The course will cover:
1. An overview of satellite and spacecraft communication systems;
2. The conversions of signals and data into forms suitable for transmission over lines, optical fibres, waveguides
and radio links;
3. An introduction to information theory and capacity;
4. Frequency translation, analogue and digital modulation, theory and systems;
5. Noise, noise sources, noise figure, factor and temperature, system values and bit error rate;
6. Antenna, arrays, polar diagrams, and gain;
7. Link budgets.
Outcome:
The aim of the course is to extend and deepen the student’s knowledge of digital and analogue communication
systems with an emphasis on space communications. On completion of the course the student shall have the skills
and knowledge to be able to:
1. Describe an overview of the forms of communication systems used for scientific satellites and spacecraft,
communication satellites, broadcast satellites and for the Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) of
spacecraft;
2. Identify the technologies and requirements of the various parts of each of the above systems;
3. Perform an analysis of a communication system or part of a communication system to determine items of the
performance such as the signal to noise ratio, the bit error rate, the capacity, the link utilization and the link
budget;
4. Describe and make calculations and measurements on a number of techniques used to translate signals in
the frequency domain, to perform modulation and de-modulation and to form a number of channels through a
communication system;
5. Describe the principles of multiple access to communication satellites and to capacity assignment;
6. Describe a number of methods used for forward and for backward error correction;
Cooperate with colleagues in undertaking practical projects and measurements and writing technical reports
in English.
