1. EE 390 Introduction to Communication Systems
Welcome Class !
EE 390 Introduction to Communication Systems

2. Who am I ? Wayne D. Grover 10 years BNR R&D (now Nortel Networks)
involved in start-up of TRLabs consortium, 1986
B.Sc. - Carleton U, Ottawa
M.Sc. - U. Essex, U.K.
Ph.D. - U. Alberta (‘89) - “Self-healing Networks”
research and management roles at TRLabs since present
1992 on Faculty U. of Alberta (ECE)
1995 Full Professor
2002 IEEE Fellow
>100 papers, ~26 Patents
Instructor web site:

3. EE 681 : Educational Objective
Graduates of EE 390 will have a basic preparation in analog and digital communications.
They will have basic knowledge and analysis skills applying to AM, FM, and digital communications. This prepares them to:
Take EE 588: performance of these systems in the presence of noise. This can be a path leading to graduate studies in Wireless Communications.
Function as computer engineers and system designers:
Prepare for careers in Telecommunications Industry (?)

4. EE 390 : Classical Careers in Telecom ?
Not a “sure thing” like it used to be:
The Telecom “Boom” of ~ created ~350,000 High Tech Jobs
The “Bust” of ~ Wiped Out ~500,000 Jobs !!
jobs ? ?

5. EE 390 : Careers in ECE and CompE !
On the other almost every computer or other electronic system nowadays involves communications technology and theory
My car has a remote keyless entry
Your keyboard may be wireless
My printer has an InfraRed port
Soon my ‘fridge will have an IP address !
There’s a LAN in your family car. And on the power lines in my house.
I can play radio channels on my computer
All images, sounds, movies are digital
The I/O channel to a hard drive uses line coding and adaptive equalization...
etc. etc.

6. The message is ….
System Designers, Computer Engineers, Electronics Designers (not just “Communication engineers”)
all need a grounding in Communication Systems.
This is probably the best real reason to take EE 390

7. But isn’t AM and FM pretty “old stuff” ….
Digital is hot (and elegant !)
But why FM and AM ? Aren’t they really old and only for our radios?
Not really...
AM is actually the basic of all digital “lightwave” transmission today
and FDM is the basis of “DWDM”
FM is the basis of many other high performance communication systems, including when the payload is digital.
Everything is actually ANALOG
ANALOG & “Linear” = High performance !

8. Relationship to Other Courses
EE 588 Communication in Noise
EE 586 Optical Fiber Communication
EE 589 Telecom. Systems Engineering
and at Grad Level:
Digital Communication systems
Data & Computer Networks
Survivable Transport Network Design
Multi-Media Systems

9. (My apologies to all those of you that wouldn’t even think of it…)
Cheating
Don’t ! It matters !
I care and you should care too.
There is a crack-down on at U of A
It is against the oath you will swear when you get your Iron Ring
If you know of cheating you are obliged to advise me
Don’t put a red light on your career
(My apologies to all those of you that wouldn’t even think of it…)

10. Course Web site Bookmark it at: Lets go there now...
Lets go there now...