Universidad de Jaén

This subject provides an overview of the evolution of mobile communications and the development towards the systems of today. Furthermore, the main principles of cellular communications systems are described. System architectures are treated in general, and examples from important systems such as GSM, UMTS, LTE and 5G are discussed.

The program is divided into two parts:

1. Introduction to Mobile Communications Systems

General concepts. Structure of a mobile communications system. Classification. Frequency bands. Coverage, quality and capacity.  Evolution and overview of the mobile communications sector.

2. Basics of the radio interface

Energy model. Modulations used in mobile communications. Channel coding in mobile communications. Multiple access and duplexing

3. Propagation in mobile communications

Characterization of the propagation phenomenon. Attenuation. Models. Variability of spread. Shadow fading. Multipath fading. Diversity. Distortion.

4. Classic cellular systems (FDMA/TDMA)

Classic cell concept. Cell structure. Interference calculus. Sizing.  General architecture. Mobility-related functions.

5. GSM

Standardization. Evolution of mobile communications systems: generations. Origin of GSM. Network architecture. functional entities. Areas and identities. Radio interface: general characteristics. Physical and logical channels. TDMA structure. Frame structure. Modulation, encoding, interleaving. Processes associated with the transmission: time advance, power control, discontinuous transmission, jump of frequency. Protocols. Radio resource management. Operation of radio channels. Mobility management. Management of the comunication. Services. Planning. link balance. Evolution of GSM: HSCSD, EDGE.

6. GPRS

GPRS origin. GPRS network architecture. Radio interface. Physical and logical channels. TDMA structure. Encoding methods. Protocols. Management of radio, mobility and session resources. Planning.

7. CDMA cellular systems

Fundamentals of spread spectrum. CDMA Basics.  Characteristics of CDMA cellular systems.

8 UMTS

Origin of UMTS. Characteristics of the Third Generation. Architecture of the UMTS network. Radio interface: general characteristics. Spread Spectrum. Physical, logical and transport channels. Frame structure. Rate adaptation, modulation, coding, interleaving. Processes associated with transmission: power control, soft handover, use of PCH and PICH, use of PRACH and AICH, transmission diversity. Protocols. connection states. Mobility management. Capacity in UMTS. Planning. 

9. Cellular systems: evolution of 3G

OFDM. HARQ with combination of retransmissions. Link adaptation. Scheduling depending on the radio channel. MIMO.

10 HSDPA

Origin of HSDPA. Differences with respect to UMTS. Network modifications. Physical channels. Modulation, encoding, rate adaptation. Processes associated with transmission: HARQ with combination, bit rate adaptation to the state of the channel, user planning, transfer. Protocols. HSDPA+. Planning. 

11 HSUPA

Origin of HSUPA. Differences with respect to UMTS. Network modifications. Physical channels. Widening. Rate adaptation, encoding. Processes associated with transmission: HARQ with combination, user planning, choice of transport format. Protocols. Planning.

12. LTE

LTE origin. Network architecture. Radio interface: general characteristics. Channels on the radio interface. Multi-antenna transmission, MBSFN. Processes associated with transmission: adaptation of the bit rate to the state of the channel, power control, scheduling. Radio planning.

13. Introduction to 5G

Introduction to 5G. Phases of 5G. 5G specifications. Current status of 5G.

SEMINAR: Seminar on Software Defined Radio (SDR)

PRACTICAL UNITS

Unit 1. Practice with the BladeRF (Software Defined Radio). Use of GNU-Radio.

Unit 2 Comparative study of propagation models using Matlab.

Unit 3 Using XIRIOonline.

The use of electronic devices in classes and exams is forbidden except that they are required for the right develoment of learning activities and always with the authorization of the lecturer. It will be complied with the regulations regarding the use of the individual and collective protection means necessary to guarantee safety and health.

