Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Subject - Basic Electronics Engg. (104010)

FE - 2019 course
UNIT-VI: Communication Systems
Syllabus
Basic Communication System:
 Block Diagram
 Modes of Transmission
 Communication Media: Wired and Wireless
 Electromagnetic Spectrum
 Allotment of frequency band for different applications
 Block Diagram of AM and FM Transmitter and receiver,
Mobile Communication System:
 Cellular concept
 Simple block diagram of GSM system.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 1

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Subject - Basic Electronics Engg. (104010)

FE - 2019 course
UNIT-VI: Communication Systems
Q.1) Draw & explain the block diagram of Communication system. ................................................................................ 3
Q.2) Give the classification of different modes of transmission & explain it. ................................................................... 4
Q.3) Explain different types of communication media/Transmission media used in electronic communication OR
Explain different types of cables used in electronic communication. ....................................................................... 6
Q.4) Explain the IEEE electromagnetic frequency spectrum. ........................................................................................... 9
Q.5) What is modulation? Explain need of modulation. What are the different techniques of modulation? .................. 10
Q.6) Differentiate between Amplitude modulation (AM) & Frequency modulation (FM) ............................................. 11
Q.7) Draw Block Diagram of AM Transmitter and explain ............................................................................................ 11
Q.8) Draw Block Diagram of AM Receiver and explain OR Draw block diagram of Super Heterodyne AM radio
receiver and explain its operation ............................................................................................................................ 14
Q.9) Draw Block Diagram of FM Transmitter and explain ............................................................................................. 16
Q.10) Draw Block Diagram of FM Receiver and explain ................................................................................................. 17
Q.11) Explain the cellular concept. Draw and explain block diagram of GSM system .................................................... 18

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 2

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Q.1) Draw & explain the block diagram of Communication system.

Answer:
Communication System:
 The communication means sending, receiving and processing of information between two or more devices.
 The communication system basically deals with the transmission of information from one point to another
using the well-defined steps which are carried out in sequential manner. The system for data transmission
makes use of the information source and destination address.
 Some examples of communication system include radio broadcasting, TV broadcasting, mobile
communication, computer communication etc.
Block diagram of Communication System:

Modulation De-modulation

Information Communication
Transmitter Channel Receiver Destination
Source

Noise
Sound, Picture, Information in
Speech, Data Original form
Fig. Block diagram of Basic Communication System
Block diagram of Communication System is shown in figure.
It consists of,
1. Information source
2. Transmitter
3. Communication channel
4. Receiver
5. Destination
1. Information source:
 The communication system establishes the communication bridge between the transmitter and receiver. To
establish this communication bridge between the transmitter and receiver, we need information to send. This
information originates in the information source.
 The information generated by the source may be in the form of sound, picture, speech.
 Example: In telephone/Mobile communication - information in the form of sound.
2. Transmitter: (Modulation)
 The transmitter is a device which converts the signal produced by the source into a form that is suitable for
transmission over a given channel or medium.
 Transmitters use a technique called modulation to convert the electrical signal into a form that is suitable for
transmission over a given channel or medium. Modulation is the main function of a transmitter.
3. Communication channel:

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 3

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

 The communication channel is a medium through which the signal travels. or

 The communication channel is a wired or wireless medium through which the signal (information) travels
from source (transmitter) to destination (receiver).
 Communication channels are divided into two categories: wired and wireless.
 Examples of wired channels - co-axial cables, fiber optic cables & twisted pair telephone lines.
 Examples of wireless channels - air, water & vacuum.
4. Noise:
 Noise is an unwanted signal that enters the communication system via the communication channel and
interferes with the transmitted signal.
 The noise signal degrades the transmitted signal.
5. Receiver: (Demodulation)
 The receiver is a device that receives the signal (electrical signal) from the channel and converts the signal
(electrical signal) back to its original form (light and sound) which is understandable by humans at the
destination.
 Example: TV set receives the signals sent by the TV transmitting stations and converts the signal into a
form which is easily understandable by the humans who are watching TV.
6. Destination:
 The destination is the final stage in the communication system. Generally, humans at some place are
considered as the destination. A destination is a place where humans consume the information.
 Example: if you are watching TV, you are considered as the destination.

