Academic management

Fundamentals of Telematics is a mandatory course framed within the Network and Computer Architecture subject. It is the first mandatory course of this subject and is taught during the first semester of the second year. It has 2 hours per week of expository classes, 2 hours per week of laboratory classes, 7 semester hours of classroom practices and 2 semester hours of group tutoring.

This course covers the most widespread network protocol architectures nowadays (OSI and TCP/IP), as well as the study of the lower levels of the OSI model (the physical layer and the data link layer).

There are no previous requirements for this course.

General competences

• CG.5. Acquire knowledge for carrying out measurements, calculations, evaluations, appraisals, surveys, studies, reports, task planning and other similar works in the specific field of telecommunications.
• CG.6. Ease of handling specifications, regulations and mandatory standards.
• CG.9. Ability to work in a multidisciplinary group and multilingual environment ant to communicate, both in writing and orally, knowledge, procedures results and ideas related to telecommunications and electronics.

Specific competences

• CR.1. Ability to autonomously learn new knowledge and techniques suitable for the design, development or operation of telecommunication system and services
• CR.12. Knowledge and use of the concepts of network architecture, protocols and communication interfaces.
• CR.15. Knowledge of the rules and regulations of telecommunications at national, european and international levels.

Learning results:

• RA-7.1. Explain what a communication network is and differentiate between a packet and circuit switched network.
• RA-7.2. Define protocol and protocol architecture.
• RA.7.3. List and explain the function of the layers that compose OSI and TCP/IP protocol architectures.
• RA-7.4. Identify the different transmission media and describe their operating characteristics.
• RA-7.5. Quote the coding schemes for transmission at physical level and use samples to explain their operation.
• RA-7.6. Specify the functions of the data link layer in the TCP/IP architecture related to error control, flow control and medium access.
• RA-7.7. Identify, explain and exemplify the protocols used by the data link layer in the TCP/IP architecture.
• RA-7.8 Cite the main communication interfaces, describe their specifications and exemplify their operation.

Lesson 1: Introduction

Lesson 2: Protocol Architecture

• OSI architecture
• TCP/IP architecture

Lesson 3: Physical level

• Transmission media
• Coding schemes

Lesson 4: Data link level

• Error control
• Flow control
• Medium Access control
• Data link protocols

Lesson 5: Communication interfaces

• RS-232
• RDSI

Lesson 6: LAN Ethernet Networks

Ordinary evaluation:

Course evaluation will take place based on the following concepts:

• Continuous assessment of the theoretical part: along the semester, exams and/or tasks, which generate a grade called NT.
• Continuous assessment of the laboratory part: along the semester, each student will do several tasks based on laboratory practices, which generate a grade called NP.
• Final exam: at the end of the semester a face-to-face exam will be done, which generate a grade called NE.

Final grade of the course (called NF) in the ordinary evaluation is:

NF = NT*0,2 + NP*0,3 + NE*0,5

Students must fulfill the following requirements to be evaluated with this procedure: 

• To have an attendance rate to laboratory sessions of at least 80%.
• Obtain a grade equal or above 4 (of 10) in NT, NP and NE (Independently of the NT grade). Otherwise, the maximum grade that could be obtained in NF will be 4,5.

Exceptionally, in case sanitary conditions require it, it will be possible to include non-presential evaluation activities. In that scenario, students will be informed about the changes made.

Extraordinary evaluation:

Extraordinary evaluation will take place based on a final exam where theoretical and laboratory practices will be evaluated. In that exam theoretical part will be a 70% of the final grade and laboratory practices will be a 30%.

• Final theory exam: it will take place on the scheduled dates and it will generate a grade called NE.
• Final laboratory exam: it will take place just after the theory exam and it will generate a grade called NP.

Final grade of this assessment (called NF) is:

NF = NP*0,3 + NE*0,7

Students must fulfill the following requirement to pass this assessment: 

• To get a grade equal or above 4 (of 10) in NT, NP and NE. Otherwise the maximum grade that could be obtained in NF will be 4,5.

Exceptionally, in case sanitary conditions require it, it will be possible to include non-presential evaluation activities. In that scenario, students will be informed about the changes made.

Differentiated evaluation:

Differentiated evaluation will be done following the same instructions than extraordinary evaluation.

• Data and Computer Communications, 10th Ed., William Stallings, Pearson.
• Computer Networks, 5th Ed., Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Prentice Hall.
• Redes de comunicación. Conceptos fundamentales y arquitecturas básicas, Alberto León-García, McGraw-Hill.