University of KwaZulu-Natal

School of Engineering
Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering

Main Examinations: November 2019

Course & code: Communications: ENEL3CO

Duration: 3 Hours Total Marks: 100

Examiner/s: Mr S Rezenom (Internal)

Dr N Pillay (Internal)
Dr P Kumar (Independent)

Instructions: 1. This paper consists of four questions (Two in Section A and two in
Section B). Please answer all questions. Use separate answer books for
each section.
2. All questions must be answered in full for part marks to be awarded. All
relevant assumptions must be documented clearly.
3. Programmable calculators may be used – all memory must be cleared.
4. No notes of any kind are allowed. Useful data is attached at the back of
the question paper.

SECTION A
Question 1 [25]

1.1 The signal

( ) = 0.5 sin 100 + + 0.5 cos 100 + + cos(300 ) + 0.25 sin(500 )

2 2
is applied to a linear time-invariant system with magnitude characteristics of

1, | | ≤ 200
| ( )| = 0.5, 200 < | | ≤ 500
0, ℎ

The phase characteristic is

⎧ , ≤0
⎪ 2
∠ ( )=
⎨− , > 0
⎪ 2
⎩

Compute:

A. The input power spectral density. [4]

B. The output power spectral density. [5]

C. The time-domain output signal. [6]

1.2 Compute the convolution of the following signals [5]

1
 1, | | ≤ 0.5
()=
0, ℎ

1− , 0≤ ≤1
ℎ( ) =
0, ℎ

1.3 A random process is described as ( ) = cos(2 + ) + sin(2 + ), where A and B

are independent random variables with zero mean. Assume that and are constants. Show
that the random process is not wide-sense stationary. State the additional requirements that
would make the process wide-sense stationary. [5]

Question 2 [25]

2.1 The probability density function of a random variable X is shown below.

0.5 + 1, −2≤ ≤0
⎧
⎪
( ) = 1− , 0≤ ≤1
⎨
⎪
⎩ 0, ℎ
Compute:

A The cumulative distribution function [5]

B P(-0.25 < X < 0.25) [2]

C The variance of the random variable [8]

2.2 A satellite receiver system is constructed with a cascade of several subunits. These include an
antenna, an RF amplifier and a mixer. The effective noise temperature of the antenna is 60 K.
The RF amplifier has a gain of 10 dB and noise figure of 5 dB. The mixer has a gain of 10 dB and a
noise figure of 4 dB. Assume that the feeder cable connecting the antenna with the RF amplifier
has a loss of 1 dB. The bandwidth of the receiver system is 30 MHz. Determine the effective
noise temperature of the receiver system. [5]

2.3 The received signal at the input of a radio receiver system is measured with a Spectrum Analyzer
to be -50 dBm, and the signal at the output is -40 dBm. The noise floor at the input of the
receiver is -100 dBm and at the output is -80 dBm. State whether an increase in the input power
of the signal affects the noise figure of the receiver. Justify your answers. [5]

2
SECTION B
Question 3 [25]
3.1 We are required to convey a message signal of bandwidth using a technique of analog
modulation. The constraint is that the bandwidth of the transmitted/modulated signal should be
equal to the message bandwidth and should allow for the use of a relatively simple demodulator
at the receiver.

A. Draw the block diagram for a possible modulator and demodulator such that the constraints are
satisfied. [5]

B. Motivate (using math) that the method will actually work. [7]

3.2 VSB-AM is an analog modulation technique employed in analog television to preserve spectrum
space. Sketch the transmitter filter response, relative demodulator output and receiver filter
response for such a system, where the baseband signal has a bandwidth of 4.5 MHz. [8]

3.3 Design a wideband FM (WBFM) transmitter via the indirect method of Armstrong. Assume the
carrier frequency of the WBFM signal is 96.9 MHz and the transmitter is capable of producing a
high-quality FM signal with a peak deviation of 75 kHz when modulated by a 1 Vrms sinusoid of
frequency 20 Hz. Assume that there are doublers, triplers and quintuplers available. Show a
complete and labeled block diagram of your design. [5]

Question 4 [25]
4.1 Consider the following FM stereo broadcast system, where left and right sound channels are
transmitted:

+ Pre-emphasis

+ FM Modulator

+ Pre-emphasis DSB-SC AM
__

Multiple
L.O
frequency by 2

A. A superheterodyne receiver is employed to recover the two channels of sound. Draw the
complete block diagram and label important frequencies in your diagram. [5]

B. Consider the FM demodulator employed in your solution in 4.1A. is a frequency discriminator.

Prove that the output will be the required signal, given that additive noise is present at the
receiver resulting in amplitude variation in the received signal. Assume the composite signal is
( ). [5]

4.2 Consider a given waveform ( ) with Fourier transform ( ). Let ( ) be the spectrum
which is the result of sampling ( ) with a unit impulse train. Let ( ) be the spectrum which
is the result of sampling ( ) with a pulse train with pulse width , amplitude and period .
Show that in the limit as approaches zero, ( )= ( ). [4]

3
4.3 A particular communication system has the following amplitude-frequency plot:

Amplitude 15

10

4 4

1 1

1 MHz 2 MHz 2.5 MHz

- 10 kHz Frequency

1 MHz
2.5 MHz
- 100 KHz 1 MHz + 5 kHz
+ 100 KHz

Four heterodyning signals are available and are defined as ( ) = 5 cos 2 10 , ( ) =

3 cos 2 10 , ( ) = 10 cos 2 10 and ( ) = 4 cos 2 2.5 × 10 . Assume ideal
multipliers.
Draw a complete block diagram of the transmitter system and indicate what message signals
are required. [11]

4
DATASHEET

2
  
Propagation loss factor    where  is the transmission wavelength and d is the
 4 d 
distance of the satellite from the earth station.
4
GR  2 AR , where AR is the effective antenna aperture area.

Boltzmann’s constant k = 1.38x10-23J/K
Standard temperature To = 290 K
Speed of light = 3x108 m/s

TABLE OF FOURIER TRANSFORMS

5
 Bessel Plots

Table of Useful Trignometric formulae

sin a cos b  0.5sin a  b   sin a  b 
cos a sin b  0.5sin a  b   sin a  b 
cos a cos b  0.5cosa  b   cosa  b 

sin a sin b  0.5cos a  b   cos a  b 

 a  b   a b 
sin a  sin b  2 sin   cos 
 2   2 
 a b a b
cos a  cos b  2 cos  cos 
 2   2 

sin a  b   sin a cos b  cos a sin b

cosa  b   cos a cos b  sin a sin b

Table of Bessel values