| Unit name | Communications and Networks |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EEME30004 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Sean Gu |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
EEME20003 Signals and Communications |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
Our modern society is built on communication technologies that have become an integral and familiar part of everyday life such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi, underpinned by high speed networks. As these technologies continue to advance and become further integrated into our lives, professional engineers proficient in communication network design continue to be in demand. This unit is designed to provide students with a better understanding of the fundamental principles and core sub-systems of wired and wireless networks and how they facilitate the ever-evolving internet access and online services that we desire. Students studying this unit successfully will be equipped to tackle future challenges and make engineering contributions to a variety of communication technologies.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit covers significant aspects of various communication technologies. It builds upon units taught at level 5 and aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to work as communication engineers. It also underpins multiple, more specialised level 7 units that may be taken by MEng students in a subsequent year of study.
An overview of content
This unit will cover core concepts in communication networks.
At a physical level, the transmission of signals will be explored and the distinct challenges arising in different media (for example Radio Frequency (RF) or optical transmission) will be identified. The high-level role and function of various key components of communication systems such as waveguides (optical), antennas (RF), filters and amplifiers (both) will be introduced and the design of one or more of these system components will be explored in greater depth.
At the network level, this unit will introduce the network architectures and protocols used by modern communication systems. Having established the diverse capabilities, limitations and challenges of communication systems using different media, this unit will explore how these diverse systems are successfully integrated to form functional networks.
Thus, this unit will deepen your system level understanding of communications systems and equip you with essential knowledge and skills to design, implement and test different technologies within them.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will be able to understand the fundamental challenges of wired and wireless communication networks and their typical and emerging applications. You will appreciate how the key building blocks of these systems function, how they are integrated into the overall system and how their design affects the performance of the system. Having completed this unit, you will understand the different layers of communications system design. Furthermore, you will be equipped to analyse and design communication systems in a professional communication engineering role post graduation and/or be prepared for more specialised learning at higher levels of study.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this unit, students will be able to:
A combination of synchronous and asynchronous activities, including lectures, problem classes, independent study and drop-in sessions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
There will be a number of online quizzes to help you develop a better understanding of the unit content. Prompt formative feedback will be available during live lectures or drop-in sessions. Some sessions will be dedicated to introducing CAD simulation and design tools to explore practical aspects of this unit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The unit will be assessed by a single exam. The exam will assess all Learning Outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan
Re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EEME30004).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
