Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Engineering Studies
HSC Course
Stage 6
Telecommunications engineering
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Revised 2002
Module contents
Resource requirements................................................................................. xi
Icons ...................................................................................................xiii
Glossary ................................................................................................... xv
Directive terms..........................................................................................xxiii
i
Bibliography.................................................................................................39
ii
Subject overview
iii
Bio-engineering both engineering principles and also
the scope of the bio-engineering profession. Careers
and current issues in this field are explored.
Engineers as managers and ethical issues confronted
by the bio engineer are considered. An engineering
report is completed that investigates a current bio-
engineered product and describes the related issues
that the bio-engineer would need to consider before,
during and after this product development.
iv
HSC Engineering Studies modules
Civil structures examines engineering principles as
they relate to civil structures, such as bridges and
buildings. The historical influences of engineering,
the impact of engineering innovation, and
environmental implications are discussed with
reference to bridges. Mechanical analysis of bridges
is used to introduce concepts of truss analysis and
stress/strain. Material properties and application are
explained with reference to a variety of civil
structures. Technical communication skills
described in this module include assembly drawing.
The engineering report requires a comparison of two
engineering solutions to solve the same engineering
situation.
v
Aeronautical engineering explores the scope of the
aeronautical engineering profession. Career
opportunities are considered, as well as ethical
issues related to the profession. Technologies
unique to this engineering field are described.
Mechanical analysis includes aeronautical flight
principles and fluid mechanics. Materials and
material processes concentrate on their application
to aeronautics. The corrosion process is explained
and preventative techniques listed. Communicating
technical information using both freehand and
computer-aided drawing is required. The
engineering report is based on the aeronautical
profession, current projects and issues.
vi
Module overview
Module components
Each module contains three components, the preliminary pages, the
teaching/learning section and additional resources.
The preliminary pages include:
module contents
subject overview
module overview
icons
glossary
directive terms.
vii
The teaching/learning parts may
include:
part contents
introduction
teaching/learning text and tasks
exercises
check list.
module appendix
bibliography
module evaluation.
viii
Module outcomes
At the end of this module, you should be working towards being able to:
describe the scope of engineering and critically analyse current
innovations (H1.1)
differentiate between properties of materials and justify the selection
of materials, components and processes in engineering (H1.2)
analyse and synthesise engineering applications in specific fields and
report on the importance of these to society (H2.2)
use appropriate written, oral and presentation skills in the preparation
of detailed engineering reports (H3.2)
investigate the extent of technological change in engineering (H4.1)
appreciate social, environmental and cultural implications of
technological change in engineering and apply them to the analysis of
specific problems (H4.3)
select and use appropriate management and planning skills related to
engineering (H5.2)
demonstrate skills in analysis, synthesis and experimentation related
to engineering (H6.2).
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
ix
Indicative time
The Preliminary course is 120 hours (indicative time) and the HSC course
is 120 hours (indicative time).
The following table shows the approximate amount of time you should
spend on this module.
Bio-engineering 20% 24 hr
x
Resource requirements
During this module you will need to access a range of resources
including:
Part 3 Experiment
Multimeter
Test items coffee mug, telephone body, metal knife, etc.
OR
Small dry cell battery
2 elastic bands
3 pieces of wire or two paper clips
Torch globe
Test items coffee mug, telephone body, metal knife, etc.
Part 3 Activities
Old telephone
OR
Your current telephone
Part 3 Exercise
small dry cell battery
two elastic bands
3 pieces of wire or 3 paper clips
torch globe
Part 6 Exercise
tape measure
paper
sharp pencils.
xi
xii
Icons
As you work through this module you will see symbols known as icons.
The list below shows the icons and outlines the types of tasks for Stage 6
Engineering studies.
Computer
This icon indicates tasks such as researching using an
electronic database or calculating using a spreadsheet.
Danger
This icon indicates tasks which may present a danger and
to proceed with care.
Discuss
This icon indicates tasks such as discussing a point or
debating an issue.
Examine
This icon indicates tasks such as reading an article or
watching a video.
Hands on
This icon indicates tasks such as collecting data or
conducting experiments.
Respond
This icon indicates the need to write a response or draw
an object.
Think
This icon indicates tasks such as reflecting on your
experience or picturing yourself in a situation.
xiii
Return
This icon indicates exercises for you to return to your
teacher when you have completed the part. (OTEN OLP
students will need to refer to their Learner's Guide for
instructions on which exercises to return).
xiv
Glossary
As you work through the module you will encounter a range of terms that
have specific meanings. The first time a term occurs in the text it will
appear in bold.
The list below explains the terms you will encounter in this module.
alternating current current that varies with time
ampere (A) the unit for current flow in a conductor
amplification an increase in the energy of a signal
amplitude modulation a modulation scheme in which the information to
be transmitted is contained in the instantaneous
variations in the amplitude of a modulated carrier
wave
amplitude shift keying an amplitude modulation scheme in which the
message signal is a digital signal
analogue signal a signal that is continuous in both amplitude and time
analogue transmission the use of a continuously varying signal to send
information
ASCII code a coding scheme that uses a specific set of binary
characters to represent alphanumeric and control
characters for computing and telecommunications
attenuation a decrease in the intensity of light travelling in a
fibre; can also refer to other forms of energy, for
example electrical signals and radio waves
bandwidth the range of frequencies available in a particular
band; the range of frequencies that can propagated
by a channel; the range of frequencies that make up
a signal
baseband the frequencies at which a signal is generated
battery electrical component used to create and store an
electrical charge
binary signals digital signals having only two possible levels of
amplitude
xv
binary technology where the numbers used are represented with two
digits only, 1 and 0
broad-banding being able to operate over a wide range of
frequencies
capacitance the ability to store electric charge
capacitor electrical component used to store an electrical
charge
carrier wave a periodic signal at some desired transmission
frequency used as the basis for a modulation
scheme
channel a link in a telecommunications network through
which signals propagate
channel capacity a measure of the amount of information that can be
sent over a communications channel without error
coaxial cable two concentric conductors separated and
surrounded by an insulating material
coding the process of modifying or adding to the
representation of information (for security, error
protection, compression, etc)
coherer a device to detect the presence of radio frequency
(RF) energy and thus receive a wireless pulse
conductor a material that has low resistance to the flow of
electricity
current the rate of flow of electricity through a conductor
data compression the process of reducing the amount of data in a
message without significantly altering the
information content of the message
data packets short segments of a digital message that are
combined with additional information (such as
source and destination addresses, packet number
and priority) to enable sending as individual sub-
messages across a packet switched network
datagrams see data packet
demodulation the process of shifting the information content of a
modulated signal back to baseband
demodulator a circuit designed to implement a particular
demodulation scheme
development the drawing of the true flat shape of an object, often
the flat shape of sheet metal ducts
xvi
digital signal a signal that can take on only a finite number of
possible amplitudes, and that only changes
amplitude at discrete regular intervals in time
digital transmission the use of discrete signal levels to send information
diode an electrical component that only allows electrical
flow in one direction
direct current (dc) current that flows steadily in one direction
doping adding an impurity to a semiconductor so it forms
an n-type or p-type material
downlink the communications channel from a satellite to earth
electromagnet a piece of iron or steel that is made into a magnet by
having an electric current passed through wires that
are wrapped around it
electromagnetic the range of frequencies at which electromagnetic
spectrum signals may be transmitted and propagated
electromagnetic wave an invisible form of radiation that consists of
changing electric and magnetic fields light, radio
signals, microwaves are all electromagnetic waves
electromagnetism the phenomena of the relationship between electric
current and magnetism, for example, a magnetic
field is produced by moving electrons (electric
current)
electrostatics the study of electrically charged particles
error correction the process of discovering and rectifying errors
made during transmission
error detection the process of discovering whether an error has
been made during transmission
facsimile an exact copy; a method of transmitting pictures by
radio telegraph
fibre optic a clear, flexible pipe, commonly made in glass,
that carries light pulses
freehand drawing the drawing of engineering details without the use of
instruments all drawing standards should be
applied where possible
frequency the number of complete cycles of a signal in a fixed
time, usually in one second
frequency division a multiplexing scheme in which users are allocated
multiplexing their own frequency bands
xvii
frequency modulation a modulation scheme in which the information to be
transmitted is contained in the instantaneous
variations in the frequency of a modulated carrier
wave
frequency shift keying a frequency modulation scheme in which the
message signal is a digital signal
geostationary a term used in conjunction with satellite technology
to indicate an orbit around the earth above the
equator that is the same as the rate at which the
earth spins on its axis; a satellite so-positioned will
appear stationary with respect to the earth
graded index fibre type of fibre optic where the refractive index of the
core changes from the centre outwards
guided medium a medium for propagating electromagnetic signals
that requires a physical connection between
transmitting and receiving ends
hardwired connected by a solid medium, for example cables,
wires; not wireless as with transmission through
the air
information a measure of the intellectual value of a message
based on expected probabilities of the message
being correct
infrared signal electromagnetic signals at frequencies just below
the visible light spectrum
infrastructure buildings or permanent installations, for example,
power poles, transmission wires, that are associated
with an organisation or a system
insulation an insulating layer normally applied over a
conductor
insulation resistance the resistance offered by insulation to an impressed
voltage
insulator a material that has very high resistance to the flow
of electricity
integrated circuit large numbers of transistors, diodes, capacitors and
resistors formed and electrically joined on a single
slice of semiconductor material
laser stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated
Emission of Radiation and is a device for producing
a high intensity beam of visible light; the light
produced is of a single frequency and wavelength
light emitting diode abbreviated to LED is a diode that emits light when
electricity flows through the component, used
instead of globes
xviii
mains wiring electrical conductors used to distribute electrical
power
megger testing a non destructive test used to assess the insulation
on a cable or electrical installation
message signal a baseband signal containing information to be
transmitted (usually in the context of modulation)
microwave signals electromagnetic signals at frequencies in the 240
GHz range
modulated the changed characteristics of a carrier wave due to
the addition of a signal wave that creates a
composite of the two waves
modulated carriers set frequency waves used to carry information
within signal waves broadcast with them
modulation the process of shifting a baseband signal to another
range of frequencies to facilitate transmission
efficiency
modulator a circuit designed to implement a particular
modulation scheme
morse code a code linking numbers and letters to sequences of
dots and dashes for transmission by telegraph or
other signal system
multimeter a meter that can be used to measure voltage, current
and resistance
multimode type of fibre optic that allows the flow of many
modes of light
xix
packetisation the process of breaking a long digital message into
smaller parts, each of which can be sent
independently from other packets making up the
total message
PCB stands for Printed Circuit Board which has an
insulating polymer base layer and copper tracks on
the top surface
period the time taken for a periodic signal to complete one
cycle
periodic (signal) a signal that is repetitive in time, such as a sinusoid
or a triangular wave
phase modulation a modulation scheme in which the information to
be transmitted is contained in the instantaneous
variations in the phase of a modulated carrier wave
phase shift keying a phase modulation scheme in which the message
signal is a digital signal
plain text the body of a message prior to encryption, and
recovered after decryption
p-n junction the joining together of a p-type and an n-type
semiconductor
protocols the programming rules by which networks are able
to connect into the Internet
quantisation the process of rounding a measured amplitude to
the nearest allowable ampitude in a finite set of
allowable amplitudes
quaternary signals digital signals having only four possible levels of
amplitude
radio the use of air and free space for propagation of
unguided electromagnetic signals
regeneration the process whereby a digital signal corrupted by
noise can be reconstructed as a noise-free signal
repeater stations installations that receive messages, then re-emit
them at higher energy to ensure that signal strength
is maintained and the signal does not fade out
resistivity a measure of the ability of a material to resist the
flow of current, for example, copper has a lower
resistivity than aluminium; the resistance offered by
a wire in a circuit is determined by the resistivity of
the material of which it is made, its length and its
thickness
resistor electrical component used to restrict electrical flow
sampling the process of measuring the amplitude of a signal
at regular intervals (in time or space)
xx
semaphore a signal system achieved with flag waving
semiconductor a material between conductors and insulators that is
used to control the flow of electrons in transistors,
diodes, integrated circuits and similar electronic
devices
signal to noise ratio the ratio of amplitudes of a (desired) signal and
noise
silicon an element with four valence electrons that is
commonly used as the basis for semiconductor
devices
single mode type of fibre optic that allows the flow of a single
mode of light
step-index fibre type of fibre-optic where the refractive index is
constant in the core and it steps to a different lower
value in the cladding
ternary signals digital signals having only three possible levels of
amplitude
time division a multiplexing scheme in which users are allocated
multiplexing their own time slots
transistor a semiconductor electronic device used to switch or
amplify an electric signal
transition piece a short section of sheet metal ducting used to join
different shaped ducts
triangulation a system of dividing a transition piece into
triangular segments for the purpose of drawing the
development of the piece
true length the actual length of the line, rather than the apparent
length
twisted pair a pair of insulated wires that are twisted around
each other so as to reduce the amount of noise that
is induced into the conductors
twisted pair cable a bundle of twisted pairs of wires in a common
sheath
unguided medium a medium for propagating electromagnetic signals
that does not require a physical connection between
transmitting and receiving ends
uplink the communications channel from earth to a
satellite
valence electrons electrons in the outer shell of an atom that are
generally involved in forming bonds between atoms
in metals they are relatively loosely held and can
move from atom to atom
xxi
valve a device using the passage of electrons across
charged plates to produce the same electronic
characteristics now achieved with semiconductors
virtual circuit network a network in which ordered data packets are sent
via a specific path through a network
voltage the potential difference between two points in a
circuit measured in volts
waveguide a guiding medium used for microwave signals
wavelength the distance in space between identical points of a
periodic signal
xxii
Directive terms
The list below explains key words you will encounter in assessment tasks
and examination questions.
xxiii
describe provide characteristics and features
Extract from The New Higher School Certificate Assessment Support Document,
Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
xxiv
Telecommunications engineering
Introduction..........................................................................................2
Engineering report............................................................................31
Exercise .............................................................................................41
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
2 Telecommunications
Scope of telecommunications engineering
One engineer who was interviewed when compiling this unit had spent
15 years as part of a university team that was developing and improving
the methods for producing communications grade optical fibre. The
complexity of this task is not readily apparent but he indicated that the
work involved was both challenging and varied throughout his time on
the project.
