Aims and Fit of Module

To enable students to better understand, develop, design and improve data communication systems, with an awareness of fundamental theories and all the main factors involved, and of existing and emerging technologies in data communications and networking.

Learning outcomes

A	Identify and explain the nature of data, and the concept of entropy, relative entropy and mutual information;

B	Elaborate on Shannon’s Theorems and the significance.


C	Design source coding for data compression;


D	Explain how noise arises in communications systems and its connection to channel capacity and mutual information, and apply some of the methods to combat the adverse effect of noise.   


E	Design channel coding for error correction;


F	Design basic encryption/decryption algorithms to provide secrecy of information.


G	Explain why standard protocol architecture is needed in data communication and interpret the basic components in a communication network.


H	Identify different topology and design basic routing algorithms applied in a data communication network.

Method of teaching and learning

This module will be delivered by a combination of formal lectures, tutorials and assignments.