Winter School — December 2025

Wireless System Design

From Bits to Beams
8–12 December 2025  ·  9 AM – 5 PM daily ESB 242, IIT Madras, Chennai
About the School

Bridging theory and practice in wireless engineering

A five-day intensive winter school organised by WiSeR — the Centre for Advanced Wireless Systems & Sensing Research at IIT Madras — bringing together graduate students, industry professionals, and government engineers for a deep dive into the full wireless system stack, from digital baseband to RF front-end and antenna arrays.

Who is this for?

  • Post-graduate students with an Electrical/Electronics background
  • Government and defence engineers working in wireless systems
  • Industry professionals in RF, communications, or 5G domains

What will you gain?

  • End-to-end understanding of a wireless link
  • Hands-on intuition for RF non-idealities and their system impact
  • Foundations of MIMO, beamforming, and 5G architecture
  • Exposure to current research directions at IIT Madras
Curriculum

Topics Covered

Digital Communications

  • Basics of digital communications and FEC
  • M-QAM modulation and block-level overview
  • IQ modulation and up-conversion
  • Introduction to OFDM
  • MIMO communications

RF Systems

  • Detailed Tx/Rx block diagram
  • LNAs, PAs, Mixers, ADCs, Phase shifters
  • NF, IIP3, SFDR, P1dB
  • Tx/Rx link budget analysis
  • Non-idealities in RF/analog and their effects
  • Direct conversion vs. superheterodyne receivers
  • Power amplifier design

Antennas & Arrays

  • Basic antenna theory (Hertz dipole)
  • Near- and far-field concepts
  • Antenna array design and array factor
  • Spacing, grating lobes, and beamforming
  • Digital, analog, and hybrid beamforming
  • RF beamforming and phase shifter designs
Programme

Schedule

Instructor colour key: Radha Krishna Ganti Sankaran Aniruddhan Uday Khankhoje
Session Day / Slot Instructor Topic
1.1 Mon AM
8 Dec		 Radha Krishna Ganti Bits, basics of FEC, M-QAM BLER; high-level block diagram — IQ modulation and the mathematics of up-conversion
1.2 Mon PM
8 Dec		 Sankaran Aniruddhan Detailed block diagram of Tx and Rx — LNA, Mixer, PA; NF, IIP3, SFDR, P1dB
2.1 Tue AM
9 Dec		 Sankaran Aniruddhan RF Tx and Rx link budget example
2.2 Tue PM
9 Dec		 Uday Khankhoje Wave propagation, basic antenna (Hertz dipole); near- and far-field concepts; antenna terminology
3.1 Wed AM
10 Dec		 Radha Krishna Ganti Introduction to MIMO; channel capacity; MIMO Rx and Tx techniques; digital, analog, and hybrid beamforming
3.2 Wed PM
10 Dec		 Uday Khankhoje Array factor approach for gain calculation; element spacing vs. grating lobes; beamforming
4.1 Thu AM
11 Dec		 Sankaran Aniruddhan RF beamforming; phase shifter designs
4.2 Thu PM
11 Dec		 Radha Krishna Ganti Introduction to pulse shaping; introduction to OFDM-MIMO; OFDM impairments (PAPR, CFO, ICI)
5.1 Fri AM
12 Dec		 Sankaran Aniruddhan Direct conversion vs. superheterodyne; image rejection and residual sideband; power amplifier
5.2 Fri PM
12 Dec		 Radha Krishna Ganti 5G specifications; case studies; summary
Faculty

Instructors

The three instructors in front of a blackboard showing wireless system diagrams
Uday Khankhoje, Radha Krishna Ganti, and Sankaran Aniruddhan (left to right)
RK

Radha Krishna Ganti

Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
IIT Madras
rganti@ee.iitm.ac.in
Ani

Sankaran Aniruddhan

Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
IIT Madras
ani@ee.iitm.ac.in
UK

Uday Khankhoje

Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
IIT Madras
uday@ee.iitm.ac.in
Registration

Fees & Registration

Participant Category Registration Fee
Post-graduate students (with B.E./B.Tech. in Electrical/Electronics Engineering) Rs 2,000
Relevant Government or Military personnel Rs 5,000
Industry participants Rs 10,000
Travel awards and hostel accommodation are available for outstation post-graduate students. Please mention your requirement during registration.

Ready to register?
Fill out the registration form to secure your seat. Seats are limited.

Registration Form →
Get in Touch

Contact & Venue

For queries about the programme, eligibility, or accommodation, reach out to any of the organisers.

Uday Khankhoje
uday@ee.iitm.ac.in
Sankaran Aniruddhan
ani@ee.iitm.ac.in
Radha Krishna Ganti
rganti@ee.iitm.ac.in
Venue: ESB 242, Department of Electrical Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036

Dates: 8–12 December 2025  ·  Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM each day