A1. Lectures in largue group   

They are based on the explanation of the theoretical concepts of the subject through lectures, alternating with the explanation of examples and problems. Students will be provided with teaching material through the Learning Management System (LMS) platform to follow the classes. This material must be completed by the student with their own class notes and consultations in the bibliographic resources. In addition, students will be provided with the ability to keep up to date with new developments in science and technology, especially in this type of subject, so closely linked to such a dynamic environment as telecommunications, emphasising the need for continuous training throughout their professional lives. Likewise, the ability to collect and interpret data and handle complex concepts within Telecommunication Engineering will be developed and promoted, in order to make judgements that involve reflection on ethical and social issues.

A2. Lectures with practical groups

They are based on the teacher's explanation of the practical activities in the laboratory as well as problem-solving exercises in class. The student will be provided with teaching material, the script of the reports to be developed and exercices through the LMS platform.

As regards autonomous work, this will focus on the preparation of the documentation to be handed in for each practical or exercides , as well as completing the work started in the laboratory and which could not be finished in the corresponding session. Likewise, collaboration and teamwork will be encouraged through the design of the practicals themselves.

A3. Group tutorials

Group tutorials will be used to give seminars on different topics related to the subject, to clarify doubts raised by the students, as well as to attend and participate in different seminars, talks, conferences, workshops and/or conferences, designated by the teacher, with the aim of completing the training and obtaining general, transversal and/or specific competences defined for this activity, such as the value of continuous training, entrepreneurship or the review of technological innovations in the subject.

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante) in order to receive the appropriate academic support.

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante) in order to receive the appropriate academic support

1  Global Assessment

The Global Assessment modality will be carried out according to the outcomes of the activities described in the section "Methodology and activities", in addition to those described in the section "Detailed description of the Global Assessment" that will be weighted by considering the aspects and percentages detailed in the above table.

• The Global assessment modality consists of two parts:
• The work assessment during the term, according to the tasks defined for this purpose.

The completion of a FINAL EXAM on the day set for the exam during the evaluation period. The distribution of the weights for each assessable aspect of the two aforementioned parts, and according to the activities described in the table above, is as follows:

Table 1. Weighting of the Global Assessment.

Grades obtained in an aspect during the teaching term in the GLOBAL assessment will be maintained until the end of the academic year.

Final Exam: At the end of the term, on the day set for the course within the exam period, there will be a final exam of the theoretical part and exercises of the course (aspects S2 and S3), in which students must demonstrate that they have acquired the competences and learning outcomes established for these aspects. The weight of this exam in the final grade will be 30% of the total, as reflected in the table "Weighting of the Global Assessment", with 15% corresponding to aspect S2 and the other 15% to aspect S3. The specific conditions, as well as the material and/or documentation that may be used in the final exam will be established by the lecturer.

Final Assessment

In order to pass the course, students must obtain a grade equal to or higher than 5.0 out of 10 in the overall results considering all the assessed aspects, provided that they have obtained a grade equal to or higher than 4.0 in the final exam and in the laboratory/computer practical part (S4). Students will have the option of resigning the GLOBAL evaluation, and it will not be possible to return to it once the resignation has been made.

2 FINAL EXAM

In the FINAL EXAM modality, an exam will be held on the day set for the course within the exam period, which will cover all the course contents, ensuring that students have acquired the competences and learning outcomes established for the course. The two parts of this written exam are weighed as follows:

• Part 1: Attendance and participation, theoretical concepts and completion of study cases or exercises assignments (S1, S2, and S3): 70%. -
• Part 2: Laboratory/ computer practical work (S4): 30%.

The specific conditions, as well as the material and/or documentation that may be used in the Final Exam will be established by the lecturer.

In order to pass the course, students must obtain a grade equal to or higher than 5.0 out of 10 in each of the two parts.

Students who have passed the S4 aspect (laboratory/computer practical work) of the course, through GLOBAL ASSESMENT, with a grade equal to or higher than 5.0 out of 10, will not have to take Part 2 corresponding to this aspect in the exam. The same grade obtained in the GLOBAL ASSESTMENT will be assigned to this part.

