Information Sheet

ECE 462 Data and Computer Communications

Engineering science: 2.67 credits or 89%.

Engineering Design: 0.33 credits or 11%.

Prerequisites: STAT 346 or 344 or permission of instructor.

Fall semester 2003

Time:  Tuesday & Thursdays, 12:00 noon - 1:15 pm

Location: Robinson Room B111

Instructor: Bijan Jabbari, Professor of Electrical Engineering

Office: S&T-II Room 219

Phone: 703.993.1618

Email: bjabbari@gmu.edu

Web:  http://cnl.gmu.edu/bjabbari

Office hours:           

Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm, contact my Administrative Assistant (703.993.4700) for an appointment for other times.         

TA: Wook Jung

Office: S&T-II Room 265

Email: wjung@gmu.edu

Office Hours: Mondays, 4pm - 6pm

Goals:  This class will cover necessary theoretical foundation and the protocol and architecture of modern computer communication networks, including LANs, MANS, WANs and other packet switched networks. Particular attention will be given to Internet architectures and protocols. It is designed to introduce the basic concepts in data communications, computer networks and the OSI standard to senior-level students in electrical and computer engineering.

Textbook: W. Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, 7th edition, Prentice-Hall, 2003, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Reference: M. Schwartz, Telecommunication Networks: Protocols, Modelling and Analysis, Reading: Addison Wesley, 1987.

J. Warland, Communication Networks: A first Course, Boston: Aksen Associates, 1991.

J. Spragins, Telecommunications Protocols and Design, Reading: Addison Wesley, 1991.

A. Tanenbaum, Computer Networks, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Last Edition.

Prerequisites by topic:

1. Understanding of linear time-invariant systems, Fourier transform, power spectral density.

2. Sampling theorem, pulse amplitude modulation, pulse code modulation and Delta modulation.

3. Amplitude, frequency and phase modulation, channel capacity.

4. Other: Elementary probability, digital logic, and familiarity with a programming language.

Topics:

1. Review of Background, basic concepts in data communication networking, circuit and packet switching, and layering concept (1 class).

2. Data transmission, transmission media, channel impairments, channel capacity, digital signal encoding techniques, and multiplexing methods (2 classes).

3. The physical layer; interface standards: RS-232/V.24, RS-449, V.35, X.21, and ISDN access; synchronous and asynchronous transmission (1 class).

4. Error detection methods and retransmission strategies, Stop-and-Wait ARQ, Go Back n ARQ, Selective Repeat protocols (2 classes).

5. The data link control protocols, SDLC, and HDLC operation (1 class).

6. The network layer (1 class).

7. Multiaccess techniques, ALOHA, S-ALOHA, CSMA/CD (2 classes).

8. Local area networks: Ethernet, GigE, Token Ring, FDDI, DQDB, etc. (2 classes).

9. Wide area networks, Integrated Services Digital Network, and broadband ISDN (1 class).

10. Exams and problem sessions (2 classes)

ABET category content as estimated by faculty member who prepared this course description:

Engineering science: 2.67 credits or 89%

Engineering Design: 0.33 credits or 11%

Grading:

There will be weekly assignments, two mid-term exams, and a final exam. They will count toward the grade as follows: Homework 5%, Mid-term Exams 25% each, Final Examination 45%.

Exams:

The tentative date for the mid-terms are October 2 and November 4. The Final Exam is scheduled for December 16.