4 Telecommunications
Current technology in the telephone
network
In this section you will examine the current telephone network and the
transmission media and technology that telecommunications
professionals deal with.
Transmission media
When you complete the history section you will realize that from the
time of Alexander Graham Bell until the late 1970s the components used
in the public telephone system have changed very little in their principle
of operation and have evolved relatively slowly. The industry name for
the public phone system is the public switched telephone network or
PSTN.
The earlier plain old telephone system (POTS) used solid copper wire
twisted in pairs to run from the subscribers home to the closest
telephone exchange. Many such pairs were present in a cable and it is
technically known as unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. This is very
similar to UTP cable that is currently used to connect computers together
in local area networks (LANs).
Before we go on, list any other ways that you could transmit the signals
between exchanges or over long distance without this loss of quality.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
As it turns out, virtually any other media and transmission method works
better than wire but unfortunately they were not available in the 1890s.
Currently a number of systems are available and are used to transmit
signals between exchanges. They include:
coaxial cable
optical fibre
wireless microwave, satellite and cellular
digital encoding rather than analogue.
Coaxial cable
Coaxial cable consists of a single conductor running down the axis of the
cable surrounded by a dielectric (or insulating) layer. A continuous
conducting shield covers the cable. A protective insulating layer is
placed over the shield. The shielding material prevents high frequency
radiation from leaking from the cable. Coaxial cable is also used
extensively in the cable television industry to carry dozens of TV
channels on a single cable. This material is therefore said to have a high
bandwidth compared to plain copper.
6 Telecommunications
Optical fibre
Optical fibre is being used increasingly in telecommunications and
computing networks. Optical fibre uses the internal reflection of light
down a light guide to transmit signals. The light guide is made from a
glass core enclosed in a glass cladding layer with a different refractive
index. Optical fibre has a much higher bandwidth than either UTP or
coaxial cable.
Figure 1.2 Light reflected along the glass core of an optical fibre.
The optical fibres developed in the 1970s only retained 1per cent of the
light transmitted after traveling one kilometre. This equates to an
attenuation of 20 decibels per km (dB/km). This was regarded as a great
success. Today attenuation rates of 0.25 decibels per kilometer are
common. It is now possible to transmit beyond 100 km in optical fibre
without amplification.
You will note the use of the term decibel which is abbreviated to dB.
This term is often used to describe the gain or attenuation of signals in
electronics. Decibel scale is logarithmic and as such yields a compressed
measuring scale for values that can vary widely.
In early commercial optic fibre only 1% of the signal traveled the full
one kilometre. The attenuation or loss was therefore 100 times. The
attenuation in decibels can be calculated by:
Wireless technology
Wireless technology, as the name suggests, does not use cable or wires to
connect between exchanges and or telephones but instead uses radio
frequency broadcasting to transmit the signal. This can considerably
reduce the need for costly hard wired infrastructure while
simultaneously increasing the mobility of some users. Wireless
broadcasts are commonly made in the microwave end of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
8 Telecommunications
remote telephone exchanges and is commonly used in semi-remote areas.
You will often see these towers with their small parabolic dishes on top of
tall mountains and high ground. The NSW railways and electricity
authorities have their own microwave communications networks.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
37 200 km
Earth Dubbo
Geo-stationary
satellite
Figure 1.4 Geo-stationary or geo-synchronous satellites have a time delay of
around a quarter to half a second due to their distance from earth
Calculate the time delay that you would expect for a signal to reach a
geo-stationary satellite then return to earth. Assume that the
displacement of the satellite is 37 200 km from the surface of the earth
and that the speed of light is 3 x 108 m/s.
Cellular phones
Large numbers of people now own and operate mobile phones. These
mobile phones are also known as cellular phones.
Supposing that a single tower was placed in the center of Sydney to
transmit and receive to and from all the phones owned by subscribers in
Sydney. The tower would simply be overwhelmed by the number of
subscribers trying to call.
To eliminate this problem the metropolitan area is divided into cells a
few kilometres across, hence the name cellular phone. Each cell has a
base station (mobile phone tower) operating at a different set of
frequencies to nearby cells. The towers operate on low power outputs so
that the operating frequencies can be re-used at other locations. When a
subscriber moves from one cell to the next the call is simply transferred
or handed on to the base station associated with the next cell.
10 Telecommunications
Base station
Figure 1.5 Four base stations co-ordinating calls from two mobile phone units
in a cellular network
Digital mobile phones use the global system for mobiles or GSM
transmission system. The digital nature of the transmission means that
both data and voice are readily transmitted and that a wide range of
features can be included.
12 Telecommunications
Low earth orbit satellite
1500 km above the surface
Departing satellite
Earth
Figure 1.6 Low earth orbit satellites need to hand-off to other satellites before
they move over the horizon
What do you think is the advantage of low earth orbit satellites over
geostationary satellites?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Transmission technology
In the early 1980s Telecom Australia (now known as Telstra) began a
revolutionary change in the technology used to transmit voice and data
between telephone exchanges. Up until this time all the signals
transmitted on the telephone network were analogue in nature. This was
perfectly adequate for voice communications but the forward thinking
engineers at Telecom were already planning for the digital revolution that
was to descend on them. Telecom engineers and planners had decided to
implement a fully digital switching and transmission system between
telephone exchanges. This system is now able to be delivered right up to
the subscriber in the form of ISDN but it is very costly.
A simple analogy for this process is when someone moves house. First
all the items in each room are packaged and labeled according to their
destination rooms. The packages are placed into the moving van in any
order that suits the person loading the van. The van drives off. At the
destination the van is unloaded and the packages are taken to the rooms
that match their labels and unpacked.
14 Telecommunications
UT
P DN
Data packets in transit IS
UT
DN P
IS Digital Digital
Exchange Exchange
A B
Two companies have supplied digital telephone exchanges for the current
Telstra network. Ericsson have supplied the AXE digital exchanges and
Alcatel have provided the System 12 digital exchanges. The engineer
featured in the Engineering report at the end of this section was involved
in the development and manufacture of the System 12 exchanges in
Australia.
If you have access to the Internet and wish to find out more about
telecommunications technology, both leading edge and historical
information, then the International Engineering Consortium (IEC)
have an excellent tutorial section at: <www.iec.org/tutorials>
(accessed 04.12.01).
For example, internet web pages now often contain large amounts of
photographic material, video clips, music clips and even full length
movies. These graphics images require very high rates of data
acquisition and currently take long periods of time to download. Two
solutions suggest themselves. Compress the image data and/or increase
the rate at which data can be transmitted.
List one common compression format for each of the following file types:
music, video and photographs.
Photograph: ________________________________________________
Video:_____________________________________________________
Music:_____________________________________________________
16 Telecommunications
seen it written as TCP/IP. Currently, engineers with several large
telecommunications companies are developing and optimizing ways of
transmitting voice over these two protocols.
Digital
Telephone
UTP
Exchange
Home ADSL ADSL
computer Modem Modem
Figure 1.8 An ADSL modem pair set up to provide high speed data
transmission to the home of a subscriber
The third factor that is coming into play here is the increasing speed of
computers and development of the Internet. The Internet has provided a
common protocol, that is TCP/IP. As you will recall IP (Internet
protocol) is a transmission protocol that can be used to move data across
telephone lines.
18 Telecommunications
2 A current technology that attempts to address the demand for
wireless internet is the WAP mobile phone. Indicate what the letters
WAP stand for and what a WAP phone does.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
In its present form, WAP is quite limited in what it can achieve. WAP
will have to evolve into something more sophisticated and user
friendly otherwise it will be overtaken by some other currently
emerging technology. In Japan for instance, the DoCoMo companys
rival system i-mode had signed up 10 million users between
February 1999 to October 2000.
You are now going to learn about two emerging and related technologies
both of which are associated with convergence but also incorporate a
large range of other systems. These technologies currently look like they
are going to succeed but this is by no means certain. These emerging
technologies are :
3G third generation mobile telephone
Bluetooth.
3G
3G mobile phones are the next generation of mobile phones. 3G will
have data rates which are 150 times faster than a WAP phone. It is
estimated that 3G will eventually achieve rates of 2 megabits per second.
This will give 3G equipment speed and capacity at broadcast level.
Applications can include direct Internet access, MP3 music on the move,
video phones and phone shopping. 3G telephones will be the first
telephone to fully exploit the Internet and broadband options.
Base Station 2
Phone
known
displacement
Listening
Tower
Base Station 3
Figure 1.9 The displacement of the 3G mobile telephone user is determined
by the time taken for the signal to reach the listening tower
compared to the time to reach the 3G mobile phone. The system
then simply triangulates displacements from the 3 base stations.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a communications standard and specification initially
proposed by Ericcson but now taken up by a range of large
telecommunications companies. It is a wireless technology designed to
communicate with devices at ranges up to 10 metres. The bandwidth
anticipated will be up to 720 kbps with a power consumption as low as
one milliwatt (mW). Bluetooth has been backed by an interest group
which includes Ericcson, Motorola, Intel, IBM, Nokia, Toshiba and
Lucent Technologies.
The Bluetooth module is quite small. At present the Ericcson unit is less
than 30 mm long. It is anticipated that the device will be placed inside a
wide range of computing and microprocessor controlled devices. These
could include standard telephones, 3G telephones, microwave ovens,
20 Telecommunications
stereo systems, home computers, car stereo and vehicle and engine
management systems.
So what! Who wants to ring up their washing machine and discuss the
quality of laundry detergent or the likelihood of rain today?
Well as it happens very few people will want to do so. However, many
people will be interested in some other possibilities. With a Bluetooth
module installed in your new 3G mobile telephone, you are immediately
identified to all other Bluetooth modules within 10metres.
You leave for work in the morning and jump in the Bluetooth equipped
family car. The car seats adjust to suit your preset requirements and the
engine management system adjusts the engine and gearbox to suit your
driving style. The Bluetooth enabled air-conditioning sets itself to 23.5
degrees. As you left the house the dishwasher and washing machine
switched on. Their Bluetooth modules have been programmed to operate
these machines when you are not at home because you cannot stand the
sound of running water.
Later in the day you buy some new shoes and need some cash out. The
transaction is carried out using your mobile phone and PIN while
standing at the cash register of the supermarket. Just as you leave the
supermarket your telephone and the telephone of a person nearby beeps.
Via Bluetooth interaction, your telephone has just found another person
who loves restoring Datsun 200Bs. This scenario is already happening
in places such as Japan where i-mode devices are used to meet people
of similar interests. i-mode has been especially popular amoung young
people looking for like-minded friends.
22 Telecommunications
Could you hazard a guess at the frequency used by Bluetooth modules?
You guessed it, 2.4 GHz. This is not the problem that it at first seems.
The power output is at present so low, one milliwatt , that no danger is
presented. However, if the manufacturers try to increase the range of
Bluetooth much beyond 10 metres, then problems may well arise.
Incidentally, there is some concern that leaky microwave ovens may
jam the Bluetooth signals in some houses. Ericcson have developed a
frequency hopping mode for Bluetooth which the company believes will
eliminate this possibility.
24 Telecommunications
1 Why do you think that the government is proposing to increase the
transmitting power allowed on base station towers?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2 What is one medical concern associated with this level of
electromagnetic radiation?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
The debate about electromagnetic radiation is not the only safety issue
currently associated with the telecommunications industry. However, it
is certainly the most controversial issue at this time.
Would you like one of these put at the end of your backyard?
Listed below are some selected items from IEEEs code of professional
behaviour:
To accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent
with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose
promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment
To avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible,
and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist
To improve the understanding of technology, its application , and
potential consequences
To be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on
available data
To reject bribery in all its forms.
The expectations listed above indicate that engineers are expected to
display a great deal of integrity in their day to day dealings and decisions.
<www.eet.unsw.edu.au/programs/programs.html>
As was the case with Aeronautical Engineering, the courses have a very
high level of mathematics. Electrical engineers need to be able to carry
out difficult mathematical analyses of circuits and make predictions
based on complex mathematical models. The mathematical subjects to be
studied include: Vector calculus and complex variables, Fourier series
and differential equations and Matrix applications. Any student
contemplating these courses should be competent in high level
mathematics.
If you have access to the Internet visit the following sites for further
information on telecommunications:
<www.voicendata.com/aug98/milestone.html> (accessed 04.12.01)
<www.uow.edu.au/informatics/ > (accessed 04.12.01)
<www.uws.edu.au/seid/programs/engineering/engineering.html >
<www.cit.uws.edu.au > (accessed 04.12.01)
<www.ee.newcastle.edu.au/undergraddesc.html > (accessed 04.12.01).
Title
The title page gives the title of the report, identifies its author/s and gives
the date when the report was completed.
The abstract
The introduction outlines the subject, purpose and scope of the report. It
may contain background information regarding the topic.
This section contains a description of the nature and range of past and
current work carried out by the person that you have chosen in the
telecommunications engineering industry. It outlines the typical tasks
carried out by this engineer or technical person.
This section outlines the training that this person has undertaken to work
in their chosen sector of the telecommunications profession. This section
should also define and examine the skills required for this area of the
profession.
This section examines current and emerging projects that the individual is
involved with in their role in the profession. Where possible, this section
describes the situation that led to the development of the projects.
This section examines any health and safety issues that the person has to
deal with in the telecommunications industry. These may be associated
with the design, development, manufacture and implementation of
projects or with the processes that they deal with in their daily work.
This section should then explain how these issues are dealt with in the
industry.
Conclusion
References
Appendices
Contains information separated from the main body of the report. The
information may include drawings, diagrams, photographs and tables that
may enhance the information presented in the main body of the report.
Sample report
The engineer who was interviewed for the sample report is a senior
engineer for a very large multinational telecommunications company.
This engineer has extensive experience in developing leading edge
technology. In compiling your engineering report you are not expected
to find a person with this level of experience. Moreover, you are
expected to interview people that are readily accessible from your
location.
The name of the engineer has been changed to protect their privacy.
Title Page
Abstract
This report examines the scope and nature of the work carried out by
an electrical engineer, Nikki Tesla, working for a large multinational
telecommunications company, Alcatel. Aspects of the engineers role
including past and present projects, management issues, professional
development, current technologies and health and safety issues are
discussed and analysed.
