A Low-Cost Laboratory Practice for Fundamental Learning of Wireless Digital Communication

Several studies have shown that the main challenge in teaching complex systems involving many theoretical backgrounds to senior students is their lack of confidence. In this paper, we present an approach to the teaching methodology of an undergraduate course in a telecommunication study program. The first goal of this methodology is to help students understand the theoretical concepts behind wireless digital communication systems through direct practice to give them more exposure to a real system through affordable practice activities in an experiential context, utilizing an HF radio and a single-board computer (SBC). The second goal is to challenge senior students to understand the data link layer by using white box testing of the syntax of the programming language embedded in the SBC. This approach is ideally carried out based on offline and hands-on class activities, however, the pandemic condition made it unavoidable to do it online using a demonstration model. Feedback from students was collected through written comments, post-testing, including a facility index analysis, and a questionnaire that was distributed using the available e-learning system. The post-test results showed that the average score was 72 out of a maximum of 100

A Low-Cost Laboratory Practice for Fundamental Learning of Wireless Digital Communication

Several studies have shown that the main challenge in teaching complex systems involving many theoretical backgrounds to senior students is their lack of confidence. In this paper, we present an approach to the teaching methodology of an undergraduate course in a telecommunication study program. The first goal of this methodology is to help students understand the theoretical concepts behind wireless digital communication systems through direct practice to give them more exposure to a real system through affordable practice activities in an experiential context, utilizing an HF radio and a single-board computer (SBC). The second goal is to challenge senior students to understand the data link layer by using white box testing of the syntax of the programming language embedded in the SBC. This approach is ideally carried out based on offline and hands-on class activities, however, the pandemic condition made it unavoidable to do it online using a demonstration model. Feedback from students was collected through written comments, post-testing, including a facility index analysis, and a questionnaire that was distributed using the available e-learning system. The post-test results showed that the average score was 72 out of a maximum of 100

Propagation studies at 5.8 GHZ within vegetated environment for point-to-multipoint applications

This thesis presents an empirical study for fixed wireless links based on IEEE802.16 standard in vegetated residential environment. Simulation and field measurements were conducted for suburban microcell channel by utilising 5.8 GHz of Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (UNII). A set of comprehensive measurement that covered 13 point-to-multipoint links surrounding Universiti Teknologi Malaysia were selected to investigate the impact of vegetation on propagating radio waves. The aim of this study is to develop a path loss model that incorporates vegetation effect. Received Signal Strength (RSS), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and factors influencing performance of the signal strength are highlighted here. Performance of RSS during daytime and night is also evaluated. The accuracy of proposed prediction model is analysed which quantifies that path loss is proportional to the distance of tree to the receiver, size, density and number of trees within the vicinity of transmitting and receiving antennas. Observation found that terrain and external effect, such as wind will significantly affect the signal performance too. Depending on the dynamic characteristics of trees presence between the communication links, the measurement results show that the path loss is increased from 5.69 dB to 33.67 dB. The results obtained are compared to Free Space Loss model, Weissberger model, and ITU-R model. Those established models are used to validate the applicability result obtained by means of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). In view of this research work, a good agreement of the proposed excess loss model achieves the smallest RMSE for links obstructed by a single tree, row of trees, row of trees and road as well as row of trees, road and building