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PAA: Analogue and digital signals
This course introduces the characteristics and capabilities of the signals used in communications systems.
This course can be studied on its own or as part of the "PTT Level 3 Award in Principles of Telecommunications" study programme.
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Level:
What does this mean?
Target audience:
This course is designed for those who require an introduction to the fundamental technical concepts that underpin modern telecommunications. The course is suitable for those joining the industry in a technical role especially those in an apprenticeship.
Course aim:
To introduce the characteristics of the signals used in communications systems and the effect of passive circuits and transmission lines on those signals.
Course prerequisites:
Study of Physics or Additional Science at secondary (high) school level.
Course objectives:
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- define the terms voltage, current, resistance and power and describe the relationships between them.
- describe the characteristics of the passive components of an electrical circuit.
- describe the characteristics of analogue signals with reference to the terms level, frequency and bandwidth.
- compare the bandwidth requirements of various types of traffic including text, voice, music and video.
- explain that complex waves contain a fundamental frequency and harmonics of that frequency.
- describe the characteristics of AC circuits containing inductance and capacitance and explain the concepts of impedance and resonant frequency.
- describe how the characteristics of a transmission line can be explained by its equivalent circuit.
- explain the advantages of transmitting information as binary code.
- explain that various types of information can be conveyed in digital form.
- define the terms bit, byte and bit rate and explain their significance.
- describe the role of the basic components of a digital link.
- compare the bit rate requirement of signals carrying speech, music and video.
Number of modules: 4
Approximate study time: 4 hours
Download and view the course specification in Adobe PDF format
Delivery platform requirements:
To access the course, a computer/tablet running a browser such as Chrome, Safari, Edge etc. is required. The device should have an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024x768.
