This course introduces fundamental concepts of wireless networks. The design of wireless networks is influenced heavily by how signals travel through space, so the course starts with an introduction to the wireless physical layer, presented in a way that is accessible to a broad range of students. The focus of the course is on wireless MAC concepts including CSMA, TDMA/FDMA, and CDMA. It also covers a broad range of wireless networking standards, and reviews important wireless network application areas (e.g., sensor networks, vehicular) and other applications of wireless technologies (e.g., GPS, RFID, sensing, etc.). Finally, we will touch on public policy issues, e.g., as related to spectrum use. This course is has both a graduate and undergraduate section.
The course will specifically cover:
All information regarding this course will be posted on this web page so please check the page regularly. We use Gradescope for some assignments and Piazza for discussion on homeworks and project 1. Canvas will be used to post solutions for assignments and grades. To access the course pages on Gradescope and Piazza, please check Canvas for course section 18452 on canvas.cmu.edu.
Prerequisites: 18-213 or 15-213 (for 18-452) or 15-513 (for 18-750) or evidence that you have the equivalent background. If you have concerns about your background, please contact the instructor.
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Prof. Peter Steenkiste
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TBD
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Stephanie Bolla
E-mail: sbolla AT andrew.cmu.edu
Office: HH 1112
Trace Farbacher
E-mail: tracyf AT cs.cmu.edu
Office: please use e-mail
A high level description of the course material can be found in a publication by Springer: Introduction to Wireless Networking and Its Impact on Applications. Access is free for people at CMU (make sure you are authenticated!). Note that the lectures will often have more depth and include additional material.
A textbook that is useful is "Wireless Communication Networks and Systems", Cory Beard and William Stallings, Pearson, first edition, 2015. It covers most of the material in course (roughly up to lecture 20). An alternative is "Wireless Communications", Andreas Mulisch, Wiley, 3rd edition, 2022, which covers roughly the same topics. Both textbooks provide a lot more detail than we have time for in the course.
Lectures are Monday and Wednesday, 2:00-3:50pm in Wean Hall 5302. Recitations sessions are on Friday, 12:30am-1:50pm in Doherty Hall 1112. Note that in the first half of the semester, some of the recitation slots will be used for lectures, freeing up time in the second half of the semester for your course project.
The schedule below is a tentative schedule for Spring 2025. The course content will be similar to 2024, except for updates on newer technologies and standards.
To access some of the papers of the surveys, you may need a CMU IP address, i.e., you need to be on campus or use a VPN.
| Week of | Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| Jan 3 | 1. Course overview and wireless introduction | 2. Wireless challenges and signals | 3. Physical layer: basics |
| Jan 20 | No class - MLK day | 4. Physical layer: modulation | 5. Physical layer: diversity |
| Jan 27 | 6. Recitation: Project 1; Physical layer: OFDM | 7. MIMO | 8. LANs |
| Feb 3 | 9. WiFi basics | 10. WiFi | 11. WiFi Management |
| Feb 10 | 12. WiFi Standards - paper Optional: FAQ 802.11 futures |
13. Cellular Basics, 1G | 14. Cellular 2G |
| Feb 17 | 15. Cellular LTE | 16. Cellular 5G | no class |
| Feb 24 | Recitation: Q and A for midterm | 17. Midterm (lectures 1-13) | Spring break |
| Mar 3 | Spring break | Spring break | Spring break |
| Mar 10 | 18. Wireless and IP | 29. Wireless and TCP/applications | 20. PAN - Bluetooth |
| Mar 17 | 21. Sensor networks | 22. RFID | 23. Localization |
| Mar 24 | 24. Lecture DSA | No class | No class |
| Mar 31 | No class | Spring Carnival | Spring Carnival |
| Apr 7 | No class | No class | No class |
| Apr 14 | 25. Surveys: MIMO (PP/AK), mmWave (JW/TG), Sensing with WiFi (BL/MT), C2V (XL/ZF) | No class | 26. Surveys: Newer versions of WiFi (ML/HW), Low power wireless (YW/ZX), Tera Hertz communications (AP/SS), Visible light communication (XL/ZF) |
| Apr 21 | Recitation: Project presentations | 27. Surveys: 5G deployments (ZD/SA), Wireless Security (RA/LG), Satellite networks (VM), Backscatter/ambient (YF/YY and EY/GL) |
Recitations: Q & A for final |
Four homeworks will be assigned throughout the course. Homeworks will be posted and submitted using Gradescope. The course also includes two projects and a survey, each involving a number of deadlines as described below.
The course has a midterm and a final. The midterm will be in the week before spring break during class time. It is closed book and will cover the material in lectures 1-13. The final will be during finals week, on a date and time posted by the registrar.
The educational objectives of the course project include the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering; to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data; to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within real-world constraints; the ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams; and to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
This will be achieved using two hands-on projects that are executed by teams of 2 (sometimes 3) students. The first project is a small measurement project that will help you gain a better understanding of the properties of wireless channels. The second project is larger and involves the design, implementation, and evaluation of a wireless system. Details on the projects will be discussed in class.
Two-three lectures in the course will be dedicated to more advanced topics. Teams of two students will prepare and present one survey, a short presentation on a wireless networking topic based on a set of research papers. More details on the survey assignment, including list of topics, can be found in the Survey Handout. That page also includes a list of papers for each topic.
The survey lectures are part of the course, and the material presented in the presentations will be covered in the homeworks and final. Specifically, the slides used in the survey presentation and one of the papers on the reading list should be studied to prepare for the final. Both the slides and the selected paper can be found in the table with the course schedule.
The education goals for the survey presentations include a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning; and an ability to communicate effectively.If you think we made a mistake in grading, please return the assignment with a note explaining your concern to the course secretary no later than two weeks after the day the assignment was returned. We will have the question re-graded by the person responsible for grading that question.
Assignments that are handed in late will be assessed a 15% penalty per day. No assignment will be accepted more than two days late.
If you have a documented medical problem that prevents you from handing an assignment in on time, we will work with you to find a suitable replacement turn-in time. "Documented" means that you have a medical note, e.g., from a doctor or the health center. Similar arrangements can be made for other emergencies if they are documented (e.g., an e-mail from your advisor). Scheduled absences, e.g., interviews or vacations, are not an acceptable justification for extentions.
Students at Carnegie Mellon are engaged in preparation for professional activity of the highest standards. Each profession constrains its members with both ethical responsibilities and disciplinary limits. To assure the validity of the learning experience a university establishes clear standards for student work, as described in the document on Academic Integrity. These rules will be strictly enforced in this course.
If you drop the course it is your responsibility to notify the instructor and your team member(s) in your project and survey team as soon as possible. Losing a team member is very disruptive to the rest of the team, so it is important that we can adjust the team as quickly as possible.
Grades will be determined based on homeworks (10%), projects (5% and 25%), survey talk (10%), and 2 exams (20% midterm and 30% final).