ECE4024 Wireless communications
Faculty of Engineering
ECE4024 Wireless communications is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It needs ECE3141.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 70%
- and 2 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ECE4024
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ECE4024
No unit lists ECE4024 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This unit introduces the fundamentals of wireless communications and networking. You will learn about the characteristics of wireless channels, modulation techniques, methods of combating fading including space, time and frequency diversity, multiple access techniques and cellular networks.
A selection of more advanced topics will also be covered including MIMO systems, heterogeneous networks, 5G and next-generation communications. A final project will give you the opportunity to construct and test a wireless system through the use of software-defined radios (SDRs).
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Weekly quizzesQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle10%
- Laboratory assessmentQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle20%
- Mid-term testExaminationThreshold hurdle20%
- Final assessmentExaminationThreshold hurdle50%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Construct theoretical models of wireless channels to predict the error performance of communication systems using typical distortions such as noise, fading and interference.
- 2
Describe the capacity of wireless communication systems with reference to real world data using spatial and temporal diversity techniques.
- 3
Integrate a range of signal processing features for wireless communication systems to appraise performance using a software-defined radio hardware platform.
- 4
Evaluate the distinct capacity advantages and the channel limitations of multi-antenna systems.
- 5
Construct an extension to an existing wireless communication system and quantify its capabilities.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories36 hours
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachEnquiry-based learning
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3 - 6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6 - 9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Where it fits
ECE4024 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Emanuele Viterbo
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Gayathri Kongara
- Professor Emanuele Viterbo
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ECE4024?
You need ECE3141 before you enrol.
When is ECE4024 offered?
In 2025, ECE4024 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ECE4024?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECE4024 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 70% of the final mark, alongside 3 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include ECE4024?
ECE4024 is part of Electrical and computer systems engineering; and Telecommunications infrastructure.