Synopses & Reviews
Because of a major "paradigm shift" in telecommunications, the world is rapidly moving away from nearly exclusive reliance on wired networks to an era of "tetherless" communications largely based on wireless technology. Evidence for the unprecedented growth of wireless communication can be found in the explosion of demand for paging and cellular telephone services, as well as the emerging plans for digital cellular systems using TDMA and CDMA technology, and for Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) and Personal Communications Services (PCS). These developments are accompanied by the appearance of new products such as wireless LANs and wireless PBXs in the marketplace. Large companies that have long been involved in traditional "wired" communications are now making major investments in these new technologies. Despite the fact that these changes will require many engineers, computer specialists, researchers and managers to rapidly familiarize themselves with new developments in wireless information networks, there has been, until now, no comprehensive systems-level introduction to this field.
Wireless Information Networks will help the reader get up-to-speed quickly and efficiently. It organizes all the major segments of wireless technology—land-mobile radio, digital cellular, PCS/FPLMTS, mobile data networks, wireless PBXs and wireless LANs—into logical categories which reflect the different perspectives of users. It offers the reader a systems engineering perspective on the development of new systems and services as well as an overview of recent key developments in national and international spectrum allocations and standards.
Wireless Information Networks covers all the major technical topics in the design of wireless networks in the context of specific engineering problems, including:
- The characteristics of radio propagation
- Measurement and simulation methods used in evaluating and designing systems, especially indoor wireless communications—material not currently available in other books.
- Modem design, signal processing techniques, spread spectrum technology, and optical transmission
- Network access and architecture
The authors have refined the material in this book by presenting it in both professional short courses and upper-level university courses. The result is a superb text for both professionals and advanced students—in the classroom, as a self-study text, or as an authoritative reference book.
With the remarkably rapid development of wireless telecommunications, many scientists, engineers, and technical managers are faced with the need to quickly acquire knowledge of new technologies, systems, and services—information that is often scattered throughout many publications. Wireless Information Networks organizes all the major elements of wireless technology—cordless and cellular telephony, Personal Communications Systems (PCS), mobile data networks, and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs)—and presents them from a logical, systems engineering perspective. Technical material is thoroughly integrated with specific applications, and focuses on four main areas:
- Wireless standards and descriptions of systems and products
- Measurement and modeling of radio and optical wave propagations
- Wireless transmission techniques
- Wireless multiple access techniques
Synopsis
Towards location aware mobile ad hoc sensors
A Systems Engineering Approach to Wireless Information Networks
The Second Edition of this internationally respected textbook brings readers fully up to date with the myriad of developments in wireless communications. When first published in 1995, wireless communications was synonymous with cellular telephones. Now wireless information networks are the most important technology in all branches of telecommunications. Readers can learn about the latest applications in such areas as ad hoc sensor networks, home networking, and wireless positioning.
Wireless Information Networks takes a systems engineering approach: technical topics are presented in the context of how they fit into the ongoing development of new systems and services, as well as the recent developments in national and international spectrum allocations and standards. The authors have organized the myriad of current and emerging wireless technologies into logical categories:
- Introduction to Wireless Networks presents an up-to-the-moment discussion of the evolution of the cellular industry from analog cellular technology to 2G, 3G, and 4G, as well as the emergence of WLAN and WPAN as broadband ad hoc networks
- Characteristics of Radio Propagation includes new coverage of channel modeling for space-time, MIMO, and UWB communications and wireless geolocation networks
- Modem Design offers new descriptions of space-time coding, MIMO antenna systems, UWB communications, and multi-user detection and interference cancellation techniques used in CDMA networks
- Network Access and System Aspects incorporates new chapters on UWB systems and RF geolocations, with a thorough revision of wireless access techniques and wireless systems and standards
Exercises that focus on real-world problems are provided at the end of each chapter. The mix of assignments, which includes computer projects and questionnaires in addition to traditional problem sets, helps readers focus on key issues and develop the skills they need to solve actual engineering problems. A separate Instructor's Manual is available that includes a solution book and supporting material for preparing class presentations. Extensive references are provided for those readers who would like to explore particular topics in greater depth.
With its emphasis on knowledge-building to solve problems, this is an excellent graduate-level textbook. Like the previous edition, this latest edition will also be a standard reference for the telecommunications industry.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 541-564) and index.
About the Author
KAVEH PAHLAVAN, PhD, is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, a Professor of Computer Science, and the Director of the Center for Wireless Information Network Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Center for Wireless Communications, University of Oulu, Finland. Dr. Pahlavan is also the principal author of Principles of Wireless Networks: A Unified Approach, Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Wireless Information Networks, Fellow of the IEEE, a Nokia Fellow, and a former Fulbright-Nokia Scholar.
ALLEN H. LEVESQUE, PhD, is a consulting engineer specializing in digital communications technologies and an Adjunct Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Levesque is coauthor of Error-Control Techniques for Digital Communication (Wiley), an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Wireless Information Networks, and a Fellow of the IEEE.
Table of Contents
Frequency Administration and Standards Activities.
Characterization of Radio Propagation.
Channel Measurement and Modeling for Narrowband Signaling.
Measurement of Wideband Channel Characteristics.
Computer Simulation of Wideband Radio Channels.
Modem Technology.
Signal Processing for Wireless Applications.
Spread Spectrum for WIN Systems.
Wireless Optical Networks.
Networks and Access Methods.
Standards and Products.
References.
Index.