Introduction
Nikki Tesla is an engineering and technical manager with the
Australian division of a large telecommunications manufacturing
company called Alcatel. Similar multinational telephone companies
include Ericcson, AT&T and Seimens.
When Nikki first joined Alcatel, exchanges were large, noisy electro-
mechanical systems based on the principles developed nearly 90 years
before by people such as Strowger. Now, all Australian exchanges are
fully digital and systems such as ADSL and 3G mobile are ready to be
trialled and implemented.
Current projects, innovations and unique
technologies
In the early 1980s, Telecom Australia decided to convert the
Australian telephone system from analogue exchanges to fully digital
exchanges. Soon after, Nikki became involved in the hardware and
software design of the System 12 digital telephone exchange. This is
one of the current exchanges used on the Australian telephone network
and represents the current technology in telephony. Through her
involvement in the System 12 project Nikki spent several years in
Belgium and Austria working with Alcatels European branches. The
overall project took approximately 15 years.
A recent project that Nikki has had input into was the automation of
directory assistance for Telstra. This is where advanced voice
recognition software is used to automatically recognise the names of
commonly called companies and then automatically tell the subscriber
the phone number requested. For instance, if you call directory
assistance wanting to know the number for QANTAS, a computer will
ask for the name of the company you need. Providing it can
understand you, the computer then reads out the number requested or
offers to connect you directly to that company.
In this office the occupational health and safety issues are more
mundane and include :
Conclusion
Nikki has followed a typical career path for an electrical engineer. She
began as a hands on junior engineer with a sound knowledge of
electronics but with limited management skills. Nikki is now a
technical manager, supervising a large team of communications
specialists. Her skills base now includes her initial electronics as well
as advanced software design skills and industrial management skills.
In her time with Alcatel, Nikki has seen and been part of a major
revolution in telecommunications. Digital exchanges have replaced
analogue technology and the Internet has changed forever the way in
which people view and use their telephones.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Nikki Tesla from Alcatel and Con Ductor from
the UNSW for their assistance in preparing this report.
References
Higgins, R.A. 1977, Properties of Engineering Materials, Edward
Arnold, Sydney.
Murray, J. 1995, Calling the world. The first hundred years of Alcatel
in Australia, Focus Publishing, Double Bay.
Appendix
40 Telecommunications
Exercise
Exercise 1.1
Agree well done
Uncertain
Disagree
Disagree revise your work
Agree
Uncertain contact your teacher
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
During the next part of the module you will trace the history of
telecommunications.
Check!
Have you have completed the following exercise?
Exercise 1.1
Part 2 contents
Introduction ..........................................................................................2
History of telecommunication............................................................3
Wireless.................................................................................. 25
Television................................................................................ 29
Digital telecommunication......................................................... 30
Societal influences................................................................... 34
Exercises............................................................................................37
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
2 Telecommunications engineering
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History of telecommunications
As you read through this section you will discover the link between
telecommunications and developments in the knowledge and use of
electricity and electronics.
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1200 BC Homer in his work The Illiad, 1861 America is connected coast to
discusses signal fire being used coast by the electric telegraph.
for communication. 1865 The first Atlantic telegraph cable
700 BC to 300 AD Carrier pigeons was laid.
used by the Greeks in 1873 Heinrich Hertz confirms the
association with the Olympic existence of electromagnetic
games. waves.
600 BC Thales of Miletus is reputed to 1874 Thomas Edison invents
have rubbed amber on cat fur multiplex telegraphy.
to produce static electricity.
1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents
1600 AD William Gilbert wrote about the first telephone.
magnets and magnetic effects.
He proved that attraction due 1877 Western Union has the first
to static electricity was not a telephone line in operation
magnetic effect. between Boston and
Sommerville.
1675 Robert Boyle realized that
electrostatic force could be 1880 American Bell Telephone
transmitted through a vacuum. Company is founded. There are
30 000 phones in use.
1729 Stephen Gray distinguishes
between conductors and non- 1882 Bell obtains a controlling interest
conductors (insulators). in Western Electric, a former
telegraph company. This
1746 Benjamin Franklin concludes company had earlier rejected
that electricity is a fluid. Another Bells offer to sell them his
scientist Henry Cavendish, telephone patent.
experimenting with current,
includes himself in the circuit to 1891 A. B. Strowger, an undertaker,
estimate current flow. invented the automatic dial
system for telephones to
1786 Luigi Galvani noticed the effect eliminate the operator from the
on a frogs leg when electricity system.
was discharged through it.
Later, Alessandro Volta invents 1895 Marconi demonstrates voice
the battery. radio transmission.
1793 The Chappe brothers, two 1897 Thomson discovered the
young Frenchmen, established electron, adding significantly to
the first commercial semaphore the understanding of electricity.
signaling system near Paris. 1904 John Fleming invents the
The signaling rate was about vacuum tube.
15 characters per minute. The
1907 Lee De Forest added a third
semaphores use spread across
electrode to the diode and
Europe and to parts of the USA
created the first electronic
and employed thousands of
amplifier, the triode.
workers over a 40 to 50 year
period. 1913 Robert Milikan measured the
charge on a single electron.
1827 G.S. Ohm discovers the
relationship between voltage, 1910 Peter De Bye, a Dutchman,
current and restistance develops a theory about optical
V = I x R. wave guides. The practical
application of this theory is
1837 Charles Wheatstone patents an
optical fibre. It was many more
electric telegraph.
years before it became possible
1844 Samuel Morse further develops to produce this as a viable
and demonstrates the electric product.
telegraph.
1915 Valve amplifiers are first used
1851 51 telegraph companies are in in coast to coast telephone
operation. circuits.
1955 A.W. Morten and H.E. Vaughan 1981 IBM releases the IBM PC
release a paper called The (Personal Computer) computer
Transmission of Digital and thus begins the 80xxx and
Information over Telephone Pentium series of computers
Circuits. They were in fact that we are so familiar with
describing the first real modem. today.
IBM develops the first disk drive. 1987 Sony releases the first 3.5
1957 Sputnik-1 was launched by the floppy drive and IBM introduce
Russians. It is the first satellite. the first hard drive suitable for
use in an IBM PC. It held a
1958 A big year Texas Instruments maximum of 10Mbytes.
create the first integrated circuit
and introduce the first silicon 1992 Tim Bernes-Lee a physicist,
transistor. These two develops the World Wide Web
developments form the basis of (WWW).
modern solid state electronics. 1993 The MOSAIC internet browser
Seymour Cray produces the is introduced, the Netscape
first computer to ultilise browser comes on line the next
transistor technology. year, 1994.
1964 The concept of a mouse is 1996 A 56 kbps modem chipset
patented by Douglas Englebart announced by Rockwell.
at Stanford Research Institute However most phone lines are
( SRI) and George Heilmeier capable of only 42 to 44 kbps
invents the liquid crystal display using this technology.
( LCD). 1997 ISDN lines capable of 128 kbps
1969 The US Department of Defense are announced.
initiates the ARPANet program 1998 The modem standard V.90 56K
which eventually leads to the was approved.
development of the present day
Internet. It is initially only for
military and academic purposes.
6 Telecommunications engineering
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Harnessing electricity
The effects of electricity were first noticed in natural occurrences. The
attraction between amber stone that had been rubbed with cat fur and
small bits of straw was noticed by the Greek philosopher Thales around
600BC. Another Greek philosopher, Plato, made a similar observation
around 300BC. Almost 2000 years later in 1551 an Italian
mathematician, Jerome Cardan, examined the attraction between
loadstone and iron and compared these observations with similar
occurrences around amber. By 1600 William Gilbert, an English
physician, had noticed similar properties in diamond, glass, sulfur and
wax. Gilbert classified these materials as electrics from the Latin word
electrum for amber. The English physician Sir Thomas Browne first
used the term electricity in 1646.
How would you explain the attraction and then the neutralising of charge
using a flow between oppositely charged objects?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
If they touch, the electrons can flow (move) from one to the other. If there are
enough electrons, the positively charged object can be neutralised by replacing
its missing electrons.
In 1786 the first observations that were to lead to the invention of the
battery were made. A freshly killed frog was made to twitch. It was
supported on a copper hook and brought into contact with an iron railing.
A flow of electricity through the body of the frog resulted from the
reaction between the dissimilar metals that were electrically connected
by the still moist frog. This observation was wrongly thought to have
indicated that the frog contained animal electricity. Some 15 years
later, in the late 1790s, Count Allessandro Volta, an Italian physics
professor, discovered that two different metals connected by a
conducting liquid could produce electricity. He built the voltaic pile
the first battery. His battery consisted of a stack of silver and zinc discs
in pairs separated by a sheet of paper that had been soaked in salt
solution. This invention was the first source of steady electric current.
Without this discovery, the laws of electricity could not have been
derived and modern telecommunications systems would not have been
developed.
8 Telecommunications engineering
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___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The existence of the electron, and its function in the flow of electricity,
was suggested by Stoney, an Irish physicist, in 1891. By 1897 Joseph
Thompson, an English physicist, had confirmed this theory and further
discovered that all atoms contained electrons. In 1913 Robert Millikan,
an American physicist, was able to measure the exact charge on an
electron.
Electronics began when John Fleming, an English scientist, built the first
vacuum tube or valve in 1904. These devices were tubes containing very
The telegraph
Telegraphic or distant writing (from Greek words) communication was
the first form of messaging to use electricity. It was the dominant form
of communication for over 100 years. At one stage the telephone was
expected to replace the extensive telegraph infrastructure stretching
around the world but this proved to be only partly correct. It was not
until the development of the personal computer and the creation of the
Internet that communication by telegraphy finally became outdated.
10 Telecommunications engineering
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Cooke and Wheatstone in England and Morse and Vail in the United
States invented the telegraph simultaneously. Earlier work by Oersted
and Volta and the invention of the electromagnet in 1825 by William
Sturgeon (a British electrician) were combined to make the first
messaging by telegraph a reality.
The English telegraph used six wires to provide electrical energy to five
needle pointers. Depending on the signal sent through the wires letters of
the alphabet were pointed out by the needles. In this way a message
could be received and assembled letter by letter. This system was used to
improve efficiency and safety between railway stations in London around
1837.
Likewise the telegraph invented by Morse and Vail in the United States
used a punching system to show the transmitted message, in this case on
a soft tape. The first public use of this system was between Washington
and Baltimore in 1844. With use it quickly became apparent that the
sound of the equipment being used to record the letter characters
provided a much faster method for the operators to receive a message.
By 1856 telegraph messages were received by sound recognition from
redesigned sounding equipment. This replaced the registers first used to
make a record of the message that could be seen.
Use your library or the Internet to find the Morse code. Then write the
morse code symbols for the word MORSE in the space below.
.. ... .
12 Telecommunications engineering
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The first telegraph sending and receiving instruments could transmit one
message at a time. In 1871 an American by the name of J. B. Stearnes
developed a duplex transmission that allowed sending and receiving to
occur simultaneously. This doubled the capacity of the telegraph lines.
Jensen. P. R, 2000, p4
With the continuing development of the vacuum tube concept from 1904
came the next great improvement to the capacity of telegraph lines. In
1918 modulated carriers were used to pass messages along telegraph
lines. By varying the frequency of these carriers, and having senders
and receivers operating at selected carrier frequencies, it became possible
to send, receive and separate many messages simultaneously. With each
message being conveyed in a separate frequency band, the number of
simultaneous messages was only restricted by the frequency bandwidth
of each carrier and the limits of frequency transmission. In 1918 it was
possible to separate, or multiplex, 24 separate signals simultaneously.
Other improvements created by the vacuum tube included the electrical
amplification of weak signals to allow more reliable message
transmission over far greater distances. Improvements in magnetic
materials increased transmission speeds and permitted duplex operation
in very long submarine cables by 1928. Despite these improvements the
first successful underwater vacuum tube repeater was not possible until
1950. Just 15 years later valve technology became obsolete.
Today the telegraph, which started in 1837, has been replaced by digital
data transmission systems based on computer technology. New
electronics technology including transistors, integrated circuits now
containing thousands of components, and other micro electronic
inventions, have revolutionized the transmission of information and led
to the virtual universal adoption of digital communication. During this
time there have been profound changes in society and commerce.
14 Telecommunications engineering
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Turn to the Exercise section and complete exercises 2.2 and 2.3.
The telephone
Telephones allow people to talk with one another even though they may
be a long way apart. The telephone developed with the telegraph.
Alexander Graham Bell, a Scottish born American inventor, applied for a
patent for his telephone on February 14, 1876. Only 2 hours later
another inventor, Elisha Grey, applied for a patent for a telephone based
on very similar principles. Bells patent, No 174-465, was issued on
March 7, 1876 and was the subject of many unsuccessful legal
challenges. It is probably one of the most valuable patents ever issued.
In the above paragraph you have read about patents. Outline what a
patent is and discuss why it is of such importance to inventors and
innovators such as Bell.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
The original Bell telephones were sold in pairs and were directly
connected together much like an intercom. This was fairly limiting.
Soon, numbers of telephones were being connected together between
local residences and businesses. To simplify this network, telephone
exchanges were built so that a user, linked to the exchange could be
connected to any business or other user that was also linked to the
exchange. People were employed at the exchange to physically select the
desired lines. Melbourne had the first Australian manual exchange in
August 1880 followed by Brisbane two months later and Sydney in 1881.
It is interesting to note that the last manual exchange in NSW was at
Wanaaring. It was closed in 1991.
16 Telecommunications engineering
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The Strowger system was the first example of step by step switching.
His prototype as described here could select 100 subscriber lines. To dial
the number 48, a user would push the first button on the dialer four
times. This was the first step and it moved the selector to the fourth
row. The user then pushed the second button eight times. This was the
second step. This then selected the eighth contact on that row and
directly connected the user to the desired number. To increase the
number of lines to one thousand the size of the cylinder was considerably
increased to allow the rows to be arranged in 10 groups of 10.
While many refinements were made to his system over the next 60 to 80
years, Strowger pioneered step by step switching and the concept of
pulse type dialing. His system was also the first automatic circuit
switching system, where phones are physically (electrically) connected
together without the need for operators. In 1993,in Australia, there were
still 188 000 lines connected to step by step type exchanges but they
were soon to be replaced by fully digital exchanges.
