COM5010 - INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEMATICS

Module Identifier	COM5010
Module Title	INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEMATICS
Academic Year	2002/2003
Co-ordinator	Dr Mora J McCallum
Semester	Available all semesters
Pre-Requisite	CO11020 , Available only to students taking the Diploma/MSc in Computer Science scheme in Singapore.
Course delivery	Other	Contact Hours. 34 hours of contact time plus about 65 hours of self study, practicals and assessment.
Assessment	Semester Exam	2 Hours	100%
	Supplementary Exam	Supplementary examination will take the same form, under the terms of the Department's policy.
Further details	http://www.aber.ac.uk/compsci/ModuleInfo/COM5010

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

plan networks that are cost effective and realistic in terms of products and services currently available;
critically assess proposed networking solutions;
investigate, and propose solutions to, problems of quality of service;
assess the effect of likely technological and regulatory developments on existing network applications.
make decisions and provide guidance to others in the choice of appropriate communications technologies to deploy, to solve real world requirements.

Brief description

The purpose of this module is to present an introduction to the problems encountered and the methods used in modern computer based communications systems.

Aims

This module aims to give an introduction to the area of Computer Communications and Telematics. The two main aims of the module are to:

provide sufficient foundation for students to study COM5610 ;

provide sufficient experience of the subject matter to allow students to use the knowledge in their careers.

Content

1. Introduction

2. History of Communications
A brief history of the development of both the technology and regulation of communication systems. Common Carriers; Singaporean carriers: SingTel and the new market entrants.

3. Basics of Data Communication
Analogue and digital data transmission; Synchronous and Asynchronous transmission; Parallel and Serial transmission; Modems and the PSTN, concentrators, multiplexors; Co-ax, twisted pair, fibre optic media; Speed, distance, error rates of various transmission media.

4. Local Area Networks
Bus, Ring, Star topologies; Cost of attaching devices to networks; Media access and sharing strategies.

5. Wide Area Network technologies and services
Public Switched Networks and private lines; Kilostream, Megastream and similar services; N-ISDN; Examples of WANs. Fast Network Technologies.

6. Standards
The needs for standards and the areas they cover; Standards setting process; Standards setting bodies; BSI, ISO, ANSI, IEEE, ITU (CCITT), IAB; IETF;De facto standards. The ISO OSI Model.

7. The Internet
The Internet, its applications and their history and evolution. Internet standards, control and regulation. Protocols used on the Internet such as: IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, FTP, Telnet, etc.

Reading Lists

Books
** Essential Reading
B A Forouzan. (2000) Introduction to data communications and networking. 2nd. WCB/McGraw-Hill ISBN 0071181601