ECE 414Wireless Communications
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Overview of wireless communications including standards. Characterization of mobile radio propagation channels. Signal representations. Transmission and reception techniques for wireless channels. Fundamentals of cellular communications and multiple-access schemes.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed the following:
- Students must be in level 4A or higher
- Enrolled in H-Computer Engineering, or H-Electrical Engineering
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Reviewed on UW Flow
78% liked it41% easy81% useful
From 9 ratings and 3 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Currently taking this class with Guang Gong. Absolute horrible experience. The slides are beyond pointless and are even contradicted by the textbook.
Jun 2026 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Took this in Spring 2024 with Liang-Liang Xie. 12/10 prof. 10/10 course (if you're interested in the concepts behind wireless communications). Liang-Liang is a very kind prof and great lecturer who places emphasis on understanding the course material over mathematical derivations. Would definitely take again
Dec 2024 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
This course gives you a background into multiple access techniques (FDMA, TDMA, CDMA) and introduces you to concepts in cellular systems. It definitely made sense of the topics taught in ECE318. Most of the material comes from the textbook (written by a uWaterloo prof) so it's easy to refer to it if something is unclear.
Aug 2022 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
6 posts and comments in 5 threads mention ECE 414, July 2015 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Winter 2023
CE 4A TEs 8 points, 30 comments
u/OkCelery1514: “… My options: ECE 414, Wireless Communications ECE 445, Integrated Digital Electronics ECE 452, Software Design & Architecture ECE 454, Distributed Computing ECE 455, Embedded Software ECE 457A, Co-op & Adaptive Algorithms ECE 457C, Reinforcement Learning ECE 458, Computer …”
Spring 2021
Are Engineering Courses available to take for students from other faculties ? 2 points, 3 comments
“I'm in Math and I was interested in some engineering courses (I have the prereqs and the classes have lots of room). Can I take some? Edit: grammer”
u/Frozen-Penis: “… in the past ECE 414 had no prereqs other than being 4A ECE, yet it is a direct continuation of ECE 318 but they didn't bother to list that since every ECE student back then would have taken 318 in 3B)”
Fall 2020
ECE 318 - Quiz 1 17 points, 10 comments
“Seriously wtf was that, that hardly resembled tutorials or lecture questions & was way too time-constrained. Damen seriously needs to change his ways :(”
u/Gupta_Gupti_Gupta: “Yall have Damen??? LMAOOOOO I thought hes in trouble after the shit he pulled on ECE414”
Spring 2017
Interesting math-heavy technical electives for ECE 3A? 0 points, 7 comments
“I took ECON101 thinking it'd be interesting. Turns out I was very wrong. The course went out of its way to avoid using any math. …”
u/useless_amp: “… For technical electives you can check out digital signal processing (ECE413), and wireless communications (ECE414) for some math heavy but interesting electives.”
Spring 2015
Did anyone take a class with Damen? He teaches ECE 207 and we have him next term.. 12 points, 15 comments
“So I was reading up on our profs and Damen's reviews are kind of scary. Has anyone had classes with him and can tell us your experience and/or should we skip his classes to go to other section's”
u/useless_amp: “… I had him for ECE 414 and ECE 413. He made sure that people understood concepts, had MATLAB demonstrations, and was open to questions. He did have sarcastic comments about some poor performances in the class. …”
u/useless_amp: “… later courses in probability (ECE316), signal processing (ECE413), communications (ECE318, ECE414), and controls (ECE380, ECE 48X). …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them