MEng Electronic Engineering

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Data Networking

Course unit fact file
Unit code EEEN30111
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

Brief description of the course unit:

Introduction to Network Protocol Stacks. General requirements, resource sharing, multiplexing, layered network architecture, program interfacing. ISO/OSI reference model, 5-layer model.

Direct Link Networks. System properties of physical media. Bandwidth, latency, trip-time concepts and “keeping the pipe” full. Nodes and links, link encoding, data frame protocols and error protection. Reliable transmissions and use of automatic repeat request protocols and sliding window algorithm.

Local Area Networks. Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15), physical structures, access protocol and operational properties.

Packet Switching. Reliable vs. unreliable connections, datagrams, network switching, virtual circuits, store-and-forward concepts. LAN switches, routing algorithms. Unicast, multicast and broadcast concepts.

Internetworking. The Internet Protocol (IPv4) – service model, datagrams, addressing, host configuration and error reporting. Routing algorithms (distance vector, link state) and routing metrics. Concepts of sub-netting and classless routing.

End-to-End Protocols. Unreliable (UDP) and reliable (TCP) protocols, segment formats, connection establishment and termination, sliding window and adaptive retransmission.

Domain Naming and Hierarchies. The Domain Name System.

Embedded Systems Networks. Specific requirements and design issues of embedded systems networks: topologies, protocols, robustness, error handling. Synchronous and asynchronous protocols. Examples of embedded systems networks: I2C, SPI, CAN, LIN.

Coding of digital dataHamming codes, parity, CRC and IP checksums.

Network Security. Cryptographic algorithms: symmetric key, public key, message digest. Security services: privacy, authentication, integrity control, non-repudiation.

 

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Microcontroller Engineering II EEEN20011 Pre-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

This course unit detail provides the framework for delivery in the current academic year and may be subject to change due to any additional Covid-19 impact.  Please see Blackboard / course unit related emails for any further updates.

The unit aims to:

Provide an introduction to data networking, examining in depth the TCP/IP protocol suite for computer-to-computer communication, and serial data link protocols in embedded systems networking.

 

    Learning outcomes

    On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

    Developed

    Assessed

    ILO 1

    Describe the operation of TCP/IP and selected embedded systems protocols.

    Yes

    Yes

    ILO 2

    Calculate quantities associated with selected TCP/IP protocols, including, but not limited to, congestion and data flow rates.

    Yes

    Yes

    ILO 3

    Calculate properties of wired and wireless networks, including, but not limited to, data rates, subnet addresses, and transmission and propagation times.

    Yes

    Yes

    ILO 4

    Calculate selected protocol checksums, including, but not limited to CRC and 1s complement checksums, and Hamming coding schemes.

    Yes

    Yes

    ILO 5

    Describe and analyse simple packet-switched networks and the operation of selected routing algorithms.

    Yes

    Yes

    ILO 6

    Apply selected security protocols to example networks and calculate values of shared, secret and public keys.

    Yes

    Yes

    ILO 7

    Describe and analyse Application Layer protocols and schemes, including the DNS.

    Yes

    Yes

     

    Teaching and learning methods

    19 Lectures, 1 Introductory Lab, 7 Worked Tutorial Sheets (online).

     

     

    Assessment methods

    Method Weight
    Other 20%
    Written exam 80%

    Coursework

    Implement a simple wired protocol using an ARM-based microcontroller over an I2C bus.

    Coursework forms 20% of the unit assessment

     

    Feedback methods

    .

    Recommended reading

    1. James F. Kurose & Keith W. Ross, Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach, International edition, Pearson
    2. William Stallings, Data and Computer Communications, International Edition, Prentice Hall

     

    Study hours

    Scheduled activity hours
    Lectures 19
    Practical classes & workshops 3
    Independent study hours
    Independent study 78

    Teaching staff

    Staff member Role
    Fumie Costen Unit coordinator
    Samuel Walsh Unit coordinator

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