Women continued to be paid less for the same work until relatively
recently. Find out when women were legally entitled to receive equal pay
and to vote in Australia. Write your answer in the space below
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
18 Telecommunications engineering
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Every person you want to call must be Exchanges were established so that
connected directly to your phone only one line was required to each
phone (Melbourne in 1880)
There was a loss of electrical signal A two wire system was introduced
and interference (1870s and 1880s) (both wires connected into the system)
due to the wire needed to complete (1881)
the circuit being a ground return
(connected through the earth)
Signals were very weak and only able Invention of the vacuum tube to
to be carried short distances amplify signals (1904)
A loss of signal over long distances Inductance coils were placed along
due to capacitance in long wires the telephone wires. (1904)
Trunk services between the capital cities took a little longer. The Sydney
to Melbourne trunk line was opened in 1907 and the Melbourne to
Adelaide trunk line was opened in 1914. The development of radio
communication enhanced the ability to make telephone calls over great
distances. In 1927 overseas beam radio was introduced and in 1930 an
Australia to United Kingdom radio link was established. Radio, while
covering great distances, had many technical problems that limited its
reliability and bandwidth.
20 Telecommunications engineering
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Satellites are the ultimate microwave tower, offering direct line of sight
communications to any ground station below it. In 1966 the first satellite
broadcast between Australia and the United Kingdom occurred. By 1968
the Australian communications network was linked to the first global
satellite communications system. This was facilitated via an earth station
near Moree in northwest NSW.
Today all telephones use a keypad to create a coded sequence of tones that,
likewise, establish electrical connection with a particular telephone. The
transmitter is a microphone located within the handset. The carbon
transmitter was one of the earliest telephone transmitter designs and it
remained in common use until no more than thirty years ago. The carbon
transmitter produces a strong electrical output, very necessary before
electrical amplification could be easily produced. It is mechanically simple to
make and is very reliable. When speaking into a carbon microphone sound
waves cause a thin round aluminium diaphragm, to vibrate. The diaphragm
acts on a chamber containing many small grains of carbon. Electrical contacts
on either side of the carbon chamber allow a low voltage current to pass
through the carbon. When the grains of carbon are compressed by the
vibration of the aluminium diaphragm more current is able to pass through
them. With less compression, less current flows. In this way the sound
pressure waves from a voice are transformed into a varying electric current.
22 Telecommunications engineering
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carbon block
back contact front contact
to current source
button
diaphragm
permanent
magnet
electro-
magnet
diaphragm
The cordless telephone and the mobile telephone also use radio signals to
remove the need for a physical connection, metal wire or glass fibre optic
cable, for at least part of the telephone network.
24 Telecommunications engineering
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The first mobile telephones appeared in the 1930s, although these units
were more like mobile radios than mobile telephones. They were large
and heavy and could not be conveniently carried with the user.
Improvements in miniaturisation, most notably the development of semi
conductor devices and battery technology, allowed the transformation of
these units into the mobile telephones now in use. These changes have
greatly improved the convenience of the telephone.
Now turn to the exercise section and complete exercises 2.5 to 2.7.
Wireless
In the early 1800s, work with electromagnets by Joseph Henry and
Michael Faraday indicated that a current traveling along one wire could
produce a current in another wire even though the wires were not
connected. James Clerk Maxwell explained this induction effect in
1864 as being the result of electromagnetic waves that traveled between
the wires at the speed of light some 300 000 km per second.
An improved coherer was needed to make better use of radio waves for
improved reception and in 1895 Gugliemo Marconi, an Italian electrical
engineer and inventor, achieved this. In 1897 he transmitted radio
signals 29km from land to a ship at sea. In 1899 he was able to send a
radio signal between England and France and by 1901 he achieved the
transmission of a single letter across the Atlantic Ocean between England
and Newfoundland.
There was some thought that wireless communication would only work
along a direct line of sight. In fact, due to the earths curvature, it was
believed by some scientists that wireless communication systems would
not be able to provide true long distance communication. This,
obviously, was proven to be incorrect. In fact, longer radio waves are
reflected by the ionosphere and literally bounce back to earth, thus
increasing their transmission distance around the earth.
TAPPER
METAL FILINGS
COHERER PAPER
TAPE
PRINTER
SENSITIVE RELAY
(NORMALLY OPEN)
RF CHOKE
EARTH
26 Telecommunications engineering
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In 1918 radio transmission became truly effective and its great potential
began to be fully realized with the development of the super heterodyne
circuit by the American inventor Edwin H Armstrong. This circuit
greatly increased selectivity and sensitivity in the reception of radio
waves. In 1933 the same inventor developed FM broadcasting in
response to community pressure for improved sound quality in
commercial broadcasting.
Drive motor High-v
oltage
bus
1
2
3
Spark gap 4
High-v
oltage Common shaft
bus
Figure 2.13
SG SG
ALTERNATING 1
CURRENT
SOURCE
2 EARTH
After World War I amateur radio operators did much to develop the use
and understanding of radio transmission. Transatlantic voice radio
contact was made in 1921 and valuable voluntary assistance was
regularly supplied in emergencies. Australias first commercial radio
station was 2SB which began AM broadcasts in Sydney in 1923. Just
two years later on Australia Day in 1925 2UE also began AM broadcasts
in Sydney.
Towards the end of the 1920s the super heterodyne radio receiver saw the
demise of the piano as the chief source of home entertainment, replaced
in most living rooms by the radio. Radio quickly became a medium for
conducting government propaganda during war times. It was used to
spread various political messages as well as providing true news and
entertainment.
28 Telecommunications engineering
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Although it has always been used for civil, military and commercial
communication, radio has only become a significant medium for data
transfer with miniaturisation and the development of digital computer
processing. Radio is now being connected to lap top computers to
improve their usefulness.
Television
Television is simply the transmission of pictures as well as speech and
data by radio waves. Its importance has largely been confined to the
broadcasting industry. With the development of national and
international television broadcasting, which relies on satellite technology,
news and sport now reach most homes in the developed world through
television receivers. However, personal and business communication has
essentially continued with the transmission of speech and data. Teletext
machines now provide access to the transmission of data through
television broadcast signals and pictures are being sent to aid
teleconferencing. The importance of these developments will be
determined by future market needs and the cost of providing them.
Digital communication
Telecommunications are now controlled by computer, or microprocessor,
and are often dependent on the computer as both an input and output
device.
30 Telecommunications engineering
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Other integrated circuits act as memory devices and enable the reliable
and accurate time switching that creates modern multiplexing units.
The ability to send many messages along one conductor with a useful
bandwidth for each message, as is now the case, has come as the result of
several developments; improvements to semi conductors in transistors
and integrated circuits, the use of light as a high frequency carrier, and
the development of optical fibre cable as the travel path for the messages
sent as multiplexed modulated light signals.
The first true electronic computer was developed for the British Secret
Service as a code-breaking device in 1943 during World War II. Valves
and other post office equipment of the time were used to build it.
However every time one of its many valves burnt out, it failed. This
machine combined the concept of a processing system with electronics
but its unreliability and large size demonstrated the need for something
better. Research into semiconductor materials and the development of
the transistor and integrated circuit led to the availability of electronic
components which were the solution to this problem.
32 Telecommunications engineering
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Caller
Microwaves
Repeater
station
London
Local Telecom
exchange Tower
International
exchange
Earth station
Societal influences
The combined effects of advances in transport and telecommunication
have greatly reduced the time taken to travel between and communicate
with places around the world that are great distances apart. This has
effectively caused the world to shrink, encouraging people to travel for
pleasure and to relocate for work. Families are now spread around the
world instead of being concentrated in local villages and the concept of
the global village has resulted. The priorities that people hold for the
use of their time continue to change and this has resulted in a shift from
the family to the state as the provider of services for the aged, the sick
and the young. The young now constantly question family values while
the old often cannot understand the rate and direction of technological
change that is taking place. In recent times education about technology
as well as in technology has been provided in an attempt to help the
wider community manage the sociological changes that have occurred
with technological development. Some people have questioned the
quality and intention of this information. As well, the ability of the
computer and communication networks to receive, process, store and
distribute vast amounts of information has led to privacy concerns for the
telecommunications industry in general, and the use of computers in
particular. Governments and people are currently facing these problems
and attempting to establish an appropriate division between the public
good and the democratic ideals of freedom and privacy.
34 Telecommunications engineering
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Turn to the Exercise section and complete exercises 2.10 and 2.11.
Exercises
Exercise 2.1
Exercise 2.2
Exercise 2.4
Discuss how the development of hard drawn copper wire assisted the
early development of the telephone and telegraph.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Exercise 2.5
38 Telecommunications engineering
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Exercise 2.6
Exercise 2.7
Exercise 2.8
Identify and discuss two reasons why television will remain primarily
a broadcast medium to the end of the twentieth century.
1 ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2 ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Exercise 2.10
Exercise 2.11
40 Telecommunications engineering
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7 A protocol is
a a first design
b a transmitter
c a rule
d none of the above.
Progress check
In this part, you have traced the developments that have led to the current
telecommunication technologies and how they have affected our society.
Take a few moments to reflect on your learning then tick the box which
best represents your level of achievement.
Agree well done
Uncertain
Disagree
Disagree revise your work
Agree
Uncertain contact your teacher
Check!
Have you have completed the following exercises?
Exercise 2.1
Exercise 2.2
Exercise 2.3
Exercise 2.4
Exercise 2.5
Exercise 2.6
Exercise 2.7
Exercise 2.8
Exercise 2.9
Exercise 2.10
Exercise 2.11
Introduction ..........................................................................................2
Specialised testing..............................................................................3
Semiconductors....................................................................... 13
Fibre-optics ............................................................................. 18
Exercises............................................................................................25
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
2 Telecommunications
Specialised testing
Voltage testing
The difference in electrical potential energy between two points is known
as the voltage. The voltage between the ends of a conductor governs the
size of the current flowing through the conductor. This is also known as
the electromotive force that drives electricity in a circuit.
Figure 3.1 Measuring the potential difference across a resistor (note that the
voltmeter is in parallel with the resistor that it is measuring)
Y-plates
X-plates
Electron gun
Electrons in a beam
Fluorescent screen
Spot of light
Figure 3.2 The main parts of a CRO
Current testing
Current is basically the quantity of electrons moving from one point to
another. Current is measured in amperes (A) and is carried by the
valence electrons in conductors with the electrons flowing from negative
to positive.
1k
Ammeter
reading
Approximately 10 V A 0.01 A
or
10 mA
4 Telecommunications
Current is measured by a simple ammeter and it is connected in series in
the circuit. The current flowing through a simple torch globe is about
0.5A. About 10A flows through a fast-boil kettle element. In most low
voltage circuits, like in telecommunication devices, the current flow in
different parts of the circuits is very low and is normally measured in
milliamperes (mA) or microamperes (mA).
The amount of current that flows will vary with changes in voltage and
resistance. This is represented by the formula that you learned during the
preliminary course:
I = V/R or V = IR
Insulation testing
Suggest reasons why insulation and insulators may be important when
dealing with electricity and electronics.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
If you live in an area that has overhead power lines, you can see the
glazed ceramic insulators that hold the cables at each pole. The pole is
probably made from timber. Another insulating material! If you also
look at the cables that run to the front of your house, you should notice
that they are covered in a plastic polymer coating. Yet another insulator!
All of this has been done to make the current go where it is needed and to
protect us from electrocution. Insulators are also vital in low voltage
circuits. The epoxy printed circuit boards and the outer bodies of various
electronic components are all examples of the use of insulators.
The megger test uses a dc voltage of 500 to 1000 volts applied to the
insulator and current will flow in two ways. Small amounts of current
will be conducted within the structure of the insulator and current may
also flow along leakage paths on the surface. When the voltage is applied
to the insulation, readings are taken of the insulation resistance and
graphed against time. Data should be recorded at the 1 and 10 minute
intervals and at other intermediate times. Only a person experienced
with conducting megger tests can compare the test results with expected
norms because factors like temperature, moisture and previous charge
will all have a significant effect on the results.
This type of test is normally used for large electrical equipment, like
generators and transformers or high voltage cables.
Resistance testing
The insulating qualities of a material can also be simply measured by the
amount of resistance that is offered to the flow of current. A multimeter
is most commonly used to test this resistance. The multimeter has an
internal power source, normally a battery, and when the resistance setting
is selected on the meter, the current is ready to flow through any object
that is introduced to complete the electrical circuit. Simple resistance, on
the multimeter, is used to measure the polarity of components like diodes
and transistors, to check for faults in items like fuses and to identify the
resistance in parts of complex circuits.
For this experiment you will need either a multimeter, if you have access
to one, or a continuity tester.
6 Telecommunications
Fit the elastic bands to the battery and the globe in such a way that they
will hold the ends of the bared wire or the straightened out paper clip
onto the terminals of the battery and globe. Attach a wire from one end
of the battery to the globe and another from the globe to act as a probe.
Attach the third wire to the other end of the battery. This is the other
probe. When the probes are connected the globe should glow brightly.
Elastic bands
Probes Lamp
1.5 V Battery
1.5 V
Use this continuity tester to complete the table below. Select a few other
items from around the house and record whether the globe glows bright
(B), dull (D) or not at all (N) for these items too.
Metal knife B D N B D N
B D N B D N
Those you circled B are good conductors. Conductors have very low
resistance. If you circled D the item offered some resistance.
Insulators didnt let the globe glow at all; they have a high resistance.
The material must be able to withstand the tensile stresses applied during
manufacture, extrusion of the insulation and the installation of the cable.
In modules that you studied during the preliminary HSC course, you
looked at the structure and atomic bonding of materials. Using this
knowledge, explain why metals are normally conductors and why copper
is an excellent conductor of electricity.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
8 Telecommunications
Metal ion (positively charged)
Of course this theory of current flow is a bit too simplistic and further
development in wave theories has allowed a much clearer understanding
of conductivity. While the individual valence electrons are involved in
the movement of a current, the current moves in the form of a wave and
these waves will move much more easily through a regular arrangement
of obstacles. The regular arrangement of ions in the crystal lattice
structure of an annealed metal, such as the face centred cubic
arrangement of copper, provides little resistance to the passage of the
current waves. Any amount of cold working or the introduction of
alloying elements that sit in the spaces between the ions will increase the
random nature of the obstacles and will increase the resistance of the
material. Heating will cause the ions to vibrate and will increase the
possibility of the migrating electrons hitting an ion and thus being slowed
down. This explains the increase in resistivity noticed when the
temperature of a conductor is raised.
