:artificial_satellite: Critical Communications :satellite:

Term: Spring 2020, NYU ITP

Meetings: Monday, 6:30 - 9:00pm

Description

The ways in which we communicate has changed radically in the last 100 years. As the communication systems we use have increased in complexity, so has the effort it takes to understand how they work. Most of us use protocols like LTE, HTTP, TCP/IP, and BLE every day. We take them for granted, almost like we do the laws of nature. But there are more than the laws of physics, more than techniques of engineering, embedded in the design and implementation of our protocols of communication. To understand their role in our lives, we need to look into the societal and economic contexts in which they came to be.

In this class, we will examine communication protocols using Raspberry Pi’s, Arduinos, Software Defined Radios, and other connected devices. We will look closer at organizations like iSOC, ICANN and IEEE to better understand how protocol designs are implemented and standardized. Through readings, research and hands-on work we will build an understanding of how these protocols work, how their designs incorporate the physical, technical, cultural, corporate and political assumptions of the actors behind them.

In the first half of the class readings and assignments will help familiarize students with some of the different protocols we rely on every day. In the second half, students will work in groups to investigate a communications protocol and consider its impact from a technical, societal and environmental perspective. Final projects will communicate their findings in whatever form students deem appropriate – explanatory blog posts, physical or digital installations, or even videos and podcasts.

Syllabus Overview

• Week 1: Introduction
• Week 2: A (re)-introduction to EM waves
• Week 3: Standards and Institutions
• Week 4: Modern Digital Communications
• Week 5: Group Project check-in
• Week 6: TBD
• Week 7: Presentations

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1

Discussion

• :wave: Introduction
• Description of Group Project
• An introduction communication technologies and information theory. A walk through of some key events in the evolution of our current technology landscape. Marconi to Hedy Lamar to Claude Shannon
• Notes

Assignment

Research a communications protocol of your choice and write it up what you find in a blog post. Questions to answer (at the very least):

• How does it work?
  • Doesn't need to be super technical but it should be detailed enough that to understand how someone could use it.
• Who made it?
• Why was it made?
• What did you find interesting about it?

For the purpose of this assignment a communications protocol will be defined as a system of rules that allow two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity (Source: Wikipedia)

Submit your blog posts here

Week 2

Discussion

• Characteristics of a wave :wavy_dash:
• Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Using Modulation to encode information
  • FM
  • AM
• Introduction to Software Defined Radios
• Digital Modulation
  • FSK
  • ASK
  • PSK

Assignment

• Read the following EFF blog posts on Cell-Site simulators:

  • Cell-Site Simulators/IMSI Catchers
  • Standing Rock

• Use the Radio Reference database to look up the frequencies in a geographic location you are interested in. Write up your findings in a blog post. At the very least you should be able to describe three different frequency licenses and how they are being used.

• Submit your blog posts here

Week 3

Discussion

• Standards & Regulations
• Discuss some of the biggest standards bodies in the information and telecommunications sector
  • ITU
  • 3GPP
  • IEE
  • IETF
  • W3C
• Regulatory Bodies
  • In-depth look at the FCC
• Demo listening to signals that transmit data instead of voice

Assignment

• Read the following EFF blog posts on Cell-Site simulators:
  • ITU and 3GPP by Ming pu Shao
  • Netowrked Dream Worlds by Shannon Mattern
• Get together with your group and come up with a pitch for you group projects

Week 4

Discussion

• Group projects

• Guest Lecture - Marc Dacosta

Week 5

Discussion

• Group projects check-in
• Lecture