Communication Systems and Signal Integrity

This graduate-level course delves into the fundamental principles and advanced techniques used in modern communication systems, with a strong emphasis on signal integrity challenges inherent in high-speed digital and analog transmissions. Students will explore various modulation and detection schemes, understanding their spectral efficiency and robustness against noise and interference. The curriculum covers the critical aspects of link budget analysis, enabling students to design and evaluate communication links effectively, considering factors like propagation loss, antenna gain, and receiver sensitivity. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to channel coding techniques, which are essential for reliable data transmission over noisy or lossy channels, enhancing error resilience and system performance. Furthermore, the course addresses advanced topics crucial for high-speed electronics, including equalization strategies to mitigate intersymbol interference and channel impairments. Students will learn about sophisticated high-speed channel modeling techniques, which are vital for predicting and optimizing performance in complex digital systems. Practical aspects such as eye diagram analysis and jitter measurement are thoroughly examined, providing students with the tools to diagnose and resolve signal integrity issues in real-world applications. Through a blend of theoretical concepts and practical case studies, this course prepares students for advanced roles in communication system design, testing, and optimization in various industries.