Information systems experiments

summary
OUTCOME 1:
1.7 Gather and process
first-hand and secondary
information on the basic
pattern of the
information transfer
process in the following
systems:
o land
connected
telephones
o mobile phones
o television
o radios
o CD players

In any communication there is;

- A step involving coding
- A step involving transmission
- A step involving decoding
e.g. Telephone
- Coding (mouthpiece)
- Transmission (wire electricity)
- Decoding (earpiece)

LAND CONNECTED TELEPHONES

Vibrations from voice box sound energy/wave

Microphone coding device
- converts sound energy to electrical energy
Earpiece (loudspeaker) or ear decoding device
- converts electrical energy to sound
energy
Transmission channels wires, optical fibres
(electrical/light energy)
Energy used in telephone communication;
Electrical
Light (optic fibres)
Mechanical
Sound
System

Code

Coding
device

Telephon
e

Sound
waves

Mouthpie
ce

Transmis
sion
channel
or
medium
Electrical
wires

Decodi
ng
device
Earpiec
e

RADIO

Coding radio transmitter

Transmission channels radio wave, audio signal,
modulated signal
Decoding ear, demodulating circuit, aerial
Transmitting aerial converts electrical energy EM
energy

Receiving aerial converts EM energy electrical

energy
*Refer to radio transmission diagram
Syste
m

Code

Coding
device

Radio

Audio
signal

Radio
transmitt
er

TELEVISION
Syste Code
m
TV

Electron
s

Coding
device
Electrica
l signal

Transmis
sion
channel
or
medium
Space
via aerial

Decoding
device

Diode or
demodulati
ng circuit

Transmissio
n channel
or medium
Wires, radio
waves or
optic fibre

Decodin
g
device
Cathode
Ray Tube
(CRT)

Diagram:

MOBILE PHONES

When phone is on, it is constantly checking for

incoming calls and looking for the CELL SITE with
strongest power.

Sound Electrical Radio waves Transmitted

via microwaves Electrical energy Sound
energy
Syste
m

Code

Mobile Sound
phone energy
(waves
)

Coding
device

Mouthpie
ce or
micropho
ne

Transmissi
on
channel or
medium
Tower via
microwaves

Decoding
device

Aerial or
earpiece

CD PLAYER
A physical pattern is recorded as data on a CD a
series of flats and bumps exists on what appears to
be a flat disc surface
Photodiode light energy electrical energy
Transmission channel digital signals are converted
from the original signal, amplified and converted to
sound by the speaker
System

Code

Coding
device

CD
player

Digital
(light)

Laser
light

Transmis
sion
channel
or
medium
Electric
current &
laser light
reflection

Decodin
g
device

Photodio
de

*RADIO TRANSMISSION DIAGRAM

SYLLABUS POINT: To outline features that the systems have in

common and use avilable evidence to discuss the applications
of these systems
Common features:
Encoding
Storage
Transmission
Decoding
Energy transformations
Electrical energy use
Applications of these systems:
Transmission of voice/sounds
Transmission of images
Transmission of text
Emergency services
Entertainment
Business and commerce

1.8 Gather and process

information from
secondary sources to
develop a timeline of
communication systems
introduced to society
and use the available
evidence to analyse the
impact these systems
have had on society
and predict possible
future directions in
communication
technologies

Technological/scientific advances and their benefit to

society:
Technological or
scientific
advance
Invention of writing

Invention of
electricity

Invention of
wireless
communication
Development of
mass
communication

Benefit to society
*Improved quality of
communication
*Allowed messages to be sent
*Allowed info to be stored for
later use
*Allowed for development of
writing materials e.g. papyrus,
paper
*Allowed for invention of
telegraph increased speed of
communication esp. long
distances
*Submarine telegraph cables
were invented to link people from
overseas
*Much cheaper than telegram
*Quicker
*Allowed for ship-to-ship
communication
*With printing presses, leaflets,
newspapers distributed widely
info is spread quickly
*In contemporary times, mass
communication involves
broadcasting on the radio & TV

Timeline of communication systems/technologies;

1870s Bell invents the electric telephone
1890s Portable typewriter is invented
1890s Marconi invents wireless telegraphy long
distance radio communication
1930s Regular TV broadcasting begins
Late 1930s Atanasoff invents first electronic digital
computer
1950s Laser is invented
1980s First optical fibre system is created long
distance

1990s Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web (www)

