Chapter 1

Introduction to Electronic Communication

 Topics Covered in Chapter 1
 1-1: Significance of Human Communication
 1-2: Communication Systems
 1-3: Types of Electronic Communication
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing
 Topics Covered in Chapter 1
(continued)
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum
 1-6: Bandwidth
 1-7: A Survey of Communication Applications
 1-8: Jobs and Careers in the Communication
Industry
 1-1: Significance of
Human Communication

 Communication is the
process of exchanging
information.

 Main barriers are

language and distance.

 Contemporary society’s
emphasis is now the
accumulation, packaging,
and exchange of
information.
 1-1: Significance of
Human Communication
● Methods of
communication:
1.Face to face
2.Signals
3.Written word (letters)
4.Electrical innovations:
 Telegraph
 Telephone
 Radio
 Television
 Internet (computer)
 1-2: Communication Systems

 Basic components:

 Transmitter
 Channel or medium
 Receiver

 Noise degrades or interferes with transmitted

information.
1-2: Communication Systems

Figure 1-2: A general model of all communication systems.

 1-2: Communication Systems
Transmitter
 The transmitter is a collection of electronic
components and circuits that converts the
electrical signal into a signal suitable for
transmission over a given medium.

 Transmitters are made up of oscillators,

amplifiers, tuned circuits and filters, modulators,
frequency mixers, frequency synthesizers, and
other circuits.
 1-2: Communication Systems
Communication Channel
 The communication channel is the medium by
which the electronic signal is sent from one place
to another.
 Types of media include
 Electrical conductors
 Optical media
 Free space
 System-specific media (e.g., water is the medium for sonar).
 1-2: Communication Systems
Receivers
 A receiver is a collection of electronic
components and circuits that accepts the
transmitted message from the channel and
converts it back into a form understandable by
humans.
 Receivers contain amplifiers, oscillators, mixers,
tuned circuits and filters, and a demodulator or
detector that recovers the original intelligence
signal from the modulated carrier.
 1-2: Communication Systems
Transceivers
 A transceiver is an electronic unit that
incorporates circuits that both send and receive
signals.
 Examples are:
• Telephones
• Fax machines
• Handheld CB radios
• Cell phones
• Computer modems
 1-2: Communication Systems
Attenuation
 Signal attenuation, or degradation, exists in all
media of wireless transmission. It is proportional
to the square of the distance between the
transmitter and receiver.
 1-2: Communication Systems
Noise
 Noise is random, undesirable electronic energy
that enters the communication system via the
communicating medium and interferes with the
transmitted message.
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
 Electronic communications are classified
according to whether they are
1. One-way (simplex) or two-way (full duplex or
half duplex) transmissions
2. Analog or digital signals.
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
Simplex
 The simplest method of electronic communication
is referred to as simplex.
 This type of communication is one-way. Examples
are:
 Radio
 TV broadcasting
 Beeper (personal receiver)
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
Full Duplex
 Most electronic communication is two-way and is
referred to as duplex.
 When people can talk and listen simultaneously, it
is called full duplex. The telephone is an
example of this type of communication.
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
Half Duplex
 The form of two-way communication in which only
one party transmits at a time is known as half
duplex. Examples are:
 Police, military, etc. radio transmissions
 Citizen band (CB)
 Family radio
 Amateur radio
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
Analog Signals
 An analog signal is a smoothly and continuously
varying voltage or current. Examples are:
 Sine wave
 Voice
 Video (TV)
1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication

Figure 1-5: Analog signals (a) Sine wave “tone.”

(b) Voice. (c) Video (TV) signal.
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
Digital Signals
 Digital signals change in steps or in discrete
increments.
 Most digital signals use binary or two-state codes.
Examples are:
 Telegraph (Morse code)
 Continuous wave (CW) code
 Serial binary code (used in computers)
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication

Figure 1-6: Digital signals (a) Telegraph (Morse code).

