Abstract
The unprecedented growth in wireless communication is offering opportunities and challenges for educators. Thanks to technology advances and job opportunities, more and more students are interested in wireless communications courses. However, bridging the gap between classroom and real-world experience remains a challenge. Advanced undergraduate communications courses typically focus more on theory. Some courses are given online, and lack hands-on experiments. Driven by feedback from industry and students, we propose practical laboratory experiments that attempt to bridge the gap between classroom and real world. The laboratory exercises take advantage of the infrastructure of deployed wireless networks and allow students to measure, and analyze data, as well as to interact. The proposed labs can be used even in online courses. This paper describes the experiments proposed, the procedures and typical results. The experiments are tied to course objective.
Highlights
Mobile wireless communications technology has witnessed unprecedented popularity and penetration in the last decade
This series of experiments is based on a deployed WiMAX network to reinforce theory covered in the classroom including: broadband 4G technology, cellular concepts, cell size, and interference, propagation models, the impact of signal strength, obstacles, and environment on received signal strength, adaptive modulation and dependence on signal strength, data throughput for voice, data and video traffic and dependence on link quality
The students are expected to complete a table with their location, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and any information about the environment that might interfere with measurement
Summary
Mobile wireless communications technology has witnessed unprecedented popularity and penetration in the last decade. The objective of this work is to bridge the gap between the academic education and real world by developing an open-access wireless lab that takes advantage of current deployed wireless and cellular networks and enables students to perform experiments in the field by collecting and observing measurements. The students will be responsible for analyzing the data obtained by their group and interact with other student groups to reinforce theory covered in the course This series of experiments is based on a deployed WiMAX network to reinforce theory covered in the classroom including: broadband 4G technology, cellular concepts, cell size, and interference, propagation models, the impact of signal strength, obstacles, and environment on received signal strength, adaptive modulation and dependence on signal strength, data throughput for voice, data and video traffic and dependence on link quality.
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