This is a laboratory and experimental course in the field of signal processing and wireless communications. Most of the activity is performed in the laboratories, where students can setup experiments regarding signal analysis and wireless transmissions on Digital Signal Processors (DSP) or Universal Software Radio Peripherals (USRPs). Few introductory lectures are given to introduce the lab experiences. One of the goals of the course is to foster the communication skills and the ability to work in groups.

The course offers the student the possibility to deepen and put in practice the knowledge on physical layer functions of wireless communication systems as well as the signal and image Processing techniques. The lab sessions will be preceded by lectures to describe the experiments that will be performed and the procedure to implement them. The course will provide knowledge of: - the architecture of Digital Signal processing (DSP) Systems - the fundamentals on signal and image compression - some algorithms of digital signal processing and their implementation methods - structure of Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms - the methods for wireless communication systems design and prototyping The student will acquire the ability to: - develop appropriate signal-processing algorithms and implement them on a DSP - implement on suitable hardware/software platforms some of the blocks of the studied wireless communication standards The ability to apply the gained knowledge will be verified from lab reports, and their discussion.

The course requires a background on digital transmission and signal theory. Some background on the basic concepts regarding signal processing, and wireless is also useful, although these concepts will be reviewed during the course. Good skills in common programming languages, such as C/C++ and Matlab, are required.

This lab course covers two main areas of modern communications systems: 1. Signal and Image Processing laboratory (3 CFU) 2. Wireless transmissions laboratory (3 CFU) for a total amount of 6 CFU. Theoretical Lectures: Signal Processing (0.5 CFU): • Introduction to compression • Decorrelation techniques for signals and images • Quantization • Source coding • DSP architecture and development tools Wireless communications (0.5 CFU): • Overview on the main components of the physical layer of broadband fixed and mobile radio-communication standards • Structure and main functions of conventional and software defined digital radio transceivers • Software defined radio (SDR) platforms Laboratories: Signal Processing (2.5 CFU): DSP implementation of a compression algorithm, including: - Program template and in/out interfaces - predictor - quantizer - lossless source coder - validation and testing Wireless communications (2.5 CFU): • Implementation on SDR platform (Ettus B210 and National Instruments USRP-2901) of some common transceiver blocks suitable for most wireless communication standards (WiFi, LTE, DVB) • Test and measurements of the performance of some implemented receiver algorithms

The presence of the students at the laboratory training sessions is mandatory.

Students take classes and laboratories focusing only on the two proposed areas: 1. Signal and Image Processing laboratory (3 CFU) 2.Wireless transmissions laboratory (3 CFU) for a total amount of 6 credits. Due to the Experimental laboratory course characteristics, the student presence is mandatory for all the foreseen lab sessions. The laboratory activities are organized at the educational Laboratory of the Electronics and Telecommunications Department (LED) and at the “Laboratorio Informatico di Base” (LAIB).

The teaching material will be made available by the instructors on the course web portal. Description of the lab experiments will be provided, and reference documentation will be made available to students.

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Prova pratica di laboratorio; Elaborato scritto prodotto in gruppo;

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Practical lab skills test; Group essay;

... In order to verify the acquired laboratory experimental skills the students have to write reports and to discuss them during the oral examination. Students are required to write two reports on the laboratory experiences (one for every lab area). The report organization will be described during the lectures. Both reports must be delivered 1 week before the exam day. Every lab report will have an independent evaluation (maximum mark 30/30). Each student will be asked to discuss the content of the report during an oral exam. The oral exam is individual or in groups, and students will be asked to answer questions about both the practical and the theoretical parts of the course (maximum mark 30/30) The final grade will be the average between the evaluations of the two laboratory reports and the oral examinations. The grading criteria are the following: - appropriate choice and application of the experimental methodology/algorithms - report clearness and completeness. - appropriate use of the technical terms - completeness of the discussion of the obtained experimental results

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.