(b) Continuous-wave (CW) code. (c) Serial binary code.
 1-3: Types of Electronic
Communication
Digital Signals
 Many transmissions are of signals that originate
in digital form but must be converted to analog
form to match the transmission medium.
 Digital data over the telephone network.
 Analog signals.
 They are first digitized with an analog-to-digital (A/D)
converter.
 The data can then be transmitted and processed by
computers and other digital circuits.
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

● Modulation and multiplexing are electronic

techniques for transmitting information
efficiently from one place to another.
● Modulation makes the information signal
more compatible with the medium.
● Multiplexing allows more than one signal to
be transmitted concurrently over a single
medium.
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Baseband Transmission
 Baseband information can be sent directly and
unmodified over the medium or can be used to
modulate a carrier for transmission over the
medium.
 In telephone or intercom systems, the voice is placed on
the wires and transmitted.
 In some computer networks, the digital signals are
applied directly to coaxial or twisted-pair cables for
transmission.
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Broadband Transmission
 A carrier is a high frequency signal that is
modulated by audio, video, or data.
 A radio-frequency (RF) wave is an
electromagnetic signal that is able to travel long
distances through space.
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Broadband Transmission
 A broadband transmission takes place when a
carrier signal is modulated, amplified, and sent to
the antenna for transmission.
 The two most common methods of modulation
are:
 Amplitude Modulation (AM)
 Frequency Modulation (FM)
 Another method is called phase modulation
(PM), in which the phase angle of the sine wave
is varied.
1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Figure 1-7: Modulation at the transmitter.

1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Figure 1-8: Types of modulation.

(a) Amplitude modulation. (b) Frequency modulation.
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Broadband Transmission
 Frequency-shift keying (FSK) takes place when
data is converted to frequency-varying tones.

 Devices called modems (modulator-

demodulator) translate the data from digital to
analog and back again.

 Demodulation or detection takes place in the

receiver when the original baseband (e.g. audio)
signal is extracted.
 1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Multiplexing
 Multiplexing is the process of allowing two or
more signals to share the same medium or
channel.
 The three basic types of multiplexing are:
 Frequency division
 Time division
 Code division
1-4: Modulation and Multiplexing

Figure 1-11: Multiplexing at the transmitter.

 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

● The range of electromagnetic signals

encompassing all frequencies is referred to
as the electromagnetic spectrum.
1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Figure 1-13: The electromagnetic spectrum.

 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Frequency and Wavelength: Frequency

 A signal is located on the frequency spectrum
according to its frequency and wavelength.
 Frequency is the number of cycles of a repetitive
wave that occur in a given period of time.
 A cycle consists of two voltage polarity reversals,
current reversals, or electromagnetic field
oscillations.
 Frequency is measured in cycles per second
(cps).
 The unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz).
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Frequency and Wavelength: Wavelength

 Wavelength is the distance occupied by one
cycle of a wave and is usually expressed in
meters.
 Wavelength is also the distance traveled by an
electromagnetic wave during the time of one
cycle.
 The wavelength of a signal is represented by the
Greek letter lambda (λ).
1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Figure 1-15: Frequency and wavelength.

(a) One cycle. (b) One wavelength.
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Frequency and Wavelength: Wavelength

Wavelength (λ) = speed of light ÷ frequency
Speed of light = 3 × 108 meters/second
Therefore:
λ = 3 × 108 / f

Example:
What is the wavelength if the frequency is 4MHz?
λ = 3 × 108 / 4 MHz
= 75 meters (m)
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Frequency Ranges from 30 Hz to 300 GHz

 The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into segments:

Extremely Low Frequencies (ELF) 30–300 Hz.

Voice Frequencies (VF) 300–3000 Hz.
Very Low Frequencies (VLF) include the higher end of the
human hearing range up to about
20 kHz.
Low Frequencies (LF) 30–300 kHz.

Medium Frequencies (MF) 300–3000 kHz

AM radio 535–1605 kHz.
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Frequency Ranges from 30 Hz to 300 GHz

High Frequencies (HF) 3–30 MHz

(short waves; VOA, BBC broadcasts;
government and military two-way
communication; amateur radio, CB.

