INFORMATION SYSTEMS

1.1 Types of Communication Systems

1.1.1 History of Developments Aiding Communication

The invention of electricity allowed for the development of the telegraph system
(Morse code) and telephone. The vacuum tube aided the invention of radio and TV.
The transistor saw these technologies become more refined. The integrated
computer chip has lead to digital communication and mobile phones.

type example advantages disadvantages

verbal -Speech -Instant feedback -Need a common
-music -Personal language
-thoughtful
Non-verbal -body language -private -slow to pass
-facial expression -personal -receiver may get
wrong message
electrical -Morse code -quick -need for wires
-telephone -longer distance
than those above
Long distance -satellite -long distance -Expensive
-instant audio and -signal drop outs
video
Non-electronic -written -cheap -slow
-widely available -not as private

N.B. you need to be able to provide these examples and more

1.2 Pattern of Transfer

1.2.1 Transfer Commonalities

When transferring a message, a few things must be common:

Code: needs to be understood by sender and receiver (speech code = language,

pictures code = symbols and colours, computer code = ASCII, web code =
HTML)

Message: information being transmitted will stay the same but the type of code
will change (what is said during a telephone conversation stays the same but
how it is transmitted will change e.g. from speech to electrical signals)
 Transmission: this is done by a communication channel which come in the form
of sound (talking), electrical current (electronic devices), electromagnetic
radiation (TV, radio, mobile phone)

Decoder: at the other end the message is extracted from the code and
presented to the receiver in a form they will be able to understand.

1.2.2 Noise and Noise Reduction

It must be noted that NOISE in present in all types of communication processes

whether it be trying to talk in a crowded room of static on the line of the telephone.
It is defined as interference and a high amount of effort is put into reducing this
interference and keeping it to a minimum as to not cease communication.

1.3 Energy Transformation

1.3.1 Electronic Devices engaging in Energy Transfer

Information transfer involves an energy transformation at each step of the process.

Mobile Sound waves(speech)electric current(phone)radio waves(to

phone tower)electric current(other phone)sound waves(to eardrum)

Fax Light waves(photocopier)digital signal(in fax machine)

machine electric current(phone line)digital signal(other fax
machine)light waves(photocopier)

Television Light & sound waves(production)TV waves(air)electric

current(TV)light & sound waves(screen & speakers)

CDs Light waves(reflected off CD)digital signal(stereo)electric

current(to speakers)sound waves(speakers to eardrum)

Computer Electric current(input device)digital signal(in computer)

based electric current(to receiver)light & sound( monitor &
speakers)

Radio Sound waves(announcer)electric current(mixing desk)radio

waves(air)electric current(radio)sound waves(speakers to
eardrum)
1.3.2 Common Features of Energy Transfer

There are common features that can be found in all information transfer processes
and they are: - energy transformation (energy is changed at each step)
- basic coding pattern (coding and decoding messages takes place)
- electric currents (all electronic devices use electricity to send
signals)

1.3.3 Energy Changes Type

It is very important that you remember that:

ENERGY CAN NOT BE LOST OR CREATED, ONLY CHANGED

N.B. you need to be able to discuss the applications of the above listed
devices (using handout) AND the advantages of using a VARIETY of
systems e.g. circumstances of user determines best communication
system. Remote area= satellite)

1.4 Timeline of Invention of Communication Systems

N.B. you need to be able to discuss the impact on society that the
development of these devices has had.
e.g. greater distance covered, faster communication, more information
able to be stored, smaller and more portable devices.

1.5 Electromagnetic Spectrum

1.5.1 What is the Electromagnetic Spectrum?

Information seems to be transmitted in waves. Different types of waves have

different properties. The electromagnetic spectrum is a series of waves that travel
at the speed of light but whose wave lengths and frequencies vary.

1.5.2 Properties of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum has properties that make it advantageous for use as
a communication medium. They are:
1) Speed of travel because light travels at 3000000km per second, this makes
communication almost instantaneous.
2) Straight line travel unless there is a change in medium (air water air)
electromagnetic waves travel in a straight line. This makes it predictable but
can be a problem considering the topography of the land and the curve of the
earth.
 3) Ability to be reflected this helps in the efficiency of transmission and for
changes in direction of the signal. This reflection is predictable in that the
angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection

1.5.3 Properties of Microwaves

more directional than radio waves (each radio frequency can be used only
once in each area)
less energy is needed to generate and maintain the waves
smaller dishes are needed because radio waves are bigger and diffract
around the edges of the smaller dishes

1.5.4 Properties of Radio Waves

These types of waves include AM, FM and TV waves

dont need line of sight transmission because the big waves reach many
devices due to being easily reflected
AM has longer wave lengths and can be diffracted (bent) around objects
Short wave radio can be reflected off the ionosphere and not be absorbed or
pass through
Waves are not scattered as much by snow, rain, flocks of birds or swarms of
insects
Perform better in extreme heat

1.6 Geostationary Satellites

1.6.1 How Satellites Work

Satellites for communication purposes are placed in the earths orbit at particular
heights. They are essentially microwave relay stations (radio waves with a
wavelength < 20cm). They are placed in orbit by a space shuttle but due to the
gravitational pull of the earth and moon they are pulled out of orbit. This is why
satellites carry small amounts of fuel to power the onboard thrusters and realign
themselves back in a particular orbit.