Q.2) Give the classification of different modes of transmission & explain it.
Answer:
Modes of Transmission:
 The way in which data is transmitted from one device to another device is known as transmission mode.
 The transmission mode is also known as the communication mode.
 Each communication channel has a direction associated with it, and transmission media provide the
direction. Therefore, the transmission mode is also known as a directional mode.
 The transmission mode is defined in the physical layer.
The modes of transmission are as follows,
1. Simplex
2. Duplex: Half duplex and full duplex.
The transmission mode defines the direction of signal flow between two connected devices.
Modes of
Transmission

Simplex Duplex

Half Duplex Full Duplex

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 4

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

1. Simplex Mode:
Transmission in only one direction.
Terminal Terminal
A B

2. Half Duplex Mode:

Transmission in either direction, but not
simultaneously.

Terminal Terminal
A OR B

3. Full Duplex Mode:

Transmission in both directions
simultaneously.
Terminal Terminal
A B

1. Simplex Mode:
 In Simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional, i.e., the data flow in one direction.
 A device can only send the data but cannot receive it or it can receive the data but cannot send the data.
 This transmission mode is not very popular as mainly communications require the two-way exchange of
data. The simplex mode is used in the business field as in sales that do not require any corresponding reply.
 Example: Keyboard and Monitor are the examples of the simplex mode as a keyboard can only accept the
data from the user and monitor can only be used to display the data on the screen.
Advantages:
 In simplex mode, the station can utilize the entire bandwidth of the communication channel, so that more
data can be transmitted at a time.
Disadvantages:
 Communication is unidirectional, so it has no inter-communication between devices.
2. Half-Duplex Mode:
 In half-duplex mode, each station can both transmit and receive, but not at the same time.
 When one device is sending, the other can only receive, and vice versa.
 The half-duplex mode is used in cases where there is no need for communication in both directions at the
same time. The entire capacity of the channel can be utilized for each direction.
 Example: Walkie- talkie in which message is sent one at a time and messages are sent in both the
directions.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 5

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Advantages:
 In half-duplex mode, both the devices can send and receive the data and also can utilize the entire
bandwidth of the communication channel during the transmission of data.
Disadvantages:
 In half-duplex mode, when one device is sending the data, then another has to wait, this causes the delay in
sending the data at the right time.

3. Full-Duplex Mode:
 In full-duplex mode, both stations can transmit and receive simultaneously.
 In full duplex mode, signals going in one direction share the capacity of the link with signals going in other
direction, this sharing can occur in two ways:
 Either the link must contain two physically separate transmission paths, one for sending and other for
receiving. The capacity is divided between signals travelling in both directions.
 Full-duplex mode is used when communication in both directions is required all the time. The capacity of
the channel however must be divided between the two directions.
 Example: Telephone Network in which there is communication between two persons by a telephone line,
through which both can talk and listen at the same time.
Advantages:
 Both the stations can send and receive the data at the same time.
Disadvantages:
 In full-duplex mode, there is no dedicated path exists between the devices, and then the capacity of the
communication channel is divided into two parts.

Q.3) Explain different types of communication media/Transmission media used in electronic

communication OR Explain different types of cables used in electronic communication.
Answer:
Communication
media

Wired Wireless
(Bounded/ Guided) (Unbounded/ Unguided)

Twisted Coaxial Optical Radio

cable Microwaves Infrared
pair fiber waves

A. Wired Media (Bounded/Guided media) :

 In this communication, devices are connected to each other by cables.
 It is also known as bounded/guided media.
 Example: Copper wire, Fiber optic cables etc.
 Wired media are further categories as Twisted pair, Coaxial cable and Optical fiber.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 6

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

1. Twisted Pair:
 It consists of a pair of copper wires twisted around each other; the wires are around 1 to 2 mm thick and
they are twisted to reduce the interference from the surrounding wires.
 Remember that a current carrying wire has a magnetic field around it that can interfere with that of
another wire when in close proximity.
 Twisted Pair is of two types:
(i) Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP):
This type of cable has the ability to block interference and does not depend on a physical shield for this
purpose.
It is used for telephonic applications.
Advantages:
 Least expensive
 Easy to install
 High speed capacity
Disadvantages:
 Susceptible to external interference
 Lower capacity
 Short distance transmission due to attenuation
(ii) Shielded Twisted Pair (STP):
This type of cable consists of a special jacket to block external interference.
It is used in fast-data-rate Ethernet and in voice and data channels of telephone lines.
Advantages:
 Better performance
 Eliminates crosstalk
 Comparatively faster
Disadvantages:
 Comparatively difficult to install and manufacture
 More expensive
 Bulky
2. Coaxial Cable:
 Offering better data rates and less signal attenuation, a coaxial cable consist of a central copper
conductor that is surrounded by a foil shield. The foil is covered by yet another shield known as a
braided shield. Unlike twisted pairs, coaxial cables only have a single copper conductor. The conductor
and the foil shield are separated by a dielectric.
 Cable TVs and analog television networks widely use Coaxial cables.
Advantages:
 High Bandwidth
 Better noise Immunity
 Easy to install and expand
 Inexpensive
Disadvantages:
 Single cable failure can disrupt the entire network

