ECE 435 - Wireless Communications Networks
Description:  Credit 3U/4G. Radio technology fundamentals; channel and propagation models; channel multiple access technologies; wireless mobile communication fundamentals; generic wireless mobile network; cellular/PCS wireless mobile network standards. 

Prerequisite:  ECE 333

Textbooks:  

  • V.K. Garg and J.E. Wilkes, "Wireless and Personal Communications Systems," 

    • Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1996. 
  • T.S. Rappaport, "Wireless Communications," Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 

    • NJ, 1996. 
Topics: 
1. Introduction 
     a. Review of Wire-line Communications 
     b. Physical, Link and Network Layers 
     c. Overview of Wireless Communications 
     d. Satellite, Fixed Wireless, Wireless Mobile (Cellular, PCS) 

2. Radio Technology Fundamentals 
     a. Radio Frequency Carriers and Modulation 
     b. Spectrum Allocation 
     c. Alternatives for Antennas 

3. Channel and Propagation Models 
     a. Path Loss, Receiver Noise 
     b. Multipath Characteristics, Fade Margin, Delay Spread, Coherence Bandwidth 
     c. Frequency Reuse, Cochannel Interferences 

4. Channel Multiple Access Technologies 
     a. Narrowband vs. Broadband 
     b. FDMA, TDMA, DS-CDMA 

5. Wireless Mobile Communication Fundamentals 
     a. Geometry of Hexagonal Cell, Reuse Factor, Cell Splitting 
     b. Frequency Management and Channel Assignment 
     c. Handoff Management 

6. Generic Wireless Mobile Network 
     a. Network Architecture and Elements 
     b. Radio Access Network 
     c. Interworking Radio Access and Core Wire-line Network 
     d. Signaling Network (SS7) Support 

7. Cellular/PCS Wireless Mobile Network Standards 
     a. European Standards: GSM, GPRS 
     b. North American Standards: IS-54, IS-95 
     c. Japanese Standards: PDC