Copper
Copper is the metal that has been traditionally used for communications
wires and cables. It is ductile, has suitable tensile strength and is a very
satisfactory conductor. As a conductor it is second only to silver and if
the conductivity of silver is 100 units then pure copper would measure 97
units. Electrolytic tough pitch copper is used for wires and this grade of
copper has a minimum copper content of 99.9 per cent with around 0.04
per cent of oxygen in the form of an oxide. This level of purity is
essential as the introduction of some alloying elements or impurities can
greatly reduce conductivity. For example only 0.04 per cent phosphorus
will reduce the conductivity by 25 per cent. Other alloying elements, like
cadmium, have little effect on the conductivity. The presence of
cadmium, dissolved in the copper, increases both the strength and wear
resistance of the transmission cable, so it is actually a favourable alloy in
this application.
Polymer layer
Polymer skin
Name some of these alloys, state the alloying element/s and suggest at
least one use for each.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Aluminium
Aluminium has three advantages over copper when used as conducting
wires. It is lighter, less expensive and more abundant in nature than
copper. With a density of only 2.7g/cm3, compared to 9g/cm3 for copper,
aluminium is specially suitable for aerial power transmission cables.
Only half the quantity of aluminum, by weight, is needed for conductors
with the same resistance. However, it does not conduct as well as copper
(only about 60 per cent of the conductivity of copper) so larger diameter
cables are needed. The larger amount of insulation sheathing needed
offsets some of the savings made on the conductor material.
10 Telecommunications
On the other hand, aluminium has some inferior properties to those of
copper. These include marginally poorer ductility, tensile strength,
jointing properties and corrosion resistance. This fact has retarded
aluminiums general use in communication cables.
Gold
The conductivity of gold is around that of copper and it is used for the
linkage wires in some semiconductor devices. It is suitable for this
application because while it is very expensive, only small quantities are
used in these miniature circuits. The gold is ductile, doesnt oxidise and
bonds easily to other metals such as aluminium and copper.
Lead
The outer layer on telecommunications cables is known as the sheath and
is designed to create a stable environment for the cable core. Lead was
once used extensively as it has good corrosion resistance, adequate
strength and flexibility and is easy to join. It has been replaced with
polymers because lead suffers from fatigue failures, is heavy and is
relatively expensive. Lead alloys containing antimony and tin were used
to reduce fatigue failures.
In insulating materials, there is a large gap between the full valence band
and the next electron energy level. For an electron to be free to transmit
a current, it must move up to this next energy level. Under normal
conditions, the gap is so large that electrons are unable to cross.
Very high voltages may cause the break-down of some insulators. This
occurs because the electric field is sufficient to raise the energy of some
electrons and free them across the gap allowing electron flow.
12 Telecommunications
Semiconductors
Some materials are known as semiconductors because the gap between
the filled valence band and the empty conduction band is relatively small.
Conduction can occur through two mechanisms. Heating for intrinsic
semiconductors, and doping in extrinsic semiconductors.
Intrinsic semiconductors
Silicon and germanium are semiconductors due solely to the distribution
of electron energies within the pure material. When one valence electron
is freed to cross the energy gap it will mean that one atom within the
crystal lattice only has three bonds as shown in figure 3.7. This gap is
known as an electron hole. The freed bonding electrons are constantly
moving and can even switch from one atom to another. This movement
of the electron in one direction means that the hole moves in the
opposite direction. This could be considered as a positively charged
carrier. Both these movements allow the material to conduct.
Heat may be used to provide the initial energy to free the electron. So, in
contrast to metals, increasing the temperature of an intrinsic
semiconductor will increase conductivity.
B B C
A A
Extrinsic semiconductors
Silicon and germanium have four outer shell electrons per atom but if an
impurity element, that only has three outer electrons is introduced, there
will be electron holes left in the lattice structure. Conduction due to these
holes can occur, and the majority carriers in this type of semiconductor,
are these positive electron holes. Aluminium in silicon is an example of
this type that is commonly known as a p-type semiconductor (p- for
14 Telecommunications
This simple type of semiconductor device is known as a diode. When
three layers of semiconductor material are combined, npn or pnp, a
transistor is formed. Now you will have an idea of how they work.
These semiconductor devices form the basis of the integrated circuits that
drive the modern telecommunications industry. These devices are
made from wafer thin layers of pure silicon into which the many
individual microelectronic circuits are formed. This chip is then
packaged so that it can be fitted into a printed circuit board and used in
different electronic applications.
Did you talk about the covalent bonds normally found in polymers and the fact
that all the valence electrons are involved in the bond and are therefore not free
to transmit electrical flow?
Nucleus
Electron
Cl + Cl = Cl2
Figure 3.9 Simple representation of the covalent bond
Suggest those parts of the telephone that are made from polymer.
Indicate with an I those parts that must be insulators.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Polyethylene
Polyethylene has superior insulation resistance to paper, is suitable for
high frequency cables, can be accurately made to size in a variety of
colours, has good jointing properties and maintains good electrical
properties under humid conditions. Its main disadvantages are cost and
low softening temperature.
16 Telecommunications
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has poorer electrical properties than either
paper or polyethylene but is tougher, withstands higher temperatures and
survives better in a fire. Under extreme temperatures and combustion,
hydrogen chloride fumes are liberated and may cause corrosion
problems. It is a suitable alternative to polyethyelene.
Polypropylene
Polypropylene has similar electrical properties to polyethylene but is
tougher and has a higher softening temperature. It is not as flexible and
is more expensive than either PVC or polyethylene.
Nylon
Nylon is often used as an insect resistant outer layer or sheath on cables
that are used underground. The hard, smooth surface of the nylon makes
it difficult for an insect or termite to grip the cable.
History
Up until the 1840s, both bonfires and mirrors were used to relay
messages from one hilltop to the next. The electric telegraph quickly
replaced these simple light methods as the wires carried the message
regardless of the weather or the terrain.
Light travels very fast, around 300 000 kilometres per second, and it has
long been known that the shorter the wavelength, the more information a
wave could carry. Light waves are only millimetres to nanometres long
and can carry a huge amount of information. Early experiments saw
lasers being fired between towers but fog or rain blocked the message
and it quickly became obvious that the light beam should be guided
through a cable or pipe. Optical fibres were chosen for this purpose.
Typical optical fibres are very fine fibres of glass hairs made of pure
silica. The method of manufacturing optical fibres had been patented
back in the 1930s just in case someone ever finds a use for it. Initially
it was difficult to keep the transmitted light inside the glass fibre but
eventually the glass core was enclosed in a glass sleeve or cladding. The
cladding has a different refractive index to the core and causes the light
energy to be reflected back off the core-cladding interface. This total
internal reflection means that all the light is reflected and continues to
zig-zag along the core of the fibre.
The optical fibres guide the light beam so wherever the fibre goes, the
light follows. These fibres can be made to make the light bend around
corners. Materials used for optical fibres must:
be able to be formed into long thin structures
be flexible enough to go around bends
18 Telecommunications
allow light to travel through them and so need to be transparent.
Core
Cladding
Figure 3.10 The structure of fibre-optic cable
Attenuation
Any decrease in the intensity of the light travelling in a fibre is known as
attenuation. Attenuation occurs in glass fibres for three main reasons.
atomic absorption of the light by the glass
the scattering of light by flaws and impurities
reflection of light by splices and connectors.
20 Telecommunications
Making glass fibres
In Australia, in the early 1970s, the CSIRO experimented with glass
fibres filled with a liquid that had a greater refractive index than that of
the glass. While this worked, these proved hard to make and to handle,
mainly because the liquid leaked out.
Heat source
approximately
1600C
Collapsed preform
In a loose buffer cable, a loose polymer sleeve is fitted and the gap
between the fibre and sleeve is filled with a gel material. Sometimes
multiple fibres are combined inside a single gel-filled sleeve. This type
of sleeve also provides the fibre with greater insulation from external
heat sources.
Tight buffer cables simply use an extra tight-fitting skin over the initial
fibre coating. A refined form uses a nylon yarn coated with a PVC
jacket.
Slow feed
Furnace
Thickness monitor
Molten polymer
Polymer bath
Curing oven
Take-up drum
22 Telecommunications
Fibres in use today
There are two main types of fibres.
Multimode carriers allow light to move along the fibre following many
different paths. Some modes take the direct route straight down the
middle while others bounce from side to side all the way down.
Unfortunately the rays from one pulse of light may reach the other end of
the optical fibre at different times. This is known as Intermodal
Dispersion.
Cladding
Core
Cladding
Core
Core
Polymer fibres
Certain clear polymers can also be formed into optical fibres but, because
of the much greater attenuation than in glass fibres, all-polymer fibres are
only used on short links up to 100 m in length. Polymer fibres are
usually of the multimode step-index type and are less expensive, more
flexible and easier to handle than glass fibres. Two common polymer
optical fibre combinations are:
1 polystyrene core refractive index of 1.6
polymethylmethacrylate cladding refractive index of 1.49
2 polymethylmethacrylate core refractive index of 1.49
fluoroalkyl methacrylate cladding refractive index of 1.4.
Turn to the exercise sheet and complete exercises 3.7 and 3.8.
24 Telecommunications
Exercises
Exercise 3.1
a With the aid of a sketch, describe how the voltage across a resistor,
in a circuit, would be measured.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
b What do the letters CRO stand for and what can you do with this
device?
C ___________________________________________________
R ___________________________________________________
O ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
c What electrical properties can be measured with a multimeter?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
d List three things about insulators that can be measured using a
megger tester.
i ___________________________________________________
ii ___________________________________________________
iii ___________________________________________________
Advantages Disadvantages
26 Telecommunications
Exercise 3.3
a Briefly explain in terms of structure, why some materials are
insulators.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
b Germanium and silicon can behave as intrinsic semiconductors.
What is the effect of heat on this type of semiconductor?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
c Briefly explain how an extrinsic p-type semiconductor is formed.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
d What is formed when phosphorus is used to dope silicon or
germanium?
______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Polymer Application
polyethylene
epoxy
ABS
nylon
PVC
28 Telecommunications
Exercise 3.5
a State three traditional methods that have used light to convey
messages over long distances.
i ___________________________________________________
ii ___________________________________________________
iii ___________________________________________________
b Sketch and label the structure of an optical fibre in the space below.
c Briefly explain, with the aid of a sketch, why light moves down an
optical fibre from one end to the other and doesnt escape through
the walls.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
d What materials are used to make the type of laser that provides the
light source in a fibre-optic network?
______________________________________________________
30 Telecommunications
Exercise 3.7
a Explain one method of making modern glass fibres with the aid of a
sketch/s.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
b Briefly outline a method that can be used to protect glass fibres when
they are being installed or when they are in use.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
c Explain the difference between step-index and graded index fibres
with the aid of sketches.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
32 Telecommunications
6 Two elements commonly used as the basis for semiconductor
devices are:
a gold and silicon
b lead and silicon
c germanium and carbon
d germanium and silicon.
Agree well done
Uncertain
Disagree
Disagree revise your work
Agree
Uncertain contact your teacher
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
Check!
Have you have completed the following exercises?
Exercise 3.1
Exercise 3.2
Exercise 3.3
Exercise 3.4
Exercise 3.5
Exercise 3.6
Exercise 3.7
Exercise 3.8
Introduction..........................................................................................2
Mechanics in telecommunications...................................................3
Exercises ...........................................................................................15
At any one time millions of people are talking to each other across the
globe. At the same time massive quantities of data are being shipped
from computer to computer. Underpinning all this communication is a
fascinating technology that is the focus of the work of the
telecommunications engineers.
There is a network strung out across the globe called the Global
Telecommunications Network. The nodes of this network are computers
programmed to perform as switches. The links of the network are wires,
optical fibres, cables, satellite links and radio channels.
2 Telecommunications engineering
Mechanics in telecommunications
The stays and the lines act through a common point on the pole.
2 What is the word given to describe the fact that the lines of action act
through a common point?
_______________________________________________________
3 What is the nature of the force in:
i the wires____________________________________________
ii the pole_____________________________________________
Worked example 1
4 Telecommunications engineering
B
10 10
460 N 460 N
375 N 375 N
20 20
Solution
The reaction at the ground will be equal and opposite in direction to the
total of all the vertical components. There will be no horizontal
component to the reaction as the horizontal components of both the lines
and the stays will be balanced by each other.
The vertical component created by the mass will equal the weight.
W = mg
= 400 x 10
= 4000 N
Figure 4.3
V = 2 x 460 sin 10
= 159.8 N
375 sin 20
Figure 4.4
V = 2 x 375cos 20
= 704.8 N
Total reaction at the ground = Sum of vertical components
+SFv = 0
= - 4000 - 159.8 - 704.8 + Rg
Rg = 4.865 kN
This answer can be verified graphically by adding all the vectors acting
on the pole.
You will recall that to add vectors, they must be drawn to scale, and
drawn tip-to-tail.
6 Telecommunications engineering
460 N Note that the forces are added, one
375 N after the other (in any order) tip-to-
tail. The resultant force is found by
drawing a line from where you
started to where you finished.
resultant
4000 N = 4865 N
375 N
460 N
Figure 4.5 Graphical solution using a force diagram to scale
Worked example 2
C
40 25 2.2 kN
20
1.3 kN
40 25
20
C 2.2 kN
1.3 kN
R
Figure 4.7 Free body diagram of forces acting
Name the diagram that allows the addition of vectors by drawing them
tip-to-tail and to scale.
__________________________________________________________
8 Telecommunications engineering
Graphical solution
45 1 Draw the 2.2 kN force to scale
2.2 kN
and at the correct angle.
2 Draw the 1.3 kN force to scale
and at the correct angle.
3 Draw the directions of the
1.3 kN force C and the resultant, R.
20
R = 5.2 kN 4 The intersection of R and C
will give you the size of these
forces.
40
C = 3.1 kN
Mathematical solution
If the resultant force is to act vertically downward then the sum of the
horizontal forces must equal 0.
