Designed for a single-semester course, this concise and approachable text covers all of the essential concepts needed to understand modern communications systems. Balancing theory with practical implementation, it presents key ideas as a chain of functions for a transmitter and receiver, covering topics such as amplification, up- and down-conversion, modulation, dispersive channel compensation, error-correcting codes, acquisition, multiple-antenna and multiple-input multiple-output antenna techniques, and higher level communications functions. Analog modulations are also presented, and all of the basic and advanced mathematics, statistics, and Fourier theory needed to understand the concepts covered is included. Supported online with PowerPoint slides, a solutions manual, and additional MATLAB-based simulation problems, it is ideal for a first course in communications for senior undergraduate and graduate students.

'… strikes an elegant balance between fundamental concepts, their applications, and the depth of explanation. It's the kind of book that you want to hand to all beginners in wireless.' Ashutosh Sabharwal, Rice University
'… an ideal introduction to modern communications systems. Theoretical principles and practical considerations are presented in an integrated fashion, and the material is introduced in an intuitive manner with a logical progression of ideas, making this the perfect text for a beginner with an interest in pursuing serious study of modern communications systems. This book should be on the required or recommended text list of all introductory communications courses!' Siddhartan Govindasamy, Boston College

Daniel W. Bliss is a Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU), and is the Director of ASU's Center for Wireless Information Systems and Computational Architectures. He is a co-author of Adaptive Wireless Communications: MIMO Channels and Networks (Cambridge 2013).