1990s VCRs become popular
Impact of TWO chosen communication systems on
society;
Telephone (1876)
Simple and fast communication
Long distance communication reduces travel
time
Confidential
Quality of communication was improved
Versatile e.g. used in homes, businesses,
entertainment
Electrical computer (late 1930s)
Easy communication
Convenient to use
Used in many industries e.g. technology,
multimedia, office helped to create JOBS
Easy access and storage of information
Improved efficiency and quantity of communication

OUTCOME 2
2.4 Perform a first-hand
investigation to observe
ways in which waves can
be modulated to carry
different types of
information

Wave modulation (modification) allows different

information to be transmitted.
A wave can be modulated in 2 ways;
Amplitude modulation (AM) height of the waves

Frequency modulation (FM) number of waves

which pass a point in 1 second

Radio transmitter the coding device

In the AM radio transmitter:
One electric circuit produces the audio signal
- Sound waves are converted into electrical signals
Another circuit creates a carrier signal (function
of a carrier wave; to carry info from one place to
another as an EM wave)

A third circuit creates a modulated signal i.e.

the two previous signals are added together

The audio signal carries speech and music and has

a low, varying frequency.
The carrier signal is an electrical signal with a high,
constant frequency.
Carrier and modulated signal both have a high
frequency.

OUTCOME 3
3.4 Plan, choose
equipment or resources
for, and perform a firsthand investigation to
compare the quality of
reception of AM and FM
radio waves

Background information:
AM radio waves
Have relatively LOW frequency but LONG
wavelengths
o Long wavelengths allows for AM waves to
diffract (bend around objects) with little loss
of energy
o Useful when broadcast radio waves are
needed
Travel in straight lines
Reflect off a layer of the atmosphere called
ionosphere: allows for OUT-OF-SIGHT
transmission useful in long distance
communication
Useful to carry only voice transmissions (quality of
sound broadcast is relatively poor)
Susceptible to interference e.g. storms can severely
affect the quality
Advantage AM circuitry is not overly complicated,

cheap and readily available / Disadvantage

crowded with users
FM radio waves
Have relatively LOW frequency
SHORTER wavelengths than AM waves therefore
they do not diffract as well objects reduce signal
strength
Travel in straight lines but spread out from a point
source
Must be LINE-OF-SIGHT as they do NOT reflect off
Carry more information than AM waves higher
frequency than AM waves
Generally higher quality than AM
EXPERIMENT COMPARING FM AND AM
Independent variable type of signal
Dependent variable sound quality
Controlled variables weather, conditions
Validity of the data collected;
By testing FM and AM signals from a set number of
radio stations ensures data collected if valid. The tests
were conducted in the same conditions to ensure
accuracy of the results.
Conclusion;
The reception and quality of FM radio waves have an
overall good quality. There was not much interference
when compared to AM radio. The quality of AM radio is
relatively poor as there is constant background noise
or static.

OUTCOME 3 CONTINUED
Table: Comparing AM and FM

Property
Cost to produce
Efficiency
Noise (static)
Range
EM spectrum
frequency usage
Interference from other
stations with similar
frequency
Reflections from
buildings, hills and

AM
Very low
Low
Significant
Good
Wide

FM
Higher
High
Low
Poor
Very wide

Serious

Little

Little problem

A little problem in
some locations

other objects

OUTCOME 4
4.3 Gather, process and
analyse information from
secondary sources to
identify the satellites used
for live telecasts from
other regions of the world
to Australia and vice versa
and to present reasons
why communication
satellites have different
aerials
and
positional
orbits

Satellites that are used for live telecasts from

other regions of the world to Australia;
Optus 3 satellites (known as C1, D1, D2)
AsiaSat 3 satellites
Intelsat 7 satellites (on Indian and Pacific
Ocean regions)
Inmarsat 2 satellites (on Indian and Pacific
Ocean regions)
Service providers Austar, Optus, Telstra, MediaSat,
Netspeed
Why communication satellites have different
aerials and positional orbits;
A satellite can only receive and transmit to a
maximum of about 40% of the Earths surface.
Therefore, to cover all countries requiring satellite
communications services, many satellites are
needed in different locations

Different aerials allow satellites to

cover different footprints (e.g.
Australia and Japan can be covered
separately by different aerials on the
same satellite) and;
Send and receive different types
of data (e.g. TV, meteorological
data, telecommunications such as
The use of aerials in the satellites assist in the
communication between the microwave fields of the
transmission towers as they provide directions.

OUTCOME 4 CONTINUED