UC San Diego | Spring 2025 planner

ECE 157A: Wireless Communications Laboratory

Course info and planner

The Spring 2025 planner, lecture progression, and major course milestones for ECE 157A.

Spring 2025 planner All teaching

Planner summary

Spring 2025 course info

Cadence

  • 19 lectures across April, May, and early June
  • 4 labs with pre-lab releases and report deadlines
  • 3 mini-projects with staggered releases and due dates

Public materials

  • Download the Spring 2025 planner PDF
  • Public page focuses on structure, milestones, and durable course content
  • Quarter-specific logistics can remain on Canvas or in class announcements

Detailed planner

April 2025

DateFormatFocus and milestone
Apr 1Lecture 1Introduction.
Apr 3Lecture 2Analog versus digital communications.
Apr 5MilestonePre-lab 1 released.
Apr 8Lecture 3Birds-eye view of digital communications, signal spaces, and I/Q modulation. Lab 1 released.
Apr 9Office hoursPre-lab 1 discussion.
Apr 10Lecture 4Introduction to software-defined radios and lab setup.
Apr 11Lab 1Introduction to BPSK and QPSK modulation, with Pluto SDR observations. Pre-lab 1 due. Mini-project 1 released.
Apr 15Lecture 5DSP review for wireless communications.
Apr 16Office hoursLab 1 and mini-project 1 discussion.
Apr 17Lecture 6Pulse shaping and DSP filtering.
Apr 18Office hoursLab 1 discussion and mini-project support. Lab 1 report due. Pre-lab 2 released.
Apr 22Lecture 7Countering ISI and Nyquist sampling. Lab 2 released.
Apr 23Office hoursPre-lab 2 and mini-project 1 discussion.
Apr 24Lecture 8Receiving and estimating bits: estimation theory meets wireless communications.
Apr 25Lab 2Sampling, filtering, and data/noise generation. Pre-lab 2 due. Mini-project 2 released.
Apr 27MilestoneMini-project 1 due.
Apr 29Lecture 9Estimation theory for timing recovery.
Apr 30Office hoursLab 2 and mini-project 2 discussion.

May 2025

DateFormatFocus and milestone
May 1Lecture 10Control systems meets wireless communications: phase-locked loops.
May 2Office hoursLab 2 discussion and mini-project 2 support. Lab 2 report due. Pre-lab 3 released.
May 6Lecture 11Phase-locked loops continued, including the Costas loop. Lab 3 released.
May 7Office hoursPre-lab 3 and mini-project 2 discussion.
May 8Lecture 12Optimal detection and timing recovery.
May 9Lab 3Bit error rate and parameter estimation. Pre-lab 3 due. Mini-project 3 released.
May 11MilestoneMini-project 2 due.
May 13Lecture 13Optimal detection and matched filtering.
May 14Office hoursLab 3 and mini-project 3 discussion.
May 15Lecture 14A look back at digital communications with the blocks discussed so far.
May 16Office hoursLab 3 discussion and mini-project 3 support. Lab 3 report due. Pre-lab 4 released.
May 20Lecture 15Bit error rate calculations. Lab 4 released.
May 21Office hoursPre-lab 4 and mini-project 3 discussion.
May 22Lecture 16Decision thresholds for constellations and Shannon's theorem.
May 23Lab 4Signal impairments and channel estimation. Pre-lab 4 due.
May 27Lecture 17Multipath and wireless channel equalization.
May 28Office hoursLab 4 and mini-project 3 discussion.
May 29Lecture 18Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, part I.
May 30Office hoursLab 4 discussion and mini-project 3 hands-on support. Lab 4 report due.

June 2025

DateFormatFocus and milestone
Jun 2Lecture 19Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, part II.
Jun 3Office hoursMini-project 3 discussion.
Jun 4Backup slotTA office hours and mini-project 3 hands-on support. End of spring-quarter instruction.
Jun 5Office hoursAdditional mini-project 3 hands-on support.
Jun 8MilestoneMini-project 3 due (tentative).