AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Internet society is based on technological solution for continuative and pervasive connection of persons and objects (IoT). In the module, different radio technologies are investigated and compared able to guarantee such global connection, including terrestrial and satellite solutions. Radio coverage strategies will be examined by comparing different cell planning methodologies. Terrestrial mobile telephone standards like GSM/GPRS, WCDMA and LTE will be examined and compared with satellite technologies like Globalstar and Iridium. The smartphone platform will be considered as a multi-standard platform able to connect persons and things beyond the telephone network, including Wifi, Bluetooth, RFID, BLE, NFC. The added value represented by position estimation of terminal, persons and things will be considered with reference to applications for logistics, transportation and health. In such view, methodologies based on terrestrial radio fingerprinting and satellite-based global systems (GPS/Galileo/Egnos) will be introduced.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the class students are expected to know and manage the main problems associated to radio communication either terrestrial or satellite based. They should demonstrate deep knowledge of the solutions and techniques for radio cellular coverage, terminal localization, radio resource allocation, inteference management and mobility support. They will have confidence in designing radio links by budgeting transmission power, antenna gain and propagation losses. The exam will be based on assessing the theoretical knowledge as well as the design ability. Cases studies will be investigated concerning specific applications in logistcs, transportation, industrial operation and medical assistance.

TEACHING METHODS

The class will be based on  traditional lessons with explanations and exercises on the blackboard or through slide and video projection.

Lessons will deal wth theoretical explanatios followed by exercise sessions in laboratory using radiofrequency instrumentation to concretely verify basic theoretical concepts.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction on radio communications

• RF physical propagation: ground, sky and space waves
• Fresnel ellipsoids clearance
• Path loss
• Atmospheric absorption, rain attenuation
• Time dispersiveness and inter-symbolic interference (ISI)
• Slow fading (atmospheric events)
• Fast (shadowing) and very fast (multipath) fading
• Selectivity of fast fading in time, space, frequency and direction
• Transmission/reception in diversity

Pervasive radio coverage

• Center and corner-excited cells
• Cell sizing
• Overlay and layered cell patterns
• Hexagon-based cell planning
• Traffic-based cell channel assignment (B-Erlang formula, block probability, bundling factor)
• Channel borrowing policies
• Cluster planning and cell color assignment
• System interference: iso-channel and adjacent channel interference

Mobility support management

• Call area
• Signaling channel congestion management
• Traffic channel quality monitoring
• Intra and inter-cell Hand Over
• User terminal localization

Radio resource management

• Multiple assess technologies (FDMA, TDMA, CDMA)
• Duplexing technologies (FDD, TDD, CDD)
• Delay spread and Coherence Band
• Channel equalization
• Dynamic transmission power control

Global Mobile digital standards

• Terrestrial: 2G, 3G and introduction to 4G
• Satellite: Iridium and Globalstar

Global Positioning Systems

• Terrestrial technologies
• Satellite technologies: GPS, differential GPS, EGNOS

IoT technologies

• Rfid
• Bluetooth
• Visible Light communication

Context aware applications

• Case studies in automotive scenario
• Case studies in E-Health scenario

  The teaching contents will provide students with skills useful for achieving the various objectives of the 2030 Agenda, in particular the telecommunications solutions that will be investigated will provide skills in the design of smart solutions for the optimized management of production plants attributable to Objective 9 "Enterprises Infrastructure Innovation", as well as the implementation of effective policies for Smart Cities attributable to Objective 11 "Sustainable Cities and Communities".

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All the class subjects will be completely reported on slides and on detailed notes published on Aulaweb. Refence text books will be also suggested that can be found in the University library.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CARLO REGAZZONI (President)

IGOR BISIO

ALI KRAYANI

LUCIO MARCENARO

FABIO LAVAGETTO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lessons will start on September 23, 2024  and will end on december 18, 2024.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists in a written test with exercises, questions with multiple choice answers, questions with open text answers. In case the test is passed, students can optionally sustain an oral exam.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student level of learning is assessed through exercises oriented to solve practical problems requiring the correct use of formulas and through questions oriented to verify the comprehensive knowledge of specific arguments. 

Students with learning disorders ("Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento", DSA) will be allowed to use specific modalities and supports that will be determined on a case-by-case basis in agreement with the delegate of the Engineering courses in the Committee for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have a valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework, and exams should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Federico Scarpa (federico.scarpa@unige.it ), the School's disability liaison.