45 40
1.3 cos 20 20 1.3 kN
2.2 cos 45 2.2 kN C C cos 40
= 0
= 3.11 kN
= -5.16 kN
Worked example 3
An axial force is induced in a mast by two wire stays as shown in figure 4.10.
30 20
A = 1.5 kN B
i Find the magnitude of the axial force acting along the mast
ii What is the magnitude of the force acting in the stay wire B.
10 Telecommunications engineering
O Graphical solution
1 Draw force A to scale.
A = 1.5 kN 30
2 Draw direction of axial force
through the
origin point O.
3 Draw direction of force B
acting at the end
of force A.
B = 2.2 kN
20 4 Add arrow heads, measure
magnitude of B
and axial force.
Mathematical solution
If the resultant force is to act vertically then the sum of the horizontal
forces must equal 0.
Horizontal Resultant (+ ) = 0
= B sin 20 1.5 sin 30
B = 1.5 x 0.5 / 0.342
= 2.2 kN
Vertical Resultant (+) = -2.2 cos 20 - 1.5 cos 30
= -2.07 - 1.3
= -3.37 kN (this is the axial force in the mast)
The radio tower shown in figure 4.10 is 3 metres square and 15 metres
high. It has a mass of 7 tonnes. It is supported against horizontal wind
loads by four guy wires attached 10 metres above the central base B. Its
effective projected area of 12 m2 is subjected to a horizontal wind
pressure of 650 Pa. When the wind blows from left to right, only one
guy wire AC is active.
Determine:
i tension in the guy wire AC.
ii the reaction at B
30
Guy wire
CG
C B
Mathematical solution
Pressure = Force
Area
F
650 = 12
= 650 x 12
\ F = 7800 N
This force created by the wind of 7.8 kN can be considered to act through
the centre of gravity.
The centre of gravity for a uniform structure will be half way up the
height. This will be 7.5 metres up for this problem.
12 Telecommunications engineering
The mass of the tower = 7 T or 7000 kg or 7 x 103
For equilibrium,
= 0
MB
= (Tsin 30 x 10) 9.5 x 7.8 +(Tcos 30 x 1.5)
T = 9.3 kN
ii the reaction at B
For equilibrium,
(+) V = 0
RBV = 78.1 kN
For equilibrium,
(+ ) H = 0
RBH = 3.15
= 3.15 kN
RB RBV
Rb = (3.152 + 78.12)
= 78.2 kN
= 78.1 / 3.1
q = tan -1 31.65
= 88
Revise the theory on these topics for the following worked example.
Worked example 10
14 Telecommunications engineering
Solution
L = 3 m = 3 x 103 mm
e = 6 mm
E = stress
strain
Fl
E =
eA
Fl
A =
eE
p d2 10.42
=
4
10.42 x 4
d2 =
p
d2 =
13.27
d =
13.27
= 3.64 mm
Exercise 4.1
15 15
400 N 400 N
380 N 380 N
25 25
A
P = 2.2 kN
45 25
S 20
R
.
0
18 Telecommunications engineering
Exercise 4.3
30 20
A
B = 1.5 kN
i Find the magnitude of the axial force acting along the mast
ii What is the magnitude of the force acting in the stay wire A?
.
0
A radio tower shown in figure 4.17 is 2.6 metres square and 16 metres
high. It has a mass of 6 tonnes. It is supported against horizontal wind
loads by four guy wires attached 10 metres above the central base B. Its
effective projected area of 11 m2 is subjected to a horizontal wind
pressure of 550 Pa. When the wind blows from right to left, only one
guy wire AC is
active.
Guy wire
30
CG
B C
a Discuss why only one, or at most two, of the four guy wires will be
active.
20 Telecommunications engineering
b Find:
i the tension in guy wire AC
ii the reaction at B
231 120 N
N
250
15
W = mg
= 12 x 10
= 120 N
100 mm
Determine:
i the force-couple reaction at the support pole
ii the axial force acting on each bolt. (You may assume that the
magnitude of the axial forces in each bolt will be equal).
22 Telecommunications engineering
Exercise 4.5 cont.
15 kN B
C
4m
15 kN D
50 m
E
4m
15 kN F G
H I
80
24 Telecommunications engineering
Exercise 4.6 cont.
The relay units shown in figure 4.22 are common sights throughout the
country in order to establish a mobile phone network. They are usually
located either on buildings or on telecommunication towers. The units
shown are mounted on round pipe and bolted to the sides of a building.
26 Telecommunications engineering
Exercise 4.8
28 Telecommunications engineering
6 A 68 cm television set, of mass 30 kg, has legs which are 600 mm
apart in the front view of the television. It is placed centrally on a 1
metre shelf which is supported at each end at A and B. Neglecting
the weight of the shelf, the reactions at supports A and B will be:
a RA = 300 N and RB = 300 N
b RA = 150 N and RB = 150 N
c RA = 15 N and RB = 15 N
7 The shear force diagram for shelf and TV set will be:
a b
c d
8 The bending moment diagram for the shelf and TV set will be:
a b
c d
B C
D E
F G
9 The cross brace members BC, CD, DE and FE in the tower for the
wind load of 20 kN as shown will be:
a redundant (carry no loading)
b in tension only
c in compression only
d in either tension or compression.
30 Telecommunications engineering
Progress check
Agree well done
Uncertain
Disagree
Disagree revise your work
Agree
Uncertain contact your teacher
In the next part you will examine the application of transmission media
in telecommunications.
Check!
Have you have completed the following exercises?
Exercise 4.1
Exercise 4.2
Exercise 4.3
Exercise 4.4
Exercise 4.5
Exercise 4.6
Exercise 4.7
Exercise 4.8
Exercise 4.9
Introduction..........................................................................................2
Baseband transmission.............................................................19
Transmission media..................................................................30
Exercises ...........................................................................................55
In this part we will look at the principles that underpin many of the
telecommunications technologies currently in use, and which are likely to
still be relevant in the context of the new telecommunications
technologies of the future.
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
2 Telecommunications engineering
Principles of telecommunications
Instead, we will look at the principles that have underpinned many of the
technologies currently in use, and which are likely to still be relevant in
the context of the new technologies of the future.
Digital signals
A digital signal is one that differs from an analogue signal in two
important aspects:
its amplitude can only be one of a set number of possible levels
its amplitude only changes at regular time intervals.
The set of possible amplitude values is bounded. That is, there are
minimum and maximum values that we cannot exceed. (This can lead to
errors if our analogue variable exceeds these values.)
4 Telecommunications engineering
Analogue signal
Sampling and
quantisation
Digital signal
Figure 5.1 An analogue signal and a digital approximation to that signal obtained by
sampling and quantisation
A system that can only take two possible values should properly be
called a binary system. Similarly, ternary system can take on three
possible values, while a quaternary system can take on four possible
levels, and so on. Figure 5.2 illustrates binary signals, ternary signals
and quaternary signals.
0.0
5.0
2.5
0.0
5.0
3.3
1.6
0.0
Figure 5.2 Binary, ternary and quaternary signals having two, three and four
possible levels respectively spread across the same 5 Volt range
6 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 5.3 shows an analogue signal and a (binary) digital signal as
viewed on an oscilloscope. (This particular oscilloscope allows us to
view two signals simultaneously.)
The horizontal scale is 50 msecs (m= 10-6) per division, and the vertical
axis is 1 Volt per division for the upper trace, and 2 Volts per division for
the lower trace.
Figure 5.4 shows the same two waveforms as in the previous figure, but
this time the oscilloscope is set to have an expanded time scale. The
scale is now 500 nsecs (n = 10-9) per division. At first glance we might
not recognise that they are the same signals!
Strictly speaking, all signals are analogue signals. For this reason it is
important to distinguish what we mean by the terms analogue and
digital.
1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1
Figure 5.5 Interpreting a digital signal: we should examine the digital signal at
the mid-point of each interval, shown in this case by the black dots
8 Telecommunications engineering
Amplitude, period, frequency and
wavelength of a sinusoid
Figure 5.6 shows an analogue signal and a digital signal, with their
amplitudes and periods illustrated.
Vp
Vpp
Period
Vp
Figure 5.6 Amplitude and period of a sinusoidal wave and a digital wave
Figure 5.7 Transmission mast for a radio station with a broadcast frequency of
1 413 kHz the height of the mast is just over 100 metres,
corresponding to a one-half wavelength for the frequency used
Figure 5.8 Antenna for reception of frequencies at 2.4 GHz the antenna is
approximately one wavelength long for that frequency
10 Telecommunications engineering
The wavelength of a signal also determines its ability to propagate over
and around objects in its path. In general, an object whose principal
dimensions (length or height) are the same as, or larger than, the
wavelength of the signal will effectively block the signal.
In general terms, this means that higher frequency signals need to have a
clearer path between transmitter and receiver than do signals operating at
lower frequencies. Satellite and microwave links that operate at GHz
frequencies need to have a line of sight between transmitter and receiver.
Even then, they can be affected by atmospheric conditions such as rain.
Lower frequency signals, such as those found in the AM radio band, have
quite long wavelengths of around 200 to 300 metres and hence are able
to find their way around most objects. This is the principle reason that
AM radio offers good reception in most areas.
The sources of electrical noise are many and varied. Common sources of
electrical noise include interference from other electrical appliances
(such as fluorescent lights and electric drills), nearby lightning, radio
signal interference and faulty connections.
Good electronic design can help reduce the amount of noise that gets into
a circuit. Shielded cables such as coaxial cables, for example, are
specifically designed to reduce the amount of noise that enters a circuit.
Electrical noise that does enter an electrical circuit can distort (or in
extreme cases obscure) the desired signal. You have probably tried to
listen to a telephone call or radio broadcast that was affected by electrical
noise.
Figure 5.9 shows three signals (or traces) on an oscilloscope. The top
trace is noise induced into an analogue communications link by electrical
interference. The second (middle) trace is the result of that noise
corrupting a sinusoidal signal.
12 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 5.9 Effect of noise on an analogue signal we cannot separate the
desired signal from the noise
Suppose we now send a binary digital signal over the same channel. We
will use 0 Volts and +5 Volts for the two signal levels. We do not know
at the receiving end what information was sent from the transmitter.
However, we do know that the signal sent must have been either at 0
Volts or at 5 Volts.
If the noise levels are too large, causing a logic 0 Volts to be received as,
say +4 Volts, we will make the wrong decision at the receiving end (by
assuming it was supposed to be +5 Volts) and an error can occur.
However in practice we try to reconstruct the signal before this much
noise accumulates in the signal.
Figure 5.10 shows the process of digital signal reconstruction. The upper
trace shows the noise in the channel. The middle trace shows the signal
corrupted by noise, and also the threshold level by which we determine
whether the received signal should be a 0 or a 1. The lower trace
shows the reconstructed signal.
14 Telecommunications engineering
The main benefits of digital signals over analogue signals are:
Immunity to noise
As seen in figure 5.10, digital signals can be regenerated prior to
retransmission. This prevents noise from accumulating in the signal as it
propagates through the system, and thus allows long distance
transmission without error. By comparison, noise that is induced into an
analogue signal is accumulated as it propagates through the system.
Cost of digital equipment
The advent of mass produced digital electronic components has
significantly reduced the cost per unit of digital devices. Evolving
technologies have also allowed more complex functions to be
constructed on a single integrated circuit, further reducing costs. By
comparison, analogue devices and circuitry have not been able to
offer similar cost reductions.
Channel capacity utilisation
As communications frequencies increase (into the GHz range), so do
the bandwidths of the available channels. Multiplexing techniques
allow us to take advantage of the increased bandwidths. However, time
division multiplexing (as used in digital systems) is more easily and
cheaply implemented than frequency division multiplexing (as used in
analogue systems).
Security and privacy
Techniques for encrypting signals and data are more easily
implemented in the digital domain than they are in the analogue
domain. This ensures enhanced privacy for sensitive transactions
such as financial transactions that are conducted electronically.
Integration of formats
Some sources of information are analogue, some are digital. If we
wish to simplify our telecommunications systems, it is beneficial to
send all types of data over a common format. It is generally easier to
use digital signals rather than analogue signals as the common
format.
The signal power is simply the power of the signal that is to be sent
across the link. The noise power is a measure of the electrical noise or
interference that exists in the channel. The ratio of signal power to noise
power is the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR).
We will see in the following sections how these key parameters affect the
performance of communications links.
16 Telecommunications engineering
Transmission of images
Images, or graphical representations, are arguably the oldest forms of
communication. Cave paintings were used by primitive civilisations to
convey impressions and information long before any written language
was used.
How does digitisation work for images that are not changing with time,
but are two dimensional and often in colour?
The greater the number of dots per inch, the greater the resolution of the
reproduced image. Unfortunately, the higher resolution also requires
more information has to be stored or transmitted.
For a grey scale image, we describe how light or dark each pixel is to be
via a shade of grey. Most often we quantise the grey scale into 256
different shades. Grey scales convey a more realistic image than does
monochrome, but at the expense of needing more information (8 bits) to
represent each pixel.
The RGB system uses a measure of the relative quantities of Red, Green
and Blue (hence RGB) at each pixel. Since we need to quantise three
colours, we end up with three times as much information as compared
with grey scale images. (That is, 3 x 8 bits = 24 bits for each pixel.)
Figure 5.12 shows the relative amounts of data required for each of these
formats. As can be seen, it helps to think closely about whether you
really need colour!
18 Telecommunications engineering
3.0
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
24 Bit RGB 8 Bit Grey Scale 1 Bit
Colour Monochrome
Figure 5.12 Relative amounts of data required to represent an image as colour,
grey scale and black and white
Baseband transmission
The term baseband is used to describe a telecommunication system in
which the message to be sent is converted directly to an electrical signal,
and is then sent over a cable to its destination. The frequency range of
the transmitted signal is identical to the frequency range of the original
signal.
(This contrasts with systems such as microwave and radio that, as we
will see, use modulation of a carrier wave to transmit information at
frequencies different to the original signal.)
Baseband systems are very common. If you connect two PC's together
with a serial cable, you are creating a baseband link. The keyboard is
connected to a PC via a baseband link. A (wired) intercom system is a
baseband link.
