Communications

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  • Engineering
Communications Develop next-generation semiconductors and transformative information technologies to advance communications and power a secure, high-speed future of global connectivity

Three professors from Waterloo Engineering have received $6 million in provincial funding to support made-in-Ontario cutting-edge research projects.

The funding, delivered through the Ontario Research Fund, supports ground-breaking research that will advance knowledge, drive innovation and create a better future for the people of Ontario.

A Waterloo Engineering team from the Vision and Image Processing (VIP) Lab is working with the Inuit-driven Arctic Eider Society (AES) to use deep learning to detect hazardous ice areas.  

Led by Neil Brubacher (BASc ‘21 and MASc ‘24, systems design engineering), the team partnered with AES to add data about ice conditions to an app used by locals in Nunavut.  

Explore Communications research lab and centres

Meet our researchers and discover their areas of expertise

Analog-Mixed Signal Design 

Analog-mixed signal (AMS) design combines analog and digital circuit techniques to process real-world signals efficiently, enabling communication, sensing, and signal conversion in devices like ADCs, DACs, and transceivers.


Communication Systems and Network 

Communication systems and networks involve transmitting, receiving, and processing data over wired or wireless channels, enabling reliable information exchange through modulation, coding, networking protocols, and signal processing across interconnected devices.


Digital Logic Design, Validation, and Architecture 

Digital logic design, validation, and architecture focus on creating, structuring, and verifying digital systems using logic gates, finite state machines, and hardware description languages to ensure functional correctness and performance efficiency.


Digital and Multimedia Communications 

Digital and multimedia communications involve encoding, transmitting, and decoding audio, video, and data signals over networks, integrating compression, modulation, and networking techniques for efficient, high-quality, and synchronized information exchange.


Digital Signal Processing 

Digital Signal Processing (DSP) analyzes and manipulates digital signals using algorithms for filtering, compression, and feature extraction, enabling applications in communications, audio, imaging, control systems, and real-time processing.


Display Technologies 

Display technologies focus on designing and optimizing devices that visually present information using methods like LCD, OLED, LED, and microdisplay systems for applications in consumer electronics, computing, and imaging.


Human Machine Interaction 


Information Theory 

Information theory studies the quantification, transmission, and compression of information, defining limits on data communication and storage efficiency using concepts like entropy, channel capacity, coding, and mutual information.

​​​​​​Information Security 

Information security protects digital data and systems from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction through encryption, authentication, access control, and risk management to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability.


Modelling and Simulation 

Modelling and simulation involve creating mathematical or computational representations of real-world systems to analyze behaviour, predict outcomes, and optimize performance in engineering, science, and complex decision-making processes.


Network Design and Processing 

Network design and processing focus on creating, configuring, and optimizing communication infrastructures and data flow mechanisms to ensure efficient connectivity, scalability, reliability, and performance across wired and wireless systems.


Network Security 

Network security is the practice of protecting computer networks from unauthorized access, attacks, and data breaches by implementing hardware, software, and policies to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.


Optical Communications 

Optical communications is the transmission of information using light, typically through fiber optics, enabling high-speed, long-distance data transfer with minimal signal loss and interference.


Packaging 

Packaging refers to enclosing and connecting a semiconductor die to a protective casing, providing electrical connections, heat dissipation, and mechanical support for integration into electronic systems.


Semiconductor Process Technology 

Semiconductor process technology involves the fabrication steps that transform raw silicon into integrated circuits, including photolithography, doping, etching, and deposition, defining device performance, size, power efficiency, and reliability.


Wireless Transmission and Communication 

Wireless transmission and communication is the transfer of data or signals through electromagnetic waves without physical connections, enabling mobile, flexible, and long-distance connectivity for voice, video, and digital information.

Learn more about Communications research