EGH443 Advanced Telecommunications and RF

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

With the increasing importance of telecommunications systems and services in people's lives, a unit covering the fundamentals and applications of advanced communication systems is indispensable in the Electrical Engineering Curriculum. Therefore, this unit provides an understanding of the evolution of mobile communications systems from 1st generation to 5th generation, efficient cellular planning, wireless channel characteristics and modelling, antenna measurements, antenna arrays and beamforming, transmitter and receiver diversity, multi-carrier systems, error control coding and decoding, and optical fibre communications. Emphasis is placed on fundamental principles of advanced communication methods so that on graduation, you will be able to interpret existing and emerging communication technologies. This is an advanced unit and therefore prior knowledge of basic signal analysis (EGB242), and telecommunications and RF (EGB342) is required.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Analyse, evaluate and communicate latest developments in advanced telecommunications and RF systems at a mastered level.
2. Perform as a team member to apply numerical computer packages at a mastered level to model and evaluate the performance of advanced communication systems and reflect your own contribution to the project, product, and team.
3. Apply cellular planning and tele traffic engineering theory to dimension telecommunication networks that are standard and regulatory compliant at a mastered level
4. Evaluate the performance of error control techniques in advanced communication systems in various propagation environments at a mastered level.
5. Prepares high quality engineering documents for technical audiences and using textual, diagrammatic, and graphical media at a mastered level.

Content

Learning Approaches

Teaching Mode:
Hours per week: 5
Lecture: 3 hrs
Lab/Tutorials/Mentoring, Self-paced study sessions: 2 hrs

Learning Approaches:
There is a total of 60 hours of contact devoted to this unit comprising 36 hours of lectures, 24 hours of tutorials and labs, and general instruction including self-paced reading, formal presentations and other student-centred discussions.

This unit offers a combination of theory and practical case studies with emphasis placed on the solution of technical problems, the knowledge required to solve these problems and practical application in computer labs. The lectures will be based on industry practice and experience and these will be underpinned by tutorials, demonstrations, reading and the application of knowledge to solving problems. Tutorial sessions will involve individual questioning as well as group work and peer interaction rather than guided problem solving, with feedback coming from the whole group.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative feedback will occur through verbal tutor and peer group interactions throughout the semester. Written
and verbal feedback will be provided for assessment results.

Assessment

Overview

There are three assessment items. Assessment 1 is an individual report based on technical tasks related to but not covered directly in the main content of the unit. Assessment 2 is a team based practical project using Matlab and includes an individual reflection and a short lab report. Assessment 3 is the final written examination.

Formative feedback will occur through verbal tutor and peer group interactions throughout the semester. Written and verbal feedback will be provided for assessment results.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Research Report

A research report addressing an advanced telecommunication claim.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools may be used to identify potential literature or relevant research on your topic, verifying each source for accuracy and reliability. GenAI tools may also be used for proof reading. 

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Project (applied)

In this project you will use MATLAB to model and evaluate the performance of advanced communication systems, write a group report and submit an individual reflection. Peer and Self-Assessment will be used for the moderation of grades in addition to other means.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is not permitted in this assessment task as you must demonstrate your skills and knowledge. Ensure that all submitted work is your own and maintains academic integrity standards.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Examination (written)

Test your knowledge and understanding of advanced communications systems.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is not permitted in this assessment task as you must demonstrate your skills and knowledge. Ensure that all submitted work is your own and maintains academic integrity standards.

“On Campus invigilated Exam. If campus access is restricted at the time of the central examination period/due date, an alternative, which may be a timed online assessment, will be offered. Individual students whose circumstances prevent their attendance on campus will be provided with an alternative assessment approach.”

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

You will undertake lectures in the classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit. The unit will require you to work in the software laboratories at QUT and to perform the safety inductions for these laboratories. You are also required to follow the Health and Safety protocols associated with software laboratory work.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Research Report, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Research Report, Examination (written)
3. 
   Relates to: Research Report, Examination (written)
4. 
   Relates to: Examination (written)

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Research Report, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Examination (written)
3. 
   Relates to: Examination (written)
4. 
   Relates to: Project (applied), Examination (written)

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Project (applied)
2. 
   Relates to: Project (applied)
3. 
   Relates to: Project (applied)

Course Learning Outcomes

EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

1. Display leadership, creativity, and initiative in both self-directed and collaborative contexts of professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Project (applied)
2. Deploy appropriate approaches to engineering design and quality.
   Relates to: Examination (written)
3. Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Research Report, Project (applied), Examination (written)
4. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Research Report, Examination (written)

EN55 Master of Professional Engineering

1. Apply advanced and specialist knowledge, concepts and practices in engineering design, analysis management and sustainability.
   Relates to: Project (applied), Examination (written)
2. Critically analyse and evaluate complex engineering problems to achieve research informed solutions.
   Relates to: Research Report, Project (applied), Examination (written)
3. Communicate complex information effectively and succinctly, presenting high level reports, arguments and justifications in oral, written and visual forms to professional and non specialist audiences.
   Relates to: Research Report, Project (applied)
4. Organise and manage time, tasks and projects independently, and collaboratively demonstrating the values and principles that shape engineering decision making and professional accountability.
   Relates to: Project (applied)

EN60 Graduate Certificate in Communication for Engineering

1. Demonstrate and apply specialised knowledge and technical skills in at least one Engineering discipline.
   Relates to: Research Report, Project (applied), Examination (written)
2. Critically investigate real world engineering issues and solve complex problems drawing on specialised creative skills, analysis, evaluation and synthesis of discipline knowledge, theory and practice.
   Relates to: Project (applied), Examination (written)
3. Employ effective written and oral professional communication skills across social, cultural and discipline domains.
   Relates to: Research Report, Project (applied)
4. Exercise responsibility and accountability in applying knowledge and skills for own learning and effective practice including working independently, ethically and collaboratively.
   Relates to: Project (applied)

EV01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

1. Display leadership, creativity, and initiative in both self-directed and collaborative contexts of professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Project (applied)
2. Deploy appropriate approaches to engineering design and quality.
   Relates to: Examination (written)
3. Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Research Report, Project (applied), Examination (written)
4. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Research Report, Examination (written)