Antenna Radiation
Received power and electrical field strength
Dipole antenna
Directive, gain and aperture
Beamwidth
Grounded vertical antenna
Folded dipole
Turnstiles, Yagis, and other arrays
Loop antennas
Parabolic dish antennas
Wave propagation through space
Power loss in space

PRACTICAL/ASSIGNMENT WORK
Printed assignments will be handed out and discussed in class.