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 7

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

3. Fiber Optic:
 It is the most expensive of wired mediums and offers the highest rates of data transmission. They are
often used in long distance communications and are never affected by any electromagnetic fields. This is
because it involves light.
 A fiber optic cable is a thin, flexible, transparent medium made of very fine glass or plastic fibers. It
utilizes the principle of total internal reflection. Unlike twisted pairs or coaxial cables, a fiber optic uses
light pulses generated by laser or an injection diode to transmit data. Each pulse of light represents a
single bit of data.
 It is used for transmission of large volumes of data.
Advantages:
 Increased capacity and bandwidth
 Light weight
 Less signal attenuation
Disadvantages:
 Difficult to install and maintain
 High cost
 Unidirectional

B. Wireless media (Unbounded/Unguided media):

 A wireless network uses radio waves as the sole medium for transmitting and receiving data. There are no
wires involved. An example is the wireless router in your home. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves
which are transverse in nature and they have the longest wavelength on the electromagnetic spectrum.
 They travel at the speed of light and have frequencies ranging from 3 kHz to 3 GHz. Radio waves can easily
be absorbed by most materials and can bend around objects as well. However, they are susceptible to nearby
electromagnetic fields which can cause losses in the data rate.
Advantages:
 Signal is broadcasted through air
 Used for larger distances
Disadvantages:
 Less Secure

There are 3 major types of Unguided Media:

1. Radiowaves:
These are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending and receiving antennas need
not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz. AM and FM radios for transmission.
2. Microwaves:
It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need to be properly aligned with
each other. The distance covered by the signal is directly proportional to the height of the antenna.
Frequency Range: 1GHz – 300GHz.
These are majorly used for mobile phone communication and television distribution.
3. Infrared:
Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot penetrate through obstacles.
This prevents interference between systems. Frequency Range: 300GHz – 400THz. It is used in TV
remotes, wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 8

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Additional Information (Note: If comparison is asked write following points.)

Specifications Wired network Wireless network

Speed of
Higher Lower
operation

System
High Low
Bandwidth

Cost Less expensive More expensive

Installation Wired network installation is

Wireless network installation requires less time
time requires more time

Mobility Limited Not limited

Transmission Twisted pair, Coaxial cable and

Radio waves, Microwaves or infrared
medium Optical fiber.

WLAN, WPAN, Infrared, Cellular (GSM,CDMA,

Applications LAN (Ethernet), MAN
LTE)

QoS (Quality Poor due to high value of jitter and delay in

Better
of Service) connection setup

Q.4) Explain the IEEE electromagnetic frequency spectrum.

Answer:
Electromagnetic Spectrum: It is a signal made up of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
• The entire range of frequencies that the EM wave can produce oscillations is termed as Electromagnetic
Spectrum.
• For the classification purpose, the EM spectrum is divided into small segments and each segment is given a
nomenclature.
Each range is identified by end frequencies or wavelengths that differ by a factor of 10.
Frequency (f) range Wavelength (λ) range EM spectrum nomenclature
3 – 30 KHz 100 – 10 Km VLF – Very Low Frequency
30 – 300 KHz 10 – 1 Km LF – Low Frequency
0.3 – 3 MHz 1000 – 100 m MF – Medium Frequency
3 – 30 MHz 100 – 10 m HF – High Frequency
30 – 300 MHz 10 – 1m VHF – Very High Frequency
0.3 – 3 GHz 1000 – 100 mm UHF – Ultra High Frequency
3 – 30 GHz 100 – 10 mm SHF – Super High Frequency
30 – 300 GHz 10 – 1 mm EHF – Extremely High Frequency

