As the title indicates, the text is intended for persons who are undertaking a study of digital communications for the first time. Though it can be used for self-study the orientation is towards the classroom for students at the fourth-year (senior) level. The text can also serve readily for a beginning-level graduate course. The basic background assumed of the reader is: (i) introductory linear circuit and systems concepts, (ii) basic signal theory and analysis, and (iii) elementary probability concepts. Though most undergraduate electrical and computer engineering students have this background by their final year, the text does include two review chapters which the reader is strongly encouraged to read.

By reading these chapters she/he will obtain a sense of the authors' pedagogical style and the notation used. The notation used is quite standard except (perhaps) in the case of random variables or events. They are denoted (faithfully and slavishly) by boldface. As importantly, because of their importance in digital communications, several topics that may or may not be covered in typical introductory courses, are explained in detail in these chapters. The primary topic is random signals which, after a treatment of random variables and probability concepts, are explained in the necessary depth in Chapter 3. Another topic of importance that typically is not touched on or is treated in only a cursory fashion in an introductory signal course is auto- and crosscorrelation and the corresponding energy and power spectral densities.