1.6.2 Orbits Around Earth

A space shuttle orbiting the earth of an altitude of 200km takes about 90 mins to
orbit the earth once. A satellite placed at 750km takes 100 mins and satellites
placed at 6000 km take 3 hrs to orbit the earth.

1.6.3 Geostationary Satellite Orbits

The satellites for communication purposes are placed 36000km above the earth and
are made to travel at a speed that means they take 24 hrs to orbit the earth once.
This means they are orbiting over the same area of the planet all the time. They
are called Geostationary Satellites because they are stationary over the same piece
of land all the time. The section of the earth that can access each satellite is called
its footprint.
This is why you dont have to climb on the roof and change the direction of the
AUSTAR dish. It is always pointing at the satellite!
Geostationary Satellites allow TV broadcasting to be transmitted from continent to
continent and they have such a large footprint that only 3 satellites are needed to
transmit a signal all around the world.

1.6.4 Uplink and Downlink

The signal to be transmitted has to be beamed to the satellite. This process is called
the uplink. Then the signal has to be strengthened and redirected and transmitted
back down to the destination. This is called the downlink. This long distance is what
causes a delay between the question and answer of a live satellite broadcast
interview.

1.6.5 Personal Communication Satellites

There are satellites in orbit around the earth that are closer and travel faster than
geostationary satellites. Cellular phone satellites orbit about 1000km above the
earth but it means that many are needed so that we can assure one is able to
receive a signal at all times. These satellites cover the polar regions of the earth
that are not covered by geostationary satellites and take only 20 mins to orbit the
earth.

1.7 Electrical Impulses

1.7.1 Computer based Devices

Computer based communication systems all transform one type of energy (e.g.
light, sound) into electrical impulses (e.g. binary). Examples of devices that do this
are digital cameras, fax machines and flat bed scanners.

1.7.2 Charge Coupled Devices (CCD)

This is the piece of technology behind most modern imaging devices. It is a large
computer chip that records images as pixels. Inside each pixel is a capacitor that
stores an electrical charge. When the image is projected onto the CCD, the
electrons become excited and move into the capacitors. This is an analogue signal
and it has to be changed into a digital signal. The charges in the capacitors are read
as a voltage and this data is sent to a converter (analogue to digital). Once the
digital signal (binary =1s and 0s) has been created it can be stored, transmitted or
altered. The digital signal is a form of an electrical impulse.

1.7.3 Computer Scanners

Flat bed scanners record their data in a similar way. In most scanners, the CCD is a
long thin device that is a line of light-sensitive capacitors. As the image is scanned,
a bright light is shone onto the page. White will reflect the light onto the capacitors
and black will absorb the light and not reflect it. The CCD records these light
impulses and then they have to be changed into a digital signal called binary so the
computer can understand it. Because the signal is a series of binary it can be un-
coded by software programs or another computer device or manipulated. The
binary image can be converted back to the analogue signal and is printed out or
displayed on the screen.

1.7.4 Components and Energy Transfers

Analogue signals are essentially described as waves. The light waves of the scanner
are analogue but computers cant understand analogue so the information for them
needs to be converted. They are essentially mathematical machines and only
understand numbers. This is why signals must be converted to binary for the
computer.

1.8 Optical Fibre Communication Systems

1.8.1 Making a phone call

When we make a phone call, our sound waves are changed to analogue electrical
impulses, coded into digital optical signals, carried through optical fibres and then
decoded at the other end.
There are copper wires that run from each house to the telephone exchange and
optical fibre between the exchanges which may be between countries or cities.
The copper wires have not been replaced due to the enormous cost involved.

1.8.2 Properties of Optical Fibre

Light inside a clad optical fibre is totally internally reflected. Fibre optics is made
of glass and the light bounces along inside the glass fibre. Because the angle of
incidence has to be kept large enough so total reflection takes place, optical fibres
are very thin.
The fibre is clad (covered) so the light doesnt escape. The glass in the centre is
called the core. The thicker the core, the more room for reflection so technology
has introduced thinner cores so the light has only one path to travel (straight line)
and cant reflect as much.
Optical fibres now have cores as thin as 3-5 nanometres. This fast transfer allows
up to 40 gigabytes per second every 100km before a repeater (signal strengthener)
is needed.
Wave division multiplexing is the newest technology surrounding optical fibres.
This technology allows one optical fibre to carry many different waves of light.

1.8.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Optical Fibre

Advantages Disadvantages
Lots of data very quickly over long Expensive laser source needed for
distances. Nearly 130000 voice signal transmission
channels can be multiplexed and
sent at one time (compared to 32
voice channels on copper wire)
Glass is becoming very pure so Repeaters need to be powered.
theres little loss of light intensity Power cables must be attached to
and therefore less need for optical fibres for underground
repeaters signal repeaters (imagine the
implications for the bottom of the
sea bed)
No leakage of light from one fibre Has to be protected by Kevlar
to another decreases the coating that is expensive
interference on the line
Reduced weight and volume
More secure almost impossible
to tap into optical fibre whereas
copper wires emit electromagnetic
waves that can be read
Very flexible so can therefore go
around corners
Cheap cable costs the same per Very costly to splice fibres
metre as copper wire together
Resistant to corrosion, less
maintenance and a longer life
span
Can be struck by lightening and
wont interfere the transmission