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 9

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Q.5) What is modulation? Explain need of modulation. What are the different techniques of modulation?
Answer:
Terminologies in Communication Systems:
• Time (t): Time is a fundamental quantity with reference to which all communications happen. It is
measured in seconds (sec).
• Frequency (f): Frequency is fundamental quantity with reference to which all signals in a communication
system are more commonly distinguished. Frequency is defined as the number of oscillations per second. It
is measured in hertz (Hz).
• Wavelength (λ): Wavelength is defined as the distance travelled by an EM wave during the time of one
cycle.
• Spectrum: The frequency domain representation of the given signal.
• Bandwidth (B.W.): It is that portion of the EM spectrum occupied by a signal. More specifically it is the
range of frequencies over which the information is present in the original signal and hence it may also be
termed as signal bandwidth.
• Channel Bandwidth: The range of frequencies required for the transmission of modulated signal.
• Baseband Signal: Message signal in its original frequency range.
• Modulation: Modulation is a process in which any of the characteristics of carrier signal such as amplitude,
frequency or phase is varied according to the instantaneous value of modulating signal.
Need of modulation: (Why modulation is required?)
1) To reduce the height of antenna
2) Avoids mixing of signal
3) Allows multiplexing of signal
4) Allows long distance communication
5) Improves quality of reception
Different techniques of modulation:
1. Amplitude modulation (AM): (Amplitude “A” is variable)
If amplitude of carrier signal is varied according to instantaneous amplitude of modulating signal, then
process is called as amplitude modulation.
2. Frequency modulation (FM): (Frequency “f” is variable)
Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 10
 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

If frequency of carrier signal is varied according to instantaneous amplitude of modulating signal, then
process is called as frequency modulation.
3. Phase modulation (PM): (Phase “φ” is variable)
If phase of carrier signal is varied according to instantaneous amplitude of modulating signal, then
process is called as phase modulation.

Q.6) Differentiate between Amplitude modulation (AM) & Frequency modulation (FM)
Answer:
#Comparison between Amplitude Modulation (AM) & Frequency Modulation (FM)

Amplitude Modulation (AM) Frequency Modulation (FM)

Amplitude of AM will change with the modulating voltage. Amplitude of FM remains constant.

Transmitted power is dependent on the modulation index. Transmitted power remains constant. It is
independent on the modulation index.

Carrier power and one sideband power are useless. All transmitted power is useful

FM receivers are not immune to noise. FM receivers are immune to noise.

. .
Bandwidth is interdependent on modulation index. Bandwidth depends on modulation index.

Bandwidth is less than FM. Bandwidth is large hence large channel is

required.

AM equipments are more complex FM equipments are more complex

Not possible to operate several channels on same frequency Possible to operate several transmitters on
same frequency

Q.7) Draw Block Diagram of AM Transmitter and explain

Answer:
Modulation:
Modulation is the process by which some characteristics of a high frequency wave called the carrier, is changed
according to the instantaneous value of a low frequency wave called the modulating wave. The resultant wave is
called the modulated wave.
Amplitude Modulation:
Amplitude modulation is obtained by varying the amplitude of the carrier by the modulating signal, the change
in amplitude from the unmodulated value being proportional to the instantaneous value of the modulating signal
independent of its frequency.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 11

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Block Diagram of AM Transmitter:

High Level AM Transmitter

OR

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 12

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Block Diagram of AM Transmitter consists of,

1. Carrier Oscillator
2. Buffer Amplifier
3. Frequency Multiplier
4. Power Amplifier
5. Audio Amplifier
6. Modulator
Explanation of each block,

1. Carrier Oscillator:
An oscillator is used to operate the transmitted at a desirable fixed radio frequency (RF).The power
output of the oscillator, being not sufficiently large, is amplified in several stage to the desirable.
2. Buffer Amplifier:
This amplifier isolates the oscillate from the succeeding stage, so that the variation of coupling and
antenna loading do not influence the oscillator frequency.
3. Frequency Multiplier:
Oscillator cannot generate very high carrier frequencies. To obtain such frequencies, the frequency
multiplier is used to multiply the frequency of oscillator output signal to the required value.
4. Power Amplifier:
The modulated carrier is fed to this stage for final amplification before being carried to the antenna.
5. Audio Amplifier:
This amplifier is used to amplify the audio signal output of the microphone that converts the speech or
music to be transmitted into equivalent electrical signal.
6. Modulator:
The function of the modulator is to amplitude modulate the RF carrier in accordance with the amplified
audio signal.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 13

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Q.8) Draw Block Diagram of AM Receiver and explain OR Draw block diagram of Super Heterodyne
AM radio receiver and explain its operation
Answer:
Block Diagram of AM Receiver OR Superhetrodyne AM Radio Receiver:

Block Diagram of AM Receiver consists of,

1. Antenna
2. RF Amplifier
3. Local Oscillator
4. Mixer
5. IF amplifier
6. Detector
7. Audio and Power amplifiers
Explanation of each block,
1. Antenna:
The antenna picks up all radiated signals and feeds them into the RF amplifier.
These signals are very small (usually only a few microvolts).
2. RF Amplifier:
This circuit can be adjusted (tuned) to select and amplify any carrier frequency within the AM
broadcast band. Only the selected frequency and its two side bands pass through the amplifier. (Some AM
receivers don't have a separate RF amplifier stage.)
3. Local Oscillator:
This circuit generates a steady sine wave at a frequency 455 KHz above the selected RF frequency.
4. Mixer:
This circuit accepts two inputs, the amplitude modulated RF signal from the output of the RF amplifier
(or the antenna when there is no RF amplifier) and the sinusoidal output of the local oscillator (LO). These
two signals are then "mixed" by a nonlinear process called heterodyning to produce sum and difference

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 14

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

frequencies. For example, if the RF carrier has a frequency of 1000 KHz, the LO frequency is 1455 KHz
and the sum and difference frequencies out of the mixer are 2455 KHz and 455 KHz, respectively. The
difference frequency is always 455 KHz no matter what the RF carrier frequency.
5. IF amplifier:
The input to the If amplifier is the 455 KHz AM signal, a replica of the original AM carrier signal
except that the frequency has been lowered to 455 KHz, The IF amplifier significantly increases the level
of this signal.
6. Detector:
This circuit recovers the modulating signal (audio signal) from the 455 KHz IF. At this point the IF is
no longer needed, so the output of the detector consists of only the audio signal.
7. Audio and Power amplifiers:
This circuit amplifies the detected audio signal and drives the speaker to produce sound.
FM Modulation:
Mathematically, a frequency modulated (FM) waveform can be described using the equation,

Where s(t) is the FM wave, Ac cos2π fct is the high frequency sinusoidal carrier and m(t) is the baseband
message signal (the voice signal). The parameter kf is the frequency sensitivity of the FM modulator.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 15

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Q.9) Draw Block Diagram of FM Transmitter and explain

Answer:
Simple diode detector with AGC

OR

Block Diagram of FM Transmitter consists of,

1. Audio Amplifier:
2. Reactance Modulator:
3. Transmitter Oscillator:
4. Frequency Multiplier:
5. Mixer:
6. IF Amplifier:
7. Discriminator:

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 16

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

Explanation of each block,

1. Audio Amplifier:
It amplifies the audio signal from the microphone which converts the sound into equivalent electrical
signal.
2. Reactance Modulator:
This transforms the audio amplitude changes into frequency changes of the transmitter oscillator.
3. Transmitter Oscillator:
An RF oscillator is used here to generate the desirable oscillations.
4. Frequency Multiplier:
A number of frequency multipliers are used in this stage to raise the frequency to the required value.
5. Mixer:
A part of the output of block of frequency fc and that of frequency fo .The frequency multiplier block
beat together in the mixer stage to produce a fc-fo Signal.
6. IF Amplifier:
The IF amplifier significantly increases amplitude of fc-fo frequency component signal.
7. Discriminator:
The output of the IF amplifier is applied to a phase discriminator which gives a zero DC output voltage
if the frequency of its input signal to which it is tuned remains constant.

Q.10) Draw Block Diagram of FM Receiver and explain

Answer:
FM Receiver

Block Diagram of AM Receiver consists of,

1. Antenna
2. RF Amplifier
3. Local Oscillator
4. Mixer
5. IF amplifier
6. Limiter
Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 17
 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

7. FM Detector (Discriminator)
8. De-emphasis circuit
9. Audio and Power amplifiers
Explanation of each block,
1. Antenna:
The antenna picks up all radiated signals and feeds them into the RF amplifier.
2. RF Amplifier:
The RF amplifier amplifies the received signal intercepted by the antenna. The amplified signal is then
applied to the mixer stage.
3. Local Oscillator:
The second input of the mixer comes from the local oscillator.
4. Mixer:
The two input frequencies of the mixer generate an IF signal of 10.7 MHz.
5. IF amplifier:
An IF signal of 10.7 MHz is then amplified by the IF amplifier.
6. Limiter:
The output of the IF amplifier is applied to the limiter circuit. The limiter removes the noise in the
received signal and gives a constant amplitude signal. This circuit is required when a phase discriminator is
used to demodulate an FM signal.
7. FM Detector (Discriminator):
The output of the limiter is now applied to the FM discriminator, which recovers the modulating signal.
However, this signal is still not the original modulating signal.
8. De-emphasis circuit:
Before applying it to the audio amplifier stages, it is de-emphasized. De-emphasizing attenuates the
higher frequencies to bring them back to their original amplitudes as these are boosted or emphasized
before transmission.
9. Audio and Power amplifiers:
The output of the de-emphasized stage is the audio signal, which is then applied to the audio stages and
finally to the speaker. It should be noted that a limiter circuit is required with the FM discriminators. If the
demodulator stage uses a ratio detector instead of the discriminator, then a limiter is not required. This is
because the ratio detector limits the amplitude of the received signal.