The parts passed at each exam attempt will be maintained until the end of the academic year.

Using this approach, the following competences will be evaluated:: CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CG4, CG9, ST1, ST2 and ST3

Obtaining a positive evaluation indicates that the student has reached the following learning results of the module: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21 and 22.

The use of electronic devices in classes and exams is forbidden except that they are required for the right develoment of learning activities and always with the authorization of the lecturer.

Any books, notes, documentation, or equipment allowed for the Final Exam and the partial exams of the overall evaluation have to be approved by the lecturer.

Teaching methodology and learning activities

Changes in skills and / or results

-

Changes in theoretical content

-

Changes in practical content

For 50% attendance, it is planned to carry out the practices on a rotating basis and substitute activities that allow said rotation, consisting mainly of carrying out software-type practices, preparation of subsequent hardware practices, analysis of hardware practices already carried out, and problem solving and case studies.

Schedule

The schedule can vary mainly due to the change from multi-modal scenario to the online one.

Evaluation system

There are no changes in the evaluation format (weights of each section) or in what is specified in the detailed evaluation.

As a summary, the following tables are added, detailing the weight and format of the final test in Global Assessment:

Ordinary call

Extraordinary call

Resources

Expository classes in large groups or practice groups at 50%

In the case of 50% attendance, the following resources will need to be used: 

Technical means in the classroom:

- Videoconference infrastructure in the classroom or laboratory consisting of a video and audio capture system for use in a videoconference system or virtual classroom such as Google Meet or BigBlueButton.

Individual media (students in non-face-to-face format)

- PC equipment or similar.

- Videoconference system or virtual classroom such as Google Meet or BigBlueButton.

 Common means (teachers and students):

- Use of interactive tools: screen sharing to use comments as a virtual whiteboard in PDF presentations.

- Use of the teaching platform of the University of Jaén: messaging, forums, tasks, activities and means of evaluation.

Expository lectures in large group or practice groups at 100%

Given that the attendance in the Classes in practice groups is 100%, no exceptional resources are foreseen for them.

Teaching methodology and learning activities

Changes in skills and / or results

-

Changes in theoretical content

-

Changes in practical content

To carry out the practical laboratory blocks, the hardware sessions will be replaced by software sessions fundamentally based on the Optsim simulation software by remote connection to the laboratory equipment.

Schedule

The schedule can vary mainly due to the change from multi-modal scenario to the online one.

Evaluation system

There are no changes in the evaluation format (weights of each section) or in what is specified in the detailed evaluation.

As a summary, the following tables are added, detailing the weight and format of the final test in Global Assessment:

Ordinary call

Extraordinary call

The synchronous online exam, both theory-problem (S2-S3) and practice (S4), will be organized in a written assessment by video conference. The synchronous online exam will be carried out by means of the following actions, arranged here in temporal order:

- At the latest one week before the date of the exam, and following the instructions of the responsible person for the subject, the students must inform the teacher of their intention to take the synchronous online exam.

- Before the day of the exam, the responsible of the subject will communicate to each student the exact time of the validation interview of the exam, and the link to access the video conference for both the part related to the problem-theory exam (S2-S3) and the practice exam (S4). Those students that do not confirm their assistance may be cited to the validation interview in the next days of the official date.

- In the day and time of the schedule established for the official exam of the subject, the first part of the video conference exam will be started. At that time, the responsible of the subject will distribute by electronic means the statement of the exam to each student. The exam sent to each student may be different in content (questions or input data) but of similar requirement. The objective is, in cases where it is possible, to randomly distribute exams among the students. This video conference will be recorded to check the identity of each student. Unless approved by the responsible of the subject, each student will maintain the camera and microphone active during the videoconference. If the student is absent from the videoconference, this may be a reason for expulsion, which will not happen due to mere technical problems.

