Virginia Tech® home

Course Descriptions

Hands-on Learning for Radio Frequency Spectrum Innovation

Courses include narrated slide presentations, video demonstrations using SDR testbeds, text, links to external resources, pre- and post-quizzes for each module, plus simulation exercises.

Available Courses:

Course #1 (0.5 CEU) -- Fundamental Concepts in Wireless Communications (FCW)

  • High-level view of Physical layer communications including systems, channels, and signals
  • Information capacity of a wireless channel and factors that limit this capacity
  • Decibels and link budgets

Course #2 (0.5 CEU) -- Introduction to the Radio Frequency Spectrum and Spectrum Management (RFS)

  • Frequency-domain representation of signals
  • Radio resources, transmission parameters that can be changed to adapt to varying RF environments, and measures of radio link performance
  • Software-defined radio (SDR)
  • Spectrum Sharing, Spectrum Access Systems, and overview of the Electromagnetic Battlespace and Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare

Course #3 (0.3 CEU) -- Methods for Smart Control of Spectrum Agile Radio Frequency Systems

  • Rule-based adaptation
  • Machine-learning / statistical methods
  • Knowledge-based artificial intelligence methods

Course #4 (0.7 CEU) -- Controller Implementation for Spectrum Agility

  • Application of methods from Course #3 to control frequency-agile radio links in challenging and congested RF environments

Courses in Development:

Course #5 -- Dynamic Radio Spectrum Management

  • Application of methods from Course #3 to dynamic frequency assignment in challenging and congested RF environments
     

For information about this program contact: Carl Dietrich cdietric@vt.edu