The basic elements of communication can be broken down into five
key parts: 1. Sender: this is the person or entity who initiates the communication and has a message to convey. The sender needs to clearly formulate their message and choose the most effective way to transmit it. 2. Message: this is the information, idea, or emotion that the sender wants to transmit to the receiver. The message can be verbal (spoken words), nonverbal (body language, facial expressions), or written (text, images). 3. Channel: this is the medium through which the message is transmitted from the sender to the receiver. Common channels include face-to-face conversation, telephone calls, email, text messages, social media, and even nonverbal cues like gestures. 4. Receiver: this is the person or entity who receives the message from the sender. The receiver needs to pay attention, interpret the message, and understand what the sender is trying to communicate. 5. Feedback: this is the response from the receiver that indicates whether the message was understood as intended. Feedback can be verbal (spoken words), nonverbal (nods, frowns), or written (replies, reactions). Effective communication involves a two- way flow of information, where both sender and receiver actively participate.
Modulation: Is the process of converting data into radio waves by adding information to an electronic or optical carrier signal. A carrier signal is one with a steady waveform constant height, or amplitude, and frequency. There are two main types of communication systems according to the type of signals they use:
1. Analog communication systems:
Analog communication systems transmit information as continuous signals that vary in amplitude, frequency, or phase. These variations correspond to the information being transmitted, such as sound waves for voice communication or electrical signals for video transmission.
- broadcast and telephone transmission are common examples of analogue
technology.
• Advantages: o Simpler to implement compared to digital systems o Can transmit a wider range of frequencies • Disadvantages: o Susceptible to noise and interference o Signal degrades over long distances o Difficult to secure
Examples of analog communication systems include:
a) Amplitude modulation (am): the height (i.e., the strength or intensity) of the signal carrier is varied to represent the data being added to the signal. b) Frequency modulation (fm): the frequency of the carrier waveform is varied to reflect the frequency of the data. c) Phase modulation (pm): the phase of the carrier waveform is varied to reflect changes in the frequency of the data. In pm, the frequency is unchanged while the phase is changed relative to the base carrier frequency. d) Polarization modulation: the angle of rotation of an optical carrier signal is varied to reflect transmitted data.
2. Digital communication systems:
Digital communication systems transmit information as discrete signals that represent data as a series of 0s and 1s. These digital signals are often transmitted as pulses of electrical or optical energy.
• Advantages: o Less susceptible to noise and interference o Signals can be regenerated over long distances o More secure than analog systems • Disadvantages: o More complex to implement compared to analog systems o Requires a wider bandwidth to transmit the same amount of information as an analog system
Examples of digital communication systems include:
Digital communication system * computer networks: computer networks use digital signals to transmit data between computers and other devices. * cellular phones: cellular phones use digital signals to transmit voice and data. * digital television: digital television transmits video and audio signals as digital data streams.
Communication systems depending on the communication channel, the
communication system is categorized as follows: 1) Wiredà (line communication):
a) Parallel wire communication b) Twisted wire communication
c) Coaxial cable communication d) Optical fiber communication
Optical fibers : o Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber.and it depends on the total internal reflection. o The core is provided with a high refractive index, while a lower refractive index is used for the cladding. o This difference in refractive indices is involved to ensure smooth travel of light along the core.
• Advantages for communication: optical fibers offer several advantages over
traditional copper wires for communication: o High bandwidth: they can transmit much larger amounts of data compared to copper wires. This is because light can carry a wider range of frequencies than electricity. o Long distances: signals can travel through optical fibers for longer distances with minimal signal loss. This makes them ideal for long-distance communication networks. o Less interference: optical fibers are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI) compared to copper wires. This ensures a more reliable and consistent signal transmission. o Security: data transmission through optical fibers is more secure because it's difficult to tap into the fiber and intercept the light signals. o the more lanes (higher bandwidth), the more data (vehicles) can flow through at a given time.
