FIT5162 - Digital communications software

Leader(s): Nandita Bhattacharjee

Offered

Not offered in 2009

Synopsis

This unit will introduce communication protocol engineering and the software implementation of communication protocols using finite state machines as a communications protocol specification and their software implementation. Students will also learn software implementation of protocol data unit encoders and decoders using the Unix/C programming environment to manage buffer space, handle real-time communications protocol constraints and manage interrupts and polling of communications hardware.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit students will have:

1. knowledge of design, role of software and implementation of communication protocols;
2. understanding of description and implementation of finite state machines;
3. implement protocol data unit encoders, decoders and circular buffers in software;
4. handle polling and interrupt dispatch mechanisms and real time constraints on communications software performance;
5. structure multithreaded and multiprocess communications software;
6. analyse real-time and resource demands of communications protocols to determine appropriate implementation structures;
7. evaluate communications software to determine that it meets the protocol and specifications;
8. use the UNIX/C operating system environment for programming simple communication protocols using a finite state machine implementation;
9. use operating system kernel facilities in their programs to ensure real-time protocol constraints are met by their communications software;
10. test and verify that their software implementation meets the protocol specifications.

Assessment

Practical assignments: 70%; Exam: ( 2 hours): 30%.

Contact hours

2 hours of lectures/week, 2 hours of tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended knowledge: basic knowledge of networks, data communications and programming.

Prohibitions

CSE4883, FIT4014

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5162/