Q.11) Explain the cellular concept. Draw and explain block diagram of GSM system
Answer:
#Mobile communication system: Cellular concept
• The immense potential of conventional telephone cannot be exploited to its maximum due to the limitation
imposed by the connecting wires. But this restriction has been removed with the advent of the cellular radio.
• If we use dedicated RF loop for every subscriber, we need larger bandwidth to serve even a limited number
of subscriber in a single city.
• To overcome this B.W. problem, subscribers have to share the RF channels on need basis, instead of
dedicated RF loops. This can be achieved by using multiple access methods FDMA, TDMA, or CDMA.
Even then the number of RF channels required to serve the subscribers, works out to be impracticable.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 18

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

• With limited frequency resource, cellular principle can serve thousands of subscribers at an affordable cost.
In a cellular network, total area is subdivided into smaller areas called “cells”. Each cell can cover a limited
number of mobile subscribers within its boundaries. Each cell can have a base station with a number of RF
channels.
• Frequencies used in a given cell area will be simultaneously reused at a different cell which is
geographically separated.

For example,
• A typical seven-cell pattern can be considered.
• Total available frequency resources are divided into seven parts, each part consisting of a number of radio
channels and allocated to a cell site.
Shape of Cells:
• For analytical purposes a “Hexagon” cell is preferred to other shapes on due to the following reasons.
• A hexagon layout requires fewer cells to cover a given area. Hence, it envisages fewer base stations and
minimum capital investment.
• Other geometrical shapes cannot effectively do this. For example, if circular shaped cells are there, then
there will be overlapping of cells.
• Also for a given area, among square, triangle and hexagon, radius of a hexagon will be the maximum which
is needed for weaker mobiles.
#Global System for Mobile (GSM):
Block diagram of GSM:
GSM is a second generation cellular standard developed to cater voice services and data delivery using digital
modulation.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 19

 Basic Electronics Engineering (104010)

• The GSM network architecture consists of three major subsystems:

i) Mobile Station (MS)
ii) Base Station Subsystem (BSS)
iii) Network Switching Subsystem (NSS)
• The wireless link interface between the MS and the Base Transceiver Station (BTS), which is a part of BSS.
Many BTSs are controlled by a Base Station Controller (BSC). BSC is connected to the Mobile Switching
Center (MSC), which is a part of NSS. Figure shows the key functional elements in the GSM network
architecture.
1. Mobile Station (MS):
A mobile station communicates across the air interface with a base station transceiver in the same cell in
which the mobile subscriber unit is located. The MS communicates the information with the user and
modifies it to the transmission protocols if the air-interface to communicate with the BSS. The user’s voice
information is interfaced with the MS through a microphone and speaker for the speech, keypad, and display
for short messaging, and the cable connection for other data terminals. The MS has two elements. The
Mobile Equipment (ME) refers to the physical device, which comprises of transceiver, digital signal
processors, and the antenna. The second element of the MS is the GSM is the Subscriber Identity Module
(SIM). The SIM card is unique to the GSM system. It has a memory of 32 KB.
2. Base Station Subsystem (BSS):
A base station subsystem consists of a base station controller and one or more base transceiver station.
Each Base Transceiver Station defines a single cell. A cell can have a radius of between 100m to 35km,
depending on the environment. A Base Station Controller may be connected with a BTS. It may control
multiple BTS units and hence multiple cells. There are two main architectural elements in the BSS – the Base
Transceiver Subsystem (BTS) and the Base Station Controller (BSC). The interface that connects a BTS to a
BSC is called the A-bis interface. The interface between the BSC and the MSC is called the A interface,
which is standardised within GSM.
3. Network Switching Subsystem (NSS):
The NSS is responsible for the network operation. It provides the link between the cellular network and
the Public switched telecommunicates Networks.

Electronics Engg., P.R. E.C., Loni Page 20