• lower frequencies can travel longer distances and penetrate obstacles better, making them suitable for long-range radio communication. • Higher frequencies offer wider bandwidths, allowing for transmission of larger amounts of data, but they have shorter ranges and struggle to penetrate solid objects. This makes them ideal for short-range, high-speed communication like wi-fi. 2) Wirelessà space communication): Ground, sky, and space wave propagation are three different ways radio waves travel between a transmitter and a receiver. Each method has itsown advantages, limitations, and typical frequency range.
1. Ground wave propagation:
• Imagine: radio waves skimming the earth's surface, following its curvature. • Frequency range: typically below 2 MHz (megahertz). This includes low-frequency AM radio broadcasts. • Advantages: o Good for following the contour of the earth, useful for local communication. • Disadvantages: o Signal weakens (attenuates) as it travels due to absorption by the ground, limiting range. o Not suitable for long-distance communication.
2. Skywave propagation:
• Imagine: radio waves bouncing off the ionosphere, a layer of the atmosphere with charged particles, allowing them to travel long distances. • Frequency range: medium frequencies, typically between 30 MHz and 300 MHz. This includes shortwave radio broadcasts. • Advantages: o Can travel over long distances by reflecting off the ionosphere. • Disadvantages: o Signal strength can be unreliable due to variations in the ionosphere caused by time of day, solar activity, etc. o Not as predictable or controllable as other methods.
Ex: auroral reflection: radio waves are reflected by the aurora borealis for communication in the polar regions.
Rotation Faraday: radio waves twist while passing through the earth's magnetic field.
Scattering: radio waves are scattered by the atmosphere and reflected back toward the earth's surface.
3. Space wave propagation:
• Imagine: radio waves traveling in a straight line from the transmitter to the receiver, with no reflection involved. • Frequency range: typically above 300 MHz. This includes satellite communication, microwave communication, WI-FI, and higher bands of cellular communication. • Advantages: o Travels in a straight line with minimal interference. o Less susceptible to ionospheric variations compared to skywave. • Disadvantages: o Limited by line of sight. Requires a clear path between transmitter and receiver. o Not suitable for communication over large obstacles like mountains or the curvature of the earth.
Ex:
satellite communication: communication satellites orbit the earth to provide long-
distance communication.
Radio astronomy: radio astronomy studies the universe using radio waves to gather information about celestial objects.
deep space communication: radio communication with deep space probes has led to incredible discoveries and the furthering of our understanding of the cosmos. Communication system consists of: 1) Source :which you produce an input message ( sound, picture, computer data etc….) 2) Input transducer: it's a device that is used to convert nonelectrical message into an electric signal ( converts one form of energy into another).as microphone and a camera. 3) Transmitter: it converts the electrical signal into a form that is suitable for transmission through the transmission medium or channel by process called modulation and the data form depends on the channel. 4) Channel: medium used to transfer signal from transmitter to receiver it can be wired or wireless the signal is travelling through the channel; it is always attenuated, and the level of attenuation increases with distance the signal shape may be changed during the transmission( become distorted)
Additional elements to consider:
• Noise: the image doesn't explicitly show noise, but it's an important factor in real- world communication systems. Noise is any unwanted disturbance that can interfere with the signal during transmission, potentially causing errors or distortion in the received information. • Distortion: this refers to any alteration of the signal during transmission that can degrade the quality of the information. 5) Receiver: a device that recover the message signal contained in the signal received from the channel, the received signal is a corrupted version of the transmitted signal, so the receiver reconstructs a recognisable form of the original message signal by undoing the signal modifications (demodulation) made at the transmitter and the channel. 6) Output transducer: it converts the electrical signals that are received into a form that is suitable for the destination (e.g. Speaker, monitor, etc ….)
Antennas: • used to transmit and receive nonionizing EM fields, which include radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation (IR) and visible light. Its length depends on the wavelength of the wave used to transfer the signal.