The advantage of baseband systems is simplicity. All that is required for
a baseband link is to convert the signal to be transmitted from its original
format into an electrical signal at the sending end, and to convert it back
to its original format at the receiving end.
For example, speech can be converted into an electrical signal using a
microphone, and converted back into sound using a loudspeaker. The
wire joining the two ends is a baseband link.
The fundamental disadvantage of baseband signals is that they are usually
only suitable for transmissions over short distances. While a simple wire
connection works well across a room, it is not suitable for connection
across the world. The lengths of wire needed, the fading (attenuation) of
the signal along the wire, and the susceptibility to introduced electrical
noise make long distance baseband transmission impractical.
Carrier waves are better suited to transmitting signals over long distances
than are baseband systems. This is because we are free to choose the
frequency of carrier wave that best suits the medium over which we are
transmitting.
Carrier waves
The carrier wave is simply a pure sinusoidal wave at some predetermined
frequency. A carrier for AM radio is the same as a carrier for FM radio,
microwave or satellite links: only the frequency changes.
Table 5.1 shows the range of frequencies used for carrier waves, and
their common designations. Table 5.2 shows the frequency ranges of
some familiar applications.
20 Telecommunications engineering
Carrier Frequency Range Common Description
Carrier wave
Figure 5.13 Modulating wave and carrier wave the inputs to a modulator
Amplitude modulation
22 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 5.15 shows a voice-modulated AM wave. The voice signal has a
frequency of around 100 Hz. The AM wave has a carrier frequency of
1 233 kHz. The ratio of these two frequencies means that there are about
12 000 cycles of the carrier wave for each cycle of the modulating wave.
Hence we cannot see the individual cycles of the carrier in this figure
we can only see the outline, or the envelope, of the modulated carrier.
Amplitude
modulated
signal
Modulating wave
Message signal)
A diode is used to select only one half of the amplitude modulated signal
(in this case, the positive half). A resistor and capacitor together form a
smoothing filter that extracts the envelope of the signal from the
modulated carrier. The envelope is the original message signal.
Signal rectification
AM signal
Smoothing filter
Baseband signal
Diode
Envelope detector
24 Telecommunications engineering
AM applications
Amplitude modulation is used primarily for speech communication via
radio. The simple modulation and demodulation processes provide low
cost receivers. Radio broadcasting (on the AM stations) and CB radios,
as shown in figure 5.18, both use amplitude modulation techniques.
Figure 5.18 A low cost CB radio that uses amplitude modulation to convey a
message over a 27 MHz carrier
Frequency modulation
FM applications
Frequency modulation is used for speech, music and data transmissions,
primarily using radio links. Radio broadcasting using FM techniques
provides a better sound quality than is obtainable from AM broadcasting.
Phase modulation
Phase modulation, or PM, varies the instantaneous phase (or angle) of
the carrier wave to represent the message. PM can be and is used, though
primarily only for specialised applications. A PM signal has a constant
amplitude waveform like FM, but requires less bandwidth.
26 Telecommunications engineering
Digital modulation techniques
The modulation schemes described above are analogue or continuous
wave modulation techniques. That is, both the carrier wave and the
message signal are analogue signals.
The various modem standards such as V.33, V.34 and V.90 specify how
many combined amplitude and phase keying levels are to be used to
represent digital data.
Table 5.3 shows the maximum data rate, the number of different
amplitude/phase levels, and the number of bits of information
represented in each signaling interval, for a number of modem standards.
28 Telecommunications engineering
Standard Data Rate Number of different Number of bits per
ASK/PSK levels signaling interval
We saw previously, in table 5.3, that various frequency ranges are given
particular names. For example, HF describes the High Frequency band
from 3 to 30 MHz. UHF represents the band from 300 MHz to 3 GHz.
30 Telecommunications engineering
more users into the available frequency bands. This is where techniques
for reducing the required bandwidth for a signal become important.
You may have heard of discussions both here in Australia and overseas
about auctioning off parts of the spectrum to the highest bidder. Radio
broadcasting and mobile telephones are probably the two most common
areas where new operators are seeking to gain access to the allocated
frequency bands.
Literally billions of dollars have been paid for nothing more than the
right to use certain frequencies! The electromagnetic spectrum has
become a commercially valuable commodity! (Who owns the
frequency spectrum anyway?)
Frequency (Hz) 104 105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014
Tele-
Music vision
Mobile
Radio phones Optical
Speech fibres
AM FM Microwave
radio radio
Satellite Infrared
Twisted pair cable
Waveguides
Wavelength 105 104 103 102 101 100 101 102 103 104 105 106
Unguided (or free space or wireless) media transmit their signals through
air and/or space. The signals are not guided by any physical conductor.
Unguided media have the obvious advantage of not needing a physical
connection, and hence are very suitable for communications over water
or difficult terrain and long distances.
Guided media
Cables are the principal media used for guided transmission. Cable types
used include twisted pair cable, coaxial cable and optical fibres.
Another medium used for guiding electromagnetic radiation is called a
waveguide.
32 Telecommunications engineering
Twisted pair cable
A twisted pair cable is simply two parallel insulated copper wires that
are twisted together in a spiral pattern. The interweaving is done to help
reduce the electrical noise that is induced into the cable from external
sources.
Twisted pairs are probably the most common medium in use today.
They are used for both analogue and digital signalling, and are used
extensively in the telephone network, principally for the final stage of
connections to homes.
Coaxial cable
A coaxial cable is comprised of two concentric conductors separated
internally by an insulating dielectric material. The concentric
construction means that coaxial cables are much less susceptible to
external noise sources than are twisted pairs.
Attenuation rates for coaxial cables tend to be higher than for twisted
pairs. Typical values are of the order of 7 dB per kilometre. Repeater
Figure 5.22 Examples of cable types, including from top to bottom: optical fibre
with terminating connector; coaxial cable; shielded twisted pair,
mains cable
Optical fibres
Optical fibres are simply strands of glass, surrounded by cladding and
sheaths to contain the light in the core, and to protect the delicate fibre
from breakage. They are lighter and thinner than twisted pair and coaxial
cables.
Often, many fibres are bundled together in much the same way as twisted
pairs. The additional infrastructure cost of running multifibre cable is
more than offset by the additional capacity provided by the additional
fibres.
34 Telecommunications engineering
Optical fibres have a frequency range of between 180 and 370 THz
(TerraHertz, that is, 10 12 Hz). This results in a very large useable
bandwidth, and hence immense channel capacity.
Mains wiring
While mains wiring may not obviously be part of a telecommunications
system, it is used for some specific applications. Perhaps the most
common of these is to control the switching of off-peak hot water
systems.
You might know that off-peak hot water systems are used to distribute
the load on the power grid so that the generating stations can run closer
to constant load conditions at all times. In order to be able to control the
load on the power stations, we need a way of switching hot water
systems on and off.
The most common method for controlling the switching is called audio
frequency injection or ripple control. This technique involves sending
coded pulses of audio frequency signals along the power lines. The
signaling frequencies used around 200 to 300 Hz are in the audio
frequency range, hence the name audio frequency injection. Different
frequencies are used by different distribution authorities so as not to
interfere with one another.
You may have heard some strange noises coming from electrical
appliances in your home late at night and very early in the morning.
These times correspond to the times that off-peak hot water are turned on
and off respectively. The noises you can hear are the coded pulses
Figure 5.23 Ripple control unit on the right hand side is designed to detect and
interpret audio frequency signals injected onto mains wiring to
control an off-peak hot water system
Waveguides
Waveguides are a special type of 'cable' used for high frequency signals.
The skin effect is dependent on frequency: the higher the frequency, the
more tendency there is for the energy to be concentrated on the surface.
At very high frequencies, the energy all but escapes from the conductor,
and instead propagates in free space around the conductor.
36 Telecommunications engineering
Applications of waveguides are quite specialised. Places where they are
often found include military and air traffic control radars (have a look
next time you are taxiing around Sydney Airport), and high powered high
frequency transmitters (such as television towers).
Figure 5.24 Some laboratory waveguide equipment the device on the left is
used for measuring microwave frequency; the horns on the right
hand side are antennae used to transmit and receive microwave
signals
Table 5.4 summarises the key parameters for the various types of cable.
Radio
The term radio is most often used to describe non-directional transmissions in
the spectrum range from 3 kHz to 1 GHz. Both half- and full-duplex systems
are used. Applications of radio to telecommunications include:
AM Broadcasting
The AM broadcast band in Australia extends from 526.5 kHz to
1606.5 kHz. This band is divided into separate sub-bands (or
frequency slots) for each radio station.
Each frequency slot has a bandwidth (or range of frequencies) of 9
kHz. This means that the existing AM band can accommodate up to
120 different broadcast stations without replicating frequencies. The
9 kHz bandwidth of each station limits the usable audio bandwidth
to the range 100 Hz to 4.5 kHz.
(It may not be apparent why this maximum frequency isn't twice as high,
that is 9 kHz. The reason is buried in mathematics that will become more
apparent when you study telecommunications at university!)
38 Telecommunications engineering
As we saw previously, this limited bandwidth results in low-fidelity
sound that does not reproduce music particularly well, but is still
quite satisfactory for speech.
Reception range limits vary from 100 km to 1000's of km (the latter
in ideal conditions such as on a clear night).
Transmitting antennae are generally omnidirectional that is, they
transmit signals in all directions equally. Some AM broadcast
transmitters do have some directionality this is done to broadcast
most of the signal power to areas of highest populations, and to
avoid wasteful broadcasts over unpopulated areas. Directional
broadcasting is achieved by having multiple antennae for AM
broadcasting this is usually two antennae, located perhaps 50 metres
to 100 metres apart.
Figure 5.25 shows a directional antenna used in the Newcastle area.
Note the two towers used. (The two antennae are actually vertical
the apparent lean on the towers is caused by the camera lens!)
Receiving antennae (most often inside the radio receiver) are usually
quite insensitive to direction.
FM Broadcasting
The FM broadcast band in Australia extends from 88108 MHz.
The higher frequencies used by FM broadcasting in comparison to
AM broadcasting result in shorter wavelengths, and hence an
40 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 5.26 Television receiving antenna this antenna is highly directional,
and must be pointed towards the signal source for best results
Mobile communications
These include air-to-air and air-to-ground, marine and terrestrial
mobile radio. All are full-duplex allowing communication in both
directions. Nondirectional antennae are most often used to maintain
useful performance for the system while the vehicle orientation
changes. A broad range of frequencies are used including MF, VHF
and UHF ranges. Mobile telephones are quickly becoming the
dominant example of this type of link.
Navigation systems
Airborne and coastal navigation systems use a variety of radio
beacons to determine position. A broad range of frequencies are
used including VLF, LF, VHF and UHF ranges. These systems are
rapidly being superceded by global positioning systems (GPS)
technologies.
The half-duplex links are most often used for delivery of (pay-)
television. In these applications a transmitting tower broadcasts a semi-
focussed beam across a region. Receiving dishes are aligned towards the
transmitting tower. Such systems offer an attractive (economical)
alternative to cable television which requires expensive cable roll-out
to connect all subscribers.
42 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 5.28 Microwave dishes used for point-to-point transmissions mounted
high on a telecommunications tower the covers over the dishes
are in place to prevent birds and insects from nesting in the focal
point of the parabolic dish
Satellite communications
While satellite communications are often thought to be a specialised form
of telecommunications, they are in fact simply a microwave link that uses
an orbiting tower to extend the line-of-sight.
Geostationary satellites are further away from the earth than orbiting
satellites meaning that their transmission delays are longer. On the other
hand, it is possible to point a fixed satellite dish at a geostationary
satellite and maintain good reception, whereas a low earth orbiting
satellite needs to be tracked across the sky.
Point to point
satellite link
Satellite
broadcasting
Figure 5.29 Satellites used to provide point to point and broadcast facilities
Infrared
Infrared signals are normally defined to be those just below the visible
spectrum. Typical wavelengths used are 880 to 950 nm (nanometres).
Transmission is by line-of-sight, and useful range is up to 10 metres.
Most applications use a simple half-duplex system. Applications
requiring bidirectional data transmission usually achieve this by using
two half-duplex systems.
44 Telecommunications engineering
The relatively low cost of infrared transmitters and receivers has
popularised their use in many and varied situations. Remote controllers
for television, video and audio systems, cordless connections between
computers and peripherals and security applications are now relatively
common.
Digital Data Use Shift Keying methods Data formed into packets
(ASK, FSK, PSK) to modulate and sent using digital
an analogue carrier. Example: signalling. Example: local
computer modem connected to area computer networks
telephone system. (LANs).
46 Telecommunications engineering
Describing a telecommunications system
Modern telecommunications systems are very complex. Invariably, a
particular application (such as a mobile telephone, a fax machine or
television transmission) will consist of many subsystems. As such, it is
difficult to answer simplistic questions such as Describe how a mobile
telephone works. To answer this completely and correctly, we would
need to identify every link in the system, and describe each according to
its key parameters.
The fact that most mobile telephones convert the analogue voice signal to
a digital signal before transmission does not necessarily distinguish
mobile telephones from fixed telephones: a fixed telephone could also
convert its analogue input into a digital signal for communication with
the network.
The specific answers to these latter questions are often not obvious to the
casual observer. Only an engineer or technician involved in that
particular industry would be able to respond with certainty.
Facsimile machine
Figure 5.31 Facsimile machine that transmits digitised images over a telephone
line
48 Telecommunications engineering
information. These tones are then handled by the telephone system
as if it were a telephone call.
5 How many different links are used between sending and receiving
ends?
At least several, often many. There is a link from the facsimile
machine to the exchange, from exchange to exchange, and then from
exchange to receiver. Between exchanges there could be additional
links.
Is the link between sending and receiving ends analogue or digital?
The link to the exchange is analogue. Links between exchanges
are most often digital.
Is the link a guided or unguided medium? What medium is
used?
The link from machine to exchange is guided via twisted pair
cable. Between exchanges the link is likely to be by optical
fibres or microwave links.
Is modulation used to propagate the signal?
The link to the exchange uses audio tones to represent digital
data. A combination of Amplitude and Phase Shift Keying is
used. The optical fibre also uses Amplitude and Phase Shift
Keying to modulate a light source. The microwave link uses a
combination of Amplitude and Phase Shift Keying to modulate
a microwave carrier.
