Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications (2nd Edition) [Hardcover]

Bernard Sklar (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130847887 | ISBN-13: 978-0130847881 | Publication Date: January 21, 2001 | Edition: 2

• The clear, easy-to-understand introduction to digital communications
• Completely updated coverage of today's most critical technologies
• Step-by-step implementation coverage
• Trellis-coded modulation, fading channels, Reed-Solomon codes, encryption, and more
• Exclusive coverage of maximizing performance with advanced "turbo codes"

"This is a remarkably comprehensive treatment of the field, covering in considerable detail modulation, coding (both source and channel), encryption, multiple access and spread spectrum. It can serve both as an excellent introduction for the graduate student with some background in probability theory or as a valuable reference for the practicing ommunication system engineer. For both communities, the treatment is clear and well presented."

– Andrew Viterbi, The Viterbi Group

Master every key digital communications technology, concept, and technique.

Digital Communications, Second Edition is a thoroughly revised and updated edition of the field's classic, best-selling introduction. With remarkable clarity, Dr. Bernard Sklar introduces every digital communication technology at the heart of today's wireless and Internet revolutions, providing a unified structure and context for understanding them -- all without sacrificing mathematical precision.

Sklar begins by introducing the fundamentals of signals, spectra, formatting, and baseband transmission. Next, he presents practical coverage of virtually every contemporary modulation, coding, and signal processing technique, with numeric examples and step-by-step implementation guidance. Coverage includes:

• Signals and processing steps: from information source through transmitter, channel, receiver, and information sink
• Key tradeoffs: signal-to-noise ratios, probability of error, and bandwidth expenditure
• Trellis-coded modulation and Reed-Solomon codes: what's behind the math
• Synchronization and spread spectrum solutions
• Fading channels: causes, effects, and techniques for withstanding fading
• The first complete how-to guide to turbo codes: squeezing maximum performance out of digital connections
• Implementing encryption with PGP, the de facto industry standard

Whether you're building wireless systems, xDSL, fiber or coax-based services, satellite networks, or Internet infrastructure, Sklar presents the theory and the practical implementation details you need. With nearly 500 illustrations and 300 problems and exercises, there's never been a faster way to master advanced digital communications.

CD-ROM INCLUDED

The CD-ROM contains a complete educational version of Elanix' SystemView DSP design software, as well as detailed notes for getting started, a comprehensive DSP tutorial, and over 50 additional communications exercises.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

• The clear, easy-to-understand introduction to digital communications
• Completely updated coverage of today's most critical technologies
• Step-by-step implementation coverage
• Trellis-coded modulation, fading channels, Reed-Solomon codes, encryption, and more
• Exclusive coverage of maximizing performance with advanced "turbo codes"

"This is a remarkably comprehensive treatment of the field, covering in considerable detail modulation, coding (both source and channel), encryption, multiple access and spread spectrum. It can serve both as an excellent introduction for the graduate student with some background in probability theory or as a valuable reference for the practicing ommunication system engineer. For both communities, the treatment is clear and well presented." — Andrew Viterbi, The Viterbi Group

Master every key digital communications technology, concept, and technique.

Digital Communications, Second Edition is a thoroughly revised and updated edition of the field's classic, best-selling introduction. With remarkable clarity, Dr. Bernard Sklar introduces every digital communication technology at the heart of today's wireless and Internet revolutions, providing a unified structure and context for understanding them -- all without sacrificing mathematical precision.

Sklar begins by introducing the fundamentals of signals, spectra, formatting, and baseband transmission. Next, he presents practical coverage of virtually every contemporary modulation, coding, and signal processing technique, with numeric examples and step-by-step implementation guidance. Coverage includes:

• Signals and processing steps: from information source through transmitter, channel, receiver, and information sink
• Key tradeoffs: signal-to-noise ratios, probability of error, and bandwidth expenditure
• Trellis-coded modulation and Reed-Solomon codes: what's behind the math
• Synchronization and spread spectrum solutions
• Fading channels: causes, effects, and techniques for withstanding fading
• The first complete how-to guide to turbo codes: squeezing maximum performance out of digital connections
• Implementing encryption with PGP, the de facto industry standard

Whether you're building wireless systems, xDSL, fiber or coax-based services, satellite networks, or Internet infrastructure, Sklar presents the theory and the practical implementation details you need. With nearly 500 illustrations and 300 problems and exercises, there's never been a faster way to master advanced digital communications.

CD-ROM INCLUDED

The CD-ROM contains a complete educational version of Elanix' SystemView DSP design software, as well as detailed notes for getting started, a comprehensive DSP tutorial, and over 50 additional communications exercises.

About the Author

DR. BERNARD SKLAR has over 40 years of experience in technical design and management positions at Republic Aviation, Hughes Aircraft, Litton Industries, and at The Aerospace Corporation, where he helped develop the MILSTAR satellite system. He is now head of advanced systems at Communications Engineering Services, a consulting company he founded in 1984. He has taught engineering courses at several universities, including UCLA and USC, and has trained professional engineers worldwide.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1079 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (January 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130847887
• ISBN-13: 978-0130847881
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.1 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Digital Communications: Fundamentals & Applications, 2nd Ed., February 26, 2001

By 

George Edwards (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books on the market for communications. As a university professor I am always looking for that special book that can take the student from the formative learning stage into maturity in the field of communication and signal processing. This book is an excellent text for such a journey. It provides a good mix of theory and practice with many worked examples. Unlike many texts in communications theory that provide their audiences with a lot of theory and abstractions that leave them confused, this book is so well written and the theory so well handled and presented, that its concepts are easily grasped. Then, to supplement this, the book has numerous worked examples showing practical applications. As an educator in the field of communications I have adapted this book for my course because its stated attributes above make my work in educating students that much easier. I recommend this book without reservation to anyone who needs a good reference in the field of communications.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview but not mathematically rigorous, September 17, 2002

By 

Rajesh S. Raghavan (Baltimore, MD 21234) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)

Digital Communications by Sklar is an excellent introduction to the field for the student or the practicing engineer. There is a logical flow from beginning to end, and the book is written in an easy to read style, which allows the reader to grasp the engineering tradeoffs involved in digital communications.

The book is not mathematically rigorous; although formulas are presented, they are not derived. However, I feel that to correct this shortfall may make the book too long, and harder to read. I think it is better to get a general overview of the topic from this book, and to look to other sources where mathematical rigor is desired.

Some additional background is helpful, but not necessary to understand the mathematical details that are glossed over. These include a course in Detection and Estimation to understand concepts such as signal spaces, noise, decision regions and probability of error, and an introductory DSP course to understand the issues surrounding aliasing, quantizing, equalization, and source coding. Familiarity with Fourier Transforms and prior background with Probability and Random Processes is essential to understanding the math that is presented in the book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for someone who wants to appreciate the engineeering constraints that need to be met in the design of digital communication systems.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to learn comm. theory., March 8, 2001

By 

miner49 (Southern California (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)

I was introduced to the 1st edition of this book as an undergrad at UCLA where Sklar taught. Since then as I have worked in the wireless and telecom fields, it has remained one of my main references. I've added other comm. books such as Proakis', but Sklar remains my favorite. It is well arrange, making it easy to reference any material you may be interested in. It touches on every area of comm. theory from modulation to coding. If you are looking for a general communication theory reference book, then this should be the one. But if you are only interested in learning in detail about one particular area of commmuncation theory such as CDMA or Trellis Coding, then you should seek a book specializing in that area only. No book can cover everything in the depth.