Term 061: Senior Student Project for COE Students

 

LabVIEW-based Virtual Instrumentation for Communication Experiments

 

Proposed by: Dr. Radwan E. Abdel-Aal, COE Department

Room 22-325, Tel: 4320, email: radwan@kfupm.edu.sa

 

LabVIEW is a versatile graphical (visual) programming platform which simplifies the development of applications involving simulation, data acquisition and analysis, signal processing, and measurements and control. LabVIEW has been instrumental in the development of the virtual instrumentation concept, where the instrument functionality is implemented in software, thus improving flexibility and reducing cost.

 

This project aims at using LabVIEW to develop a set of virtual instruments (VIs) and experiments that form the basis of a virtual lab for possibly supplementing the teaching of the introductory COE 341 course on Data and Computer Communications. In addition to embodying the technical concepts involved, the developed VI software must be user-friendly and should mimic actual instruments used in real laboratory experiments.

 

Following is a list of example experiments that can be developed:

(Project should implement a minimum of 5 experiments)

 

  1. Analog modulation and demodulation techniques: AM, FM, PM, etc.
  2. Shift keying modulation/demodulation techniques: ASK, FSK, PSK, etc.
  3. Digital encoding techniques: NRZ codes, Bipolar codes, Biphase codes, etc.
  4. PCM encoding and decoding
  5. Delta modulation/demodulation
  6. CRC code generation and error checking.
  7. Fourier transform, filtering, and effective bandwidth.
  8. Receiver operating characteristics: BER Vs Eb/N0.
  9. Asynchronous data transmission
  10. Transmission impairments: Attenuation, noise, interference, cross-talk, distortion, etc.
  11. Design of basic communication links using guided and unguided media.
  12. HDLC frames and operation.
  13. Multiplexing techniques: FDM, TDM, etc.

 

Project Pre-requisite:  COE 341 with good standing.

 

Suggested Tentative Plan:

                                                                                                                               Weeks

  1. LabVIEW learning                                                                                            2
  2. Selection and hierarchical design of experiments                                                1
  3. Implementation of basic virtual instruments                                             3
  4. Implementation of experiments                                                              4                       
  5. Testing and debugging                                                                           2
  6. Trials on prospective users (current COE 341 students) and improvements        2
  7. Commissioning and documentation                                                                    2