Prescription:TS200 Telecommuncations Systems

Aim of Module	To enable the student to gain knowledge of the types of Telecommunication systems available and their uses.
Credits	14
Suggested Time	140 student learning hours
Prescription Expiry Date	Nov 2002

Level and Assessment Schedule
Topics	Highest Skill Level	Suggested Assessment Percentage
1 Public networks PSTN; ISDN; DDN; PSN	C	40
2 Private networks PABX; Centrex; LAN	C	10
3 Mobile Communications RT; TMR; Paging; Cellular	C	20
4 Radio Broadcast	C	10
5 TV Broadcast	A	10
6 Satellite Systems	C	10
		100

The Student Will

1  Public networks PSTN; ISDN; DDN; PSN

	1.1	The PSTN
>	Understand the public switched telephone network in terms of its services and bandwidths available for leased and switched circuits. This will include:
R	1.1.1	Describe the PSTN in terms of the bandwidths and services available for switched and leased circuits.
	1.1.2	State interface conditions contained in Telecom NZ document PT102.
C	1.1.3	Explain the reason for a national transmission plan and a numbering scheme.
R	1.1.4	State the use of SPC digital switches in a modern telephone exchange
	1.2	The ISDN
>	Understand the services provided by the ISDN. This will include:
C	1.2.1	Draw and label the access model and describe its functionality.
R	1.2.2	State the services provided by the BRI interface
	1.2.3	State the services provided by the PRI
	1.3.4	State the bit rates and functions of the B channels and the D channels of 1.2.2 and 1.2.3
	1.3	The DDN
>	Understand the services provided by the digital data network. This will include:
R	1.3.1	State the services provided by the DDN
	1.3.2	State the DDN interface specification, based on ITU-T documentation.
C	1.3.3	Explain and define the functions of DTE and DCE.
1.4		The PSN
>	Understand the services provided by the packet switched network. This will include:
R	1.4.1	State the services provided by the PSN
C	1.4.2	Explain the difference between a physically switched circuit and a virtual switched circuit.
R	1.4.3	Identify the physical, link and network sections of a connection.
	1.4.4	Describe the ITU-T X.25 document.
	1.5	Digital network
>	Understand that the various networks available to the public are carried over standardised networks that are installed nationally by network providers. This will include
C	1.5.1	Explain the use of a common digital national network to carry the networks of 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4.
R	1.5.2	Define TDM and FDM.
	1.5.3	Draw a block diagram of plesiochronous D0 - D5 multiplex hierarchy.
C	1.5.4	Draw a block diagram of a 30 Channel, 32 time-slot PCM system.
C	1.5.5	Explain the waveshapes and processess that the analogue signal undergoes before being transmitted to line including:
		- sampling
		- quantisation
		- encoding
		- 50% duty cycle
		- AMI and HDB3 coding
	1.5.6	Explain the terms sampling rate, quantisation, quantisation noise, non-linear quantisation, bi-polar signals, transmitted bit rate and HDB3 coding associated with the processing of the analogue signal in 1.5.5.
	1.5.7	Explain how the system described in 1.5.5 forms the basis of 1.5.3.
	1.6	Digital network development
>	Understand that the present pleisiochronous digital hierarchy is now under review. This will include:
R	1.6.1	State how the digital network will develop into a system using SDH.
	1.6.2	Define ATM and state the reason for its development in terms of the requirements of mixed bandwidth and delivery times for modern multimedia.
	1.6.3	State that ATM will be carried by SDH.

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2  Private networks PABX; Centrex; LAN

