Principles of Modern Communications Technology

A complete introduction to communication technologies and systems, offering a solid understanding of the fundamentals, history and future direction of this ever-changing field. Geared towards non-technical business professionals and students, this resource integrates human physiology and factors, important inventors and business people, and basic technological principles to explain the key concepts and developments of modern communications. This self-teaching book uses modern communication systems - such as the compact disc, television, the telephone, and the computer - as the motivation for the reader to study their basic principles. From analog-to-digital conversion, spectrum and bandwidth, and packet and circuit switching, to electricity and electronics, modulation and multiplexing, and computer processing, the author takes a thorough and phased approach in presenting major topics. Structured in a modular format, the book covers audio technology, video systems, speech communication systems, and written communication systems, applying key concepts in each area to real-world communication systems.