Covering range of TV transmitted tower
There's no simple formula to calculate the exact coverage range of a tv tower. However, here's a general guideline:
miles away from the station. • Medium -power vhf channels: transmit signals around 60 miles. • • High-power VHF channels: can reach up to 100 miles (161 km) or more under exceptional circumstances. • UHF channels (typically channels 14-83): range of 20-50 miles (32-80 km) in ideal conditions. • Maximum usable frequency • Communication over air: Aeroplan’s rely on HF radio waves to communicate with ground stations. The maximum usable frequency for communication in this domain is 30 MHz . • Long-distance communication: the maximum usable frequency increases for longer distance communication using ionospheric propagation. • Military applications: higher frequencies can be used for communication between submarines and ground stations or for the airborne detection of enemy radar.
- The relationship between the transmission range and the height of
the tower is not linear. It follows the square root rule. Here's the explanation: - The formula for the transmission range (d) of a TV transmitter tower often involves a term related to the square root of the tower's height (h). Let's denote this constant term as 'k'. - D = k * √h
What is satellite communication?
Satellite communication is transporting information from one place to another using a communication satellite in orbit around the earth. Telephone, radio, television, internet, and military applications use satellite communications. Believe it or not, more than 2000 artificial satellites are hurtling around in space above your heads.
Satellite communication services:
• There are two categories in which satellite communication services can be classified:
• One-way satellite communication
The communication usually takes place between either one or multiple earth stations through the help of a satellite. The communication takes place between the transmitter on the first earth satellite to the receiver which is the second earth satellite. The transmission of the signal is unidirectional. Some common one-way satellite communication is: § Position location services are provided by the radio. § Tracking is a part of space operations services. § Internet services take place with broadcasting satellites. Two-way satellite communication: • In two-way satellite communication, the information is exchanged between any two earth stations. It can be said that there is a point-to-point connectivity. • The signal is transmitted from the first earth station to the second earth station such that there are two uplinks and two downlinks between the earth stations and the satellite.
In communication satellites, a transponder acts like a complex relay station for
signals. Here's a breakdown of its role:
Function:
• A transponder is a collection of electronic circuits that essentially act as a repeater.
• It receives a signal on one specific frequency from an earth station trying to communicate. • The transponder amplifies this received signal to boost its strength. • It then transmits the amplified signal back down to earth on a different frequency.
Why different frequencies?
• Using separate frequencies prevents interference between the incoming and
outgoing signals within the transponder itself. • This allows for efficient two-way communication through the satellite.
Benefits of transponders:
• Increased signal strength: transponders compensate for the signal weakening
during its journey from earth to the satellite and back. • Multiple channels: a single satellite can house multiple transponders, each operating on different frequencies, allowing for various communication channels simultaneously. • Flexibility: transponders can be programmed to handle different types of signals, such as voice, data, or video. • Advantages of satellite communication:
Advantages:
1. Installation of circuits is easy: compared to laying cables or fiber optic lines, which require physical infrastructure on the ground, satellite communication requires minimal setup at the user end. You typically need a satellite dish and receiver, which can be installed relatively quickly. 2. Excellent coverage: satellites can reach vast geographical areas, making them ideal for connecting remote locations or regions where traditional infrastructure is limited. This is a significant advantage over terrestrial networks. 3. Global coverage: unlike terrestrial networks that have limitations based on ground infrastructure, satellites can cover the entire earth, making communication truly global.
• User controls the network: this point might need some clarification. While a user has control over their own satellite dish and receiving equipment, they wouldn't have full control over the entire satellite network infrastructure.
Limitations: 4. Initial expenditure: setting up the infrastructure for satellite communication, including launching and maintaining satellites, can be expensive. The user equipment itself might also be costlier compared to some terrestrial options. 5. Frequency blockage: while less likely than with terrestrial networks, there is a possibility of signal interference from other satellites or atmospheric conditions. This can cause temporary disruptions or signal degradation.
• Propagation and interference: propagation refers to how radio waves travel. In the case of satellites, the signal travels a long distance through space, which can introduce a delay (latency). Interference can occur due to factors like weather or other satellites using similar frequencies. Applications of satellite communication: • Telephone • Amateur radio • Television • Internet access • Digital cinema • Military • Radio broadcasting • Disaster management