	2.1	PABX
>	Understand that large business concerns have a need for a large internal telphone system. This will include:
C	2.1.1	Understand the differences between a keyphone and a PABX system.
R	2.1.2	State the situations for which the systems of 2.1.1 are applicable.
	2.1.3	List the typical functions of a PABX.
C	2.1.4	Explain that a PABX may be able to perform data connections and the limits of these connections.
	2.2	Centrex
>	Understand that in some circumstances it may be more efficient for a business to have its PABX functionality resident in the central public telephone exchange. This will include:
R	2.2.1	Define Centrex.
C	2.2.2	Explain the realisation of the functions of a PABX using a Centrex system.
	2.2.3	Compare the advantages and disadvantages of a PABX system and a Centrex system.
	2.3	LANs
>	Understand that LANs are used for the sharing of computer resources and are specified by various standards bodies. This will include:
C	2.3.1	Explain the uses of LANs.
R	2.3.2	State the advantages and disadvantages of LANs.
	2.3.3	Draw the topologies that may be used to confgure a LAN including the following:
		- Bus
		- Star
		- Ring
		- Tree
		- Mesh
	2.3.4	Describe IEEE documentation of LANs including:
		- 802.3
		- 802.5.

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3  Mobile Communications RT; TMR; Paging; Cellular

	3.1	RT and TMR
>	Understand the services provided by RT and TMR. This will include:
R	3.1.1	Compare the advantages, disadvantages, facilities and typical applications of RT and TMR.
	3.1.2	Describe the frequency bands and modulation processes of RT and TMR.
	3.1.3	List the network providers of TMR.
	3.2	Paging
>	Understand the services provided by the network providers of Paging. This will include:
R	3.2.1	State the faclities and applications of Paging.
	3.2.2	Describe the frequency bands and the modulation processes of the Paging network.
	3.2.3	List the network providers of Paging services.
	3.3	Cellular
>	Understand the services provided by network providers and possible advantages and disadvantages. This will include:
R	3.3.1	State the facilities of current networks including:
		- Telecom NZ
		- Bell South
R	3.3.2	Compare the advantages and disadvantages of an analogue and a digital system.
	3.3.3	Describe the frequency bands and the modulation processes used in 3.3.1.
	3.3.4	Produce a block diagram to explain the term cellular.
C	3.3.5	Explain in general terms how a cellular system tracks a mobile subscriber.
R	3.3.6	State the application of Ministry of Industry and Commerce regulations to these services.
C	3.3.7	Explain the reason for these regulations.

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4  Radio Broadcast

>	Understand the processes used for public broadcast radio. This will include:
R	4.1	Describes the frequencies and bandwidths present in the audio signal.
	4.2	Describes the frequencies, allocated frequency bands and modulation processes used by public broadcast stations.
	4.3	Compare the aerial types used for puplic broadcast stations.
	4.4	Describe the transmitted power for various broadcast applications.
	4.5	State the application of Ministry of Industry and Commerce regulations to this service.
C	4.6	Explain the reason for these regulations.

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5  TV Broadcast

>	Understand the nature of the signals used for the transmission and reception of TV. This will include:
R	5.1	State the frequencies at which the NZ TV stations are transmitted.
	5.2	Compare the aerial types used for the reception of these frequencies.
A	5.3	Calculate the bandwidth of a TV signal from the following:
		-number of lines
		-line period
		-line blanking period
		-aspect ratio
		-the assumption that each pixel is alternately black and white
R	5.4	Describe the nature of the transmitted signal
C	5.5	Explain the function of the line synchronistion pulse and the frame synchronisation pulses.
	5.6	Explain the composition of the transmitted signal.
R	5.7	Describe the function of each block in a receiver block diagram.
	5.8	Describe briefly the nature of vestigal sideband transmission and why it is used.
R	5.9	State the purpose of a separate FM channel.
	5.10	State the application of Ministry of Industry and Commerce regulations to the transmission of TV signals.
C	5.11	Explain the reason for these regulations.

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6  Satellite Systems

>	Understand the availbilty and the nature of communication satellites used in NZ. This will include:
R	6.1	List the satellites that are accessable from NZ.
C	6.2	Explain the term geostationary orbit.
R	6.3	State the frequencies and bandwidths avalable from the various satellites.
	6.4	State the transmitted power and received power used on various sattelite links.
	6.5	Describe the types and sizes of aerials used for 6.4.
	6.6	State the modulation processes used for various services.
	6.7	Define VSAT and describe a typical NZ application.
C	6.8	Explain what is meant by a broadcast satellite.
R	6.9	State the application of Ministry of Industry and Commerce regulations to this service.
C	6.10	Explain the reason for these regulations.

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