EL323 Analog & Digital Communication- Lab

Department of Electrical Engineering

Student ID: ___________________

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Lab Number 1
Introduction to Elements of a Communication System
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After this lab you will be able to:

Understand basic concepts of communication system

Identify elements of communication system
Understand analog & digital signals
Understand the process of modulation & demodulation

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Communication is the basic process of exchanging information. The main barrier to signal
communication is distance. Human communication took a dramatic turn in the late nineteenth
century, when electricity was discovered and its many applications were explored. Well known
forms of electronic communications such as telephone radio and television have increased our
ability to share information. Today they are major part of our lives and now it is hard to imagine
what our lives would be like without the knowledge and information that arrive from around
the world by electronic communications.

Communication System
All electronic communication systems have three basic components, a transmitter, a
communication channel or medium and a receiver. In most systems, a human generates a
message that we call the information signal. This signal is inputted to the transmitter which
then transmits the message over the communication channel. The message is picked by the
receiver and is relayed to another human. Along the way, noise is added to the message in the
communication channel. Noise is the general term applied to any interference that degrades the
transmitted information. A typical communication system is shown in figure 1.1 below.

Figure 1.1: A simple communication system

In telecommunication, a communications system is a collection of individual communications
networks, transmission/receiving systems, relay station and data terminal equipment (DTE)
usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated system. The
components of a communications system serve a common purpose, are technically compatible,
use common procedures, respond to controls, and operate in union.

Prepared by: Engr. M. Sajid Iqbal and Engr. Qurat-ul-Ain, FAST-NU Karachi

EL323 Analog & Digital Communication- Lab

Department of Electrical Engineering

Figure 1.2: Illustration of a wireless communication system

Elements of a Communication System

A communication system consists of a transmitter, a medium and a receiver. Whereas noise is
also added to the transmitted signal. These elements are briefly described below.
Transmitter (TX)
It is a collection of electronic components and circuits designed to convert the information into
a signal suitable for transmission over a given communication medium. It may be as simple as
a microphone or as complex as a microwave radio transmitter.
Communication Channel
The communication channel is the medium by which the electronic signal is sent from one
place to another. The channel can be wired or wireless (radio). Wired channel can use the
medium of copper wires which carry information from one place to another in the form of
electric current or it can be optical fiber that carries message on a light wave. On the other
hand, the channel may be wireless or radio which carries information as electromagnetic waves.
Receiver (RX)
The receiver is another collection of electronic components and circuits that accept the
transmitted message from the channel and convert it back into a simple from which is
understandable by humans.
Noise
Noise is random, undesirable electric energy that enters the communication system via the
communication medium and interferes with the transmitted message. Noise comes from the
atmosphere, outer space radiations and electrical interference created by manufactured
equipment. Noise cannot completely eliminated, however it can be controlled or filtered for
correct signal reception.

Types of Signals
The signals in a communication system are either analog or digital.
Analog Signals
An analog signal is a continuously varying voltage or current. A typical analog signal is a sine
wave tone. Voice and video voltages are analog signals.

Prepared by: Engr. M. Sajid Iqbal and Engr. Qurat-ul-Ain, FAST-NU Karachi

EL323 Analog & Digital Communication- Lab

Department of Electrical Engineering

Digital Signals
A digital signal is a physical signal that is a representation of a sequence of discrete values.
Data used in computers is also digitized where binary codes representing numbers, letters, and
special symbols are transmitted by wire or radio.
In todays world analog data is also converted into digital form and then transmitted. One
advantage of digital information is that it tends to be far more resistant to be transmitted and
interpreted errors than information symbolized in an analog medium.

Modulation & Demodulation

Modulation is the process of modifying the characteristic of one signal in accordance with
some characteristic of another signal. In most cases, the information signal, be it voice, video,
binary data or some other information is used to modify an attribute of high frequency signal
known as carrier.
The information signal is called the modulating signal, and the high frequency signal which is
being modulated is called the carrier and the signal result as a modulation process in called
modulated signal.
The carrier is generally a sine wave while modulating signal can be of any shape, permitting
both analog and digital signals to be transmitted. If modulating or information signal is analog
then this is called analog modulation and if it is digital then this is called digital modulation. In
most cases the carrier frequency is considerably higher than the highest information frequency
to be transmitted.
The retrieval of information from the modulated wave at the receiving end is known as
Demodulation process.

Data and Information

Data refers to the lowest abstract or a raw input which when processed or arranged makes
meaningful output. Information is usually the processed outcome of data.

Prepared by: Engr. M. Sajid Iqbal and Engr. Qurat-ul-Ain, FAST-NU Karachi

EL323 Analog & Digital Communication- Lab

Department of Electrical Engineering

Lab Exercise
1. What is the purpose of a transducer in a communication system? Explain with an
example.
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2. What are the advantages of modulation?
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3. Differentiate between data and information with examples.
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Prepared by: Engr. M. Sajid Iqbal and Engr. Qurat-ul-Ain, FAST-NU Karachi