Very High Frequencies (VHF) 30–300 MHz

FM radio broadcasting (88–108 MHz),
television channels 2–13.
Ultra High Frequencies (UHF) 300–3000 MHz
TV channels 14–67, cellular phones,
military communication.
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Frequency Ranges from 30 Hz to 300 GHz

Microwaves and Super High 1–30 GHz
Frequencies (SHF)
Satellite communication, radar, wireless
LANs, microwave ovens

Extremely High Frequencies (EHF) 30–300 GHz

Satellite communication, computer data,
radar
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Optical Spectrum
 The optical spectrum exists directly above the
millimeter wave region.
 Three types of light waves are:
 Infrared
 Visible spectrum
 Ultraviolet
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Optical Spectrum: Infrared

 Infrared radiation is produced by any physical
equipment that generates heat, including our
bodies.
 Infrared is used:
 In astronomy, to detect stars and other physical bodies in the
universe,
 For guidance in weapons systems, where the heat radiated
from airplanes or missiles can be detected and used to guide
missiles to targets.
 In most new TV remote-control units, where special coded
signals are transmitted by an infrared LED to the TV receiver to
change channels, set the volume, and perform other functions.
 In some of the newer wireless LANs and all fiber-optic
communication.
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Optical Spectrum: The Visible Spectrum

 Just above the infrared region is the visible
spectrum we refer to as light.
 Red is low-frequency or long-wavelength light
 Violet is high-frequency or short-wavelength light.
 Light waves’ very high frequency enables them to
handle a tremendous amount of information (the
bandwidth of the baseband signals can be very
wide).
 1-5: The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Optical Spectrum: Ultraviolet

 Ultraviolet is not used for communication
 Its primary use is medical.
 1-6: Bandwidth
● Bandwidth (BW) is that portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum occupied by a
signal.
● Channel bandwidth refers to the range of
frequencies required to transmit the desired
information.
 1-6: Bandwidth
More Room at the Top
 Today, virtually the entire frequency spectrum
between approximately 30 kHz and 300 MHz has
been spoken for.
 There is tremendous competition for these
frequencies, between companies, individuals, and
government services in individual carriers and
between the different nations of the world.
 The electromagnetic spectrum is one of our most
precious natural resources.
 1-6: Bandwidth
More Room at the Top
 Communication engineering is devoted to making
the best use of that finite spectrum.
 Great effort goes into developing communication
techniques that minimize the bandwidth required
to transmit given information and thus conserve
spectrum space.
 This provides more room for additional
communication channels and gives other services
or users an opportunity to take advantage of it.
 1-6: Bandwidth
Spectrum Management and Standards
 Spectrum management is provided by agencies
set up by the United States and other countries to
control spectrum use.
 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and
the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) are two agencies that deal in
spectrum management.
 Standards are specifications and guidelines
necessary to ensure compatibility between
transmitting and receiving equipment.
 1-7: A Survey of
Communications Applications
 Simplex
 AM and FM  Paging services
broadcasting  Navigation and
 Digital radio direction-finding
 TV broadcasting services
 Digital television (DTV)  Telemetry
 Cable television  Radio astronomy
 Facsimile  Surveillance
 Wireless remote control  Music services
 Internet radio and
video
 1-7: A Survey of
Communications Applications
 Duplex
 Telephones  Family Radio service
 Two-way radio  The Internet
 Radar  Wide-area networks
 Sonar (WANs)
 Amateur radio  Metropolitan-area
 Citizens radio networks (MANs)
 Local area networks
(LANs)
 1-8: Jobs and Careers in the
Communication Industry
 The electronics industry is roughly divided into
four major specializations:
1. Communications (largest in terms of people
employed and the dollar value of equipment
purchased)
2. Computers (second largest).
3. Industrial controls.
4. Instrumentation.
 1-8: Jobs and Careers in the
Communication Industry
Types of Jobs
 Engineers design communication equipment and
systems.

 Technicians install, troubleshoot, repair, calibrate,

and maintain equipment.

 Engineering Technicians assist in equipment

design, testing, and assembly.
 1-8: Jobs and Careers in the
Communication Industry
Types of Jobs
 Technical sales representatives determine customer
needs and related specifications, write proposals and
sell equipment.

 Technical writers generate technical documentation for

equipment and systems.

 Trainers develop programs, generate training and

presentation materials, and conduct classroom training.
 1-8: Jobs and Careers in the
Communication Industry
Major Employers
 The communication electronics industry is made
up of the following segments:

 Manufacturers

 Resellers

 Service Organizations

 End users
 1-8: Jobs and Careers in the
Communication Industry

Figure 1-18: Structure of the communication electronics industry.

 At this stage you should be able to:

● Explain the functions of the three main parts

of an electronic communication system.
● Describe the system used to classify
different types of electronic communication
and list example of each type.
● Discuss the role of modulation and
multiplexing in facilitating signal
transmission.