- Before the maximum time indicated in the statement of the exam, each student will send the photographs, compressed in .zip format, of the solutions he/she has made in relation to the exam received. The student is solely responsible for ensuring the quality of the photos of solutions. If a photograph with the solutions does not have enough quality to know perfectly what the student has answered in his/her answer, this question will not be corrected in the assessment.

- The second part of the exam will consist of a video conference interview with each student to validate the contents delivered, at the time indicated, with a maximum of 10 minutes. The purpose of these interviews is to corroborate the authorship of the answers given in the first part by means of complementary questions on the assessment test. If a student does not correctly answer a question in the second part, then the question in the first part with which it is linked will be invalidated. This video conference will be recorded to ensure the quality of the assessment. Unless approved by the responsible of the subject, each student will have the camera and microphone active during the videoconference.

- The exam grade will correspond to the result of correcting the non-invalidated questions of the written exam.

Resources

Since all the teaching, either in the exposition classes in large groups or in the classes in practice groups, be taught online, the following resources will need to be used:

Common telematic resources (teachers and students):

- PC equipment or similar.

- Videoconference system or virtual classroom, such as Google Meet or BigBlueButton.

- Use of interactive tools: screen sharing to use comments as a virtual whiteboard in PDF presentations.

- Use of the teaching platform of the University of Jaén: messaging, forums, tasks, activities and means of evaluation.

Institution in charge of data processing: Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, 23071 Jaén

Data Protection Delegate: dpo@ujaen.es

Purpose: In accordance with the Universities Law and other national and regional regulations in force, carrying out exams and assessment tests corresponding to the courses students are registered in. In order to avoid frauds while sitting the exam, the exam will be answered using a videoconference system, being able the academic staff of the University of Jaén to compare and contrast the image of the person who is answering the exam with the student's photographic files. Likewise, in order to provide the exam with evidential content for revisions or claims, in accordance with current regulation frameworks, the exam will be recorded and stored.

Legitimacy: compliance with legal obligations (Universities Law) and other national and regional regulations currently in force.

Addressees: service providers who are the owners of the platforms where the exams are carried out and with whom the University of Jaén has signed the corresponding data access contracts.

Storage periods: those established in current in force regulations. In the specific case of exam videoconference recordings, not before the examination records and transcripts are closed or the exam can still be reviewed or challenged.

Rights: you can exercise your right of access, amendment, cancellation, opposition, suppression, limitation and portability by sending a letter to the postal or electronic address indicated above. In the event that you consider that your rights have been violated, you may submit a complaint to the Andalusian Council for Transparency and Data Protection www.ctpdandalucia.es

Person in charge: Universidad de Jaén, Paraje Las Lagunillas, s/n; Tel.953 212121; www.ujaen.es

Data protection delegate (DPO): TELEFÓNICA, S.A.U. ; Email: dpo@ujaen.es

Procedure aim: To manage proper recordings of teaching sessions with the aim of facilitating learning process under a multimodal and/or online teaching

Period for record storage: Images will be kept during legal term according to regulations in force

Legitimacy: Data will be managed according to legal regulations (Organic Law 6/2001, December 21, on Universities) and given consent provided by selecting corresponding box in legal admission documents

Data recipients (transfers or assignments): Any person allowed to get access to every teaching modality

Rights: You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, cancellation, portability, limitation of processing, deletion or, where appropriate, opposition. To exercise these rights, you must submit a written request to the Information, Registration and Electronic Administration Service of the University of Jaen at the address above, or by e-mail to the address above. You must specify which of these rights you are requesting to be satisfied and, at the same time, you must attach a photocopy of your ID card or equivalent identification document. In case you act through a representative, legal or voluntary, you must also provide a document that proves this representation and identification. Likewise, if you consider that your right to personal data protection has been violated, you may file a complaint with the Andalusian Data Protection and Transparency Council www.ctpdandalucia.es