Colour television
Figure 5.32 Colour television used to receive broadcast video and sound signals
50 Telecommunications engineering
Internet browsing via a modem
Figure 5.33 Modem used to connect a digital computer to analogue telephone lines
While we are talking about modems, we might ask "What causes the
'beeping' that is heard when a modem first connects to the service
provider"?
The various tones that are heard are used to signal the keys (numbers) on
the dialing keypad. Each key is represented by the combination of two
audible tones. Table 5.6 sets out the tones used for each symbol.
697 Hz 1 2 3
770 Hz 4 5 6
852 Hz 7 8 9
941 Hz * 0 #
When a particular key is pressed, the corresponding two tones are sent
down the line. Since the two tones are at different frequencies, we can
52 Telecommunications engineering
distinguish between them at the receiving end, even though they are
transmitted concurrently.
You might also hear the same tones when you use an ordinary fixed
telephone handpiece. The system is called DTMF, or Dual Tone
Multiple Frequency dialing.
Figure 5.34 Telephone handset that uses Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) dialing,
giving a series of 'beeps' at various frequencies as it dials the numbers
Exercise 5.1
Describe the two main differences between analogue and digital signals.
1 _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2 _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Exercise 5.2
Exercise 5.3
Exercise 5.5
Explain why you would either (a) double the bandwidth, or (b) double
the signal amplitude if you had money to spend to improve the channel
capacity of a telecommunications link.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Exercise 5.6
a Give a reason why Amplitude Modulation is preferable to Frequency
Modulation for radio broadcasting?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
b Give a reason why Frequency Modulation is preferable to Amplitude
Modulation for radio broadcasting?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
56 Telecommunications engineering
Exercise 5.7
Exercise 5.8
___________________________________________________________
1 An analogue signal:
a is one that has an infinite number of possible values of amplitude
b can be sampled at any instant in time
c can be represented by a continuous graph of amplitude plotted
against time
d all of the above.
2 A digital signal:
a is what we hear from a digital mobile telephone
b has only two possible amplitudes
c should only be evaluated at the correct instants in time
d is a gesture made by raising any number of fingers.
3 A multilevel signal:
a has only two possible values, but at any voltages
b can represent two or more bits of information in one signaling interval
c is obtained from a binary signal by transmitting bits more quickly
d is the result of faulty equipment.
58 Telecommunications engineering
7 The capacity of a telecommunications link is dependent on:
a the number of computers connected to it
b the height of the towers supporting the microwave dishes
c whether it transmits analogue or digital data
d the bandwidth and signal to noise ratio.
10 Modulation involves:
a sampling and quantisation
b using different frequencies for radio stations
c eliminating noise
d varying a parameter of a carrier wave according to a message
signal.
12 Amplitude modulation:
a has a lesser signal to noise ratio than Frequency Modulation
b is relatively cheap to generate and decode
c is quite suitable for voice communications
d all of the above.
16 Coaxial cables:
a have a wider bandwidth than optical fibres
b are constructed from a central glass fibre surrounded by a metal
foil shield
c have a wider bandwidth than twisted pair cables
d can carry larger signal amplitudes than twisted pair cables.
60 Telecommunications engineering
18 The guided medium with the highest channel capacity is:
a mains wiring
b twisted pair cabling
c coaxial cabling
d optical fibres.
19 Unguided media:
a are journalists who do as they like
b is the term used to describe telecommunication links that are not
physically connected
c is the term used to describe telecommunication links that use
microwave links
d is another term for radio communications.
62 Telecommunications engineering
Progress check
In this part you examined the principles that underpin many of the
telecommunications technologies currently in use.
Take a few moments to reflect on your learning then tick the box which
best represents your level of achievement.
Agree well done
Uncertain
Disagree
Disagree revise your work
Agree
Uncertain contact your teacher
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
In the next part you will continue to develop skills in representing objects
using freehand and technical drawing, and be given opportunity to
develop CAD skills, applying AS1100 drawing standards where
appropriate.
Introduction ..........................................................................................2
Teamwork .................................................................................4
Orthogonal drawing....................................................................5
Exercises............................................................................................15
Bibliography.......................................................................................39
Module evaluation.............................................................................43
This communication part of the module will further consolidate and review the
communications content presented to you in earlier modules. You will
continue to develop your skills in representing objects using technical drawing
and freehand communication.
You will be given the opportunity to develop your CAD skills, and be asked to
consider the relevance of communicating technical information as it might
relate to an engineer working in the telecommunication area.
You will be expected to complete several exercises in this module part in order
to develop and demonstrate your communication skills.
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
2 Telecommunications engineering
Communication tools of the engineer
You might consider the traditional tools such as drawing equipment, but there
are a new and emerging array of alternatives. In addition to the hardware and
software tools you may have thought about, other forms of tools might be
considered. The Australian Standards provide a framework to be used as a tool
for accurate communication. Without that tool, mis-communication would be a
regular occurrence and could easily lead to disaster. The written language and
verbal communication are also essential. Engineers are required to write
engineering reports and make presentations.
List the tools available for the engineer to use in order to communicate.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4 Telecommunications engineering
Orthogonal drawing
At this stage of the course you will have read about many AS1100 standards.
You would have had the opportunity to test your own skills at applying these
standards. You would be aware of the importance of these standards in all
engineering fields.
The CAD drawing is also flexible in that versions can be produced specifically
targeted for various needs. For instance, the electrical/electronic content can be
removed (not displayed) when presenting specification drawings to the
polymer manufacturer involved in moulding the case of the product.
Electronic/electrical component
representation
In order to communicate electrical circuitry, electrical and electronic engineers
will need to be able to read electrical circuit diagrams and design electrical
circuits. You might be aware of basic circuitry diagrams from studying house
plans or from looking at electronic magazines.
6 Telecommunications engineering
Like all technical drawing, there are specific standards that apply when
drawing circuits. The list of symbols used to represent components in the
circuit appear to be endless. However, there is no need for you to be familiar
with the vast array of symbols. Concentrate on being able to recognise the
more common circuit symbols.
Component Symbol
Resistor
Capacitor (non
polarised)
Capacitor (polarised)
Battery ....
+
Diode +
Integrated circuit 1 4
2 3
Transistor C
B
E
Component Symbol
Switch
Light
Power outlet
Transformer
Earth
or
Fuse
Motor M or M o
~
8 Telecommunications engineering
Technical representation of the detail
You may recall the following topics from past modules:
Civil structures
Developments
In engineering, the design of sheetmetal objects is done using flat surfaces.
The flat shapes obtained are folded to form the required object. The
method used to create the correct flat shape include parallel development
(for simple shapes), radial developments (for cones or pyramids) and
dividing the shape into triangular segments (triangulation) when
developing transition pieces.
True length of lines
To develop objects to specified sizes, developments must use true sizes
(scaled) rather than apparent sizes which are often created when objects
are drawn using orthogonal projection. True lengths are determined using
several methods, including the:
rotation method
auxiliary plane method
offset method.
Each of these methods relies on the fact that a line will be seen as a true
length if it is projected from a line that is parallel to the projection plane.
Transition pieces
The common application of transition pieces is in ventilation ducts.
Connection segments are often required to join different shaped ducts. The
connection segments are called transition pieces.
Representing threads, nuts and bolts
Drawing, or representing, threaded components requires many AS 1100
standards to be applied. Representing threaded devices is critical because
drawing the actual shape of the thread would be time consuming.
Applying AS 1100 standards accurately is essential.
10 Telecommunications engineering
rather, construction can be limited in order to supply only the required
information.
Freehand drawing
Engineers are required to convey information quickly but with accuracy.
An important skill is the ability to produce freehand drawings. Freehand
drawings need to use all the AS 1100 concepts. Without these standards
the drawing will be less able to communicate accurate details. While some
AS 1100 standards are difficult to apply using freehand, the fundamental
concepts should always be applied.
Lifting Devices
Representing repeat features
When a component contains regular repeating features such as holes or
slots, the AS 1100 standards allow these repeat features to be shown as full
outline or alternatively, by a conventional representation. Examples
include drilled holes at a set distance from a central hole. Rather than draw
a series of holes, one hole is drawn, then the details of the remaining holes
are indicated using symbols. Pitch circle diameter (PCD) refers to the
diameter that the hole centres are located from the centre point.
Material lists
Material lists or parts lists should be used when several components are
detailed in one drawing, or a number of components are shown in one
assembly drawing. The material list should be positioned near the sheet
title block.
Itemising
Often a component on an assembly drawing is assigned an item number.
The number is used to identify the component and is referenced to the
material list. Leaders (lines) are continuous thin dark lines drawn from the
item number to the component.
Square threads
Where screw threads are used to transmit large forces, such as in lifting
devices, square thread is used rather then the more common v-thread. To
differentiate a square thread from a v-thread a section of the detail view is
drawn to illustrate the thread shape.
Tangency
Tangency refers to the joining of lines. These lines can be the edge of a
circle or an arc meeting a straight line, or can be arc to arc, or circle to
circle. Construction techniques are required to ensure accurate tangency.
It would be advisable to review each of the parts in each module, and refresh
your memory of the details. This knowledge will need to be recalled in order to
complete the exercises that follow.
Prepare yourself with a tape measure, paper and a few sharp pencils.
12 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 6.2 Telephone booth
Now turn to the exercise sheet and complete exercises 6.3 to 6.6.
Exercise 6.1
This exercise requires a CAD drawing. This CAD drawing will be a very
simple icon representation of a telephone booth. You should allocate
approximately 20 minutes for this exercise. This icon should be a
suitable simple and clear design for inclusion on a site map.
16 Telecommunications engineering
Exercise 6.2
resistor
transistor
transistor resistor
capacitor
capacitor
transistor
+
LED
battery
Figure 6.3 Electronic circuit requiring component symbols
This exercise requires a freehand orthogonal front view of the telephone booth
to be drawn. Add general detail and show overall sizes. Although freehand
technique is to be used, apply AS1100 concepts and techniques to the drawing.
This technical drawing should be used to give the viewer overall reference of the
telephone booth design, and be able to be used to identify the location of the
smaller components of the telephone box. Construct a full title block and item
list on this drawing sheet. Show projection angle. Use a scale of 1:10.
18 Telecommunications engineering
Figure 6.5 Telephone booth image 2 Figure 6.6 Telephone booth image 3
SCALE 1:10
From the photographs on this page and the next, draw a three view (left end,
front and right end) freehand orthogonal view that represents the threaded
fixing device shown, using a scale of 2:1. These views will best fit on one
centre, with the drawing sheet orientated in a landscape position.
The bolt is 45 mm long with a thread of M10. All additional sizes to those
provided must be estimated from the photographs. Fully dimension your
drawing, with enough detail to allow for manufacture of the bolt.
24 Telecommunications engineering
Ex 6.4
SCALE 1:1
From the details provided in the illustrations, draw a freehand pictorial view of
the satellite dish and the supporting structure. Drawing space is provided after
the illustrations. All sizes should be estimated from the illustrations.
Alternatively, if you have access to a satellite dish, you may draw the details of
that dish and its supporting bracket.
28 Telecommunications engineering
Ex 6.5
SCALE 1:1
8 Triangulation is:
a a method of dividing a surface into segments
b finding the location of points
c dividing square surfaces into triangles
d none of the above.
32 Telecommunications engineering
12 A detail drawing:
a gives a full size and shape description of the object
b states the material that the object is made
c provides sufficient information for the manufacture of the object
d all of the above.
13 Which of the following lists only contain terms for physical features of
engineering objects?
a radius, collar, web, blind hole, and shoulder
b shaft, taper, boss ,fillet and countersunk
c counterbore, step, flange, thread and spigot
d all three of the lists above.
14 Engineering is about:
a evaluating alternatives and designing the best criteria
b setting criteria and calculating the costs of the best design
c working collaboratively to ensure a consensus is always reached
d determining the best solution based on the criteria.
During this part you have learned more about the use of drawings in
communicating information and have reviewed the work you have done in
previous modules on drawing to AS1100 standards.
Take a few moments to reflect on your learning then tick the box that best
represents your level of achievement.
Agree well done
Uncertain
Disagree
Disagree revise your work
Agree
Uncertain contact your teacher
Extract from Stage 6 Engineering Studies Syllabus, Board of Studies, NSW, 1999.
Refer to <http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au> for original and current documents.
Check!
Have you have completed the following exercises?
Exercise 6.1
Exercise 6.2
Exercise 6.3
Exercise 6.4
Exercise 6.5
Exercise 6.6
Locate and complete any outstanding exercises then attach your responses to
this sheet.
If you study Stage 6 Engineering Studies through the OTEN Open Learning
Program (OLP) refer to the Learners Guide to determine which exercises you
need to return to your teacher along with the Mark Record Slip.
Bibliography
Davis, Troxell & Wiskocil. 1964, The Testing and Inspection of Engineering
Materials , McGraw-Hill, Tokyo.
39
Haykin, S. 1988, Digital Communications, John Wiley and Sons,
New York.
Higgins, R.A. 1987, Materials for the Engineering Technician, Edward Arnold,
London.
Jensen, P.R. 2000, From the Wireless to the Web, UNSW Press,
Sydney.
Kaplan, W. and Lewis, D.J. 1971, Calculus and Linear Algebra , John Wiley and
Sons, New York.
Soden, F.A. et al, 1996, 100 Years of the Telephone 18961976, Wellman
Printing Co Pty Ltd, Victoria.
40
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<http://borworld.usbr.gov/power/data/fist/fist3~1/3~1_2.htm>
<http://floti.bell.ac.uk/MathsPhysics/3fibre.htm>
<http://innovations.copper.org/metallurgy/wiremetallurgy.html>
<http://www.datacottage.com/nch/fibre.htm>
<http://www.isoc.org/internet/history>
<http://www.privateline.com>
<http://www.telstra.com.au/classroom.htm>
<http://www.voicendata.com/nov96/4hk0221101.html>
<http://wwwprsc.usm.edu/macrog/electron.html>
41
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10/4/03Arial
Module evaluation
Circle the number that best represents your rating of this material.
The number 1 indicates a low rating and the number 5 indicates a high
rating.
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
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4 Rate the relevance of the ____________________________
exercises.
1 2 3 4 5 ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
Finally!
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