This text reflects the recent shift in telecommunications technology from hardware to software by focusing on the design of a digital software-defined radio. Telecommunications Breakdown helps students build a complete digital radio that includes each part of a typical digital communication system. By following each chapter, students create a Matlab realization of the various pieces of the system, exploring key ideas along the way. In the final chapter, the reader “puts it all together” to build a fully functional receiver (not operational in real time).