American University of Sharjah | College of Engineering

1. Course Number and Course Title:

ELE 361 - Communications

2. Credits Hours:
303

3. Prerequisites and/or Co-Requisites:

Prerequisites: ELE 321 (Signals and Systems) or ELE323 (Signal Processing)
Prerequisite/Concurrent: ELE360 (Probability and Stochastic Processes)

4. Name and Contact Information of Instructor:

Dr. Mahmoud H. Ismail Ibrahim
Office: M -112
Email: mhibrahim@aus.edu. Please use <ELE361> in the subject line.
Phone: (06) 515-4937
Office Hours: UM: 2:30 - 4:30 PM, T: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM or by appointment

5. Course Description (Catalog Description):

Covers signals and systems concepts, communication systems and signal transmission through linear
systems; continuous wave modulation schemes including amplitude modulation (AM), frequency
modulation (FM) and phase modulation (PM); detection schemes for analog modulation systems and
superheterodyne receivers; and noise modeling and performance of various analog modulation
schemes in the presence of noise. Fundamentals of digital communications and networking.

6. Textbook and other Supplemental Material:

Textbook:
B. P. Lathi, Modern Digital and Analog Communication Systems, 4th edition. Oxford
University Press, 2009.
Other supplemental material:
S. Haykin, Communication Systems, 4th edition. Wiley and Sons Inc., 2001.
A. Carlson, P. Crilly, and J. Rutledge, Communication Systems, 4th edition. McGraw-Hill,
2002.

7. Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Draw a block diagram of a typical communications system and explain the function of
each block.
2. Explain the modulation and demodulation processes and why they are used in
communications systems.
3. Draw a block diagram and explain the operation of the transmitter and receiver for each
of the following systems: AM, DSB-SC, SSB, and FM.
4. Determine and sketch the frequency spectrum of the signal at different points in the
block diagram of the above systems. Also calculate their transmission bandwidth.
5. Analyze the operation of the superheterodyne receiver.
6. Explain the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel model.
7. Calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance of AM, DSB-SC, SSB, and FM
modulation schemes in AWGN.
8. Design an analog communication system taking into consideration the available
bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio, and complexity.

American University of Sharjah | College of Engineering

9. Analyze a pulse code modulation system taking into consideration performance and
bandwidth requirements
10. Explain the operation of digital baseband transmission and the matched filter
11. Analyze the operation of digital bandpass transmission schemes
8. Teaching and Learning Methodologies:
Lectures, Homework Assignments, MATLAB Projects.
9. Course Topics and Schedule:
Topic
Introduction to communication systems
Overview of signals and system concept
Amplitude modulation (AM)
Frequency modulation (FM) and Phase modulation (PM)
Noise in Continuous wave modulation
Introduction to digital communication
Review and Evaluation
Total:

Weeks
1
1
4
3
2
3
2
16

10. Schedule of Laboratory and other Non-Lecture Sessions:

Not Applicable
11. Out-of-Class Assignments with Due Dates:
Assignment
Homework 1
Homework 2
Homework 3
Homework 4
Homework 5
Homework 6
Project 1
Project 2

Due Date (tentative)

Week 2
Week 4
Week 6
Week 8
Week 10
Week 12
Week 9
Week 14

12. Student Evaluation:

Assessment
Quizzes
Homework Assignments
Projects
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final Exam

Weight
10%
5%
10%
20%
20%
35%

Due Date (tentative)

As announced in class
See section 11 above
See section 11 above
Monday, October 26th, 2015
Monday, November 30th, 2015
As scheduled by Registrar

13. Contribution of Course to Program Outcomes

This course contributes to the accomplishment of the following program outcomes:
Program outcome
(a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
(b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and
interpret data
(c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired
needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social,

Emphasis in
this course

American University of Sharjah | College of Engineering

political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
(d) an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
(e) an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

(f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

(g) an ability to communicate effectively
(h) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering

solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context

(i) a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
(j) a knowledge of contemporary issues
(k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools

necessary for engineering practice.

Emphasis: High; Medium; Low; Blank Nothing Specific Expected