10/8/2019

Course
Signals and Systems

Slide#1
Introduction
Basic Properties

Signals and Systems Defined

 A signal is any physical phenomenon which
conveys information
 Systems respond to signals and produce new
signals
 Excitation signals are applied at system inputs
and response signals are produced at system
outputs

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A Communication System as a
System Example
 A communication system has an information signal
plus noise signals
 This is an example of a system that consists of an
interconnection of smaller systems

Signal Types

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Conversions Between Signal Types

Sampling

Quantizing

Encoding

Message Encoded in ASCII

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Bit Recovery in a Digital Signal Using

Filtering

Image Filtering to Aid Perception

Original X-Ray Image Filtered X-Ray Image

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Continuous and Discrete Time Signals

Types of Systems

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Continuous Time Signals

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Discrete Time Signals

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Discrete-Time Systems
In a discrete-time system events occur at points in time but not
between those points. The most important example is a digital
computer. Significant events occur at the end of each clock
cycle and nothing of significance (to the computer user) happens
between those points in time.

Discrete-time systems can be described by difference (not

differential) equations. Let a discrete-time system generate an
excitation signal y[n] where n is the number of discrete-time
intervals that have elapsed since some beginning time n = 0.
Then, for example a simple discrete-time system might be
described by

y [ n ] = 1.97 y [ n - 1] - y [ n - 2]
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Discrete-Time Systems
The equation

y [ n ] = 1.97 y [ n - 1] - y [ n - 2]
says in words

“The signal value at any time n is 1.97 times the signal value at the
previous time [n -1] minus the signal value at the time before that
[n - 2].”

If we know the signal value at any two times, we can compute its
value at all other (discrete) times. This is quite similar to a
second-order differential equation for which knowledge of two
independent initial conditions allows us to find the solution for all
time and the solution methods are very similar.

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Discrete-Time Systems
y [ n ] = 1.97 y [ n - 1] - y [ n - 2]

We could also describe the system

with a block diagram.

(“D” means delay one unit in discrete

time.)

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Discrete-Time Systems
y [ n ] = 1.97 y [ n - 1] - y [ n - 2]
With the initial conditions y[1] = 1 and y[0] = 0 the
response is

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Feedback Systems
In a feedback system the response of the system is “fed back”
and combined with the excitation is such a way as to optimize
the response in some desired sense. Examples of feedback
systems are
1. Temperature control in a house using a thermostat
2. Water level control in the tank of a flush toilet.
3. Pouring a glass of lemonade to the top of the glass without
overflowing.
4. A refrigerator ice maker that keeps the bin full of ice
but does not make extra ice.
5. Driving a car.

Feedback systems can be continuous-time or discrete-time

or a mixture of the two.

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Feedback Systems
Below is an example of a discrete-time feedback system. The
response y[n] is fed back through two delays and gains b and c
and combined with the excitation x[n]. Different values of a,
b and c can create dramatically different responses to the same
excitation.

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Sound Recording System

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System Linearity
The most important property that a system
possesses is linearity
It means allows any system response to be y
analysed as the sum of simpler responses
(convolution)
x
Simplistically, it can be imagined as a line

 Specifically, a linear system must satisfy the two properties:

 1 Additive: the response to x1(t)+x2(t) is y1(t) + y2(t)
 2 Scaling: the response to ax1(t) is ay1(t) where aC
 Combined: ax1(t)+bx2(t)  ay1(t) + by2(t)

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Definition of Time Invariance

 A system is time invariant if its behaviour and characteristics are
fixed over time
 We would expect to get the same results from an input-output
experiment, if the same input signal was fed in at a different time
 E.g. The following CT system is time-invariant

y (t )  sin( x(t ))
 because it is invariant to a time shift, i.e. x2(t) = x1(t-t0)
y2 (t )  sin( x2 (t ))  sin( x1 (t  t0 ))  y1 ( x1 (t  t0 ))
 E.g. The following DT system is time-varying
y[n]  nx[n]
 Because the system parameter that multiplies the input signal
is time varying, this can be verified by substitution
x1[n]   [n]  y1[n]  0
21/20 x2 [n]   [n  1]  y2 [n]   [n  1]

System with and without Memory

 A system is said to be memory less if its output for each value
of the independent variable at a given time is dependent on the
output at only that same time (no system dynamics)
y[n]  (2 x[n]  x 2 [n]) 2
 e.g. a resistor is a memory less CT system where x(t) is current
and y(t) is the voltage
 A DT system with memory is an accumulator (integrator)
y[n]  k  x[k ]
n

 and a delay
y[n]  x[n  1]

 Roughly speaking, a memory corresponds to a mechanism in

the system that retains information about input values other
than the current time.

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System Causality
 A system is causal if the output at any time depends on values
of the output at only the present and past times. Referred to
as non-anticipative, as the system output does not anticipate
future values of the input
 If two input signals are the same up to some point t0/n0, then
the outputs from a causal system must be the same up to
then.
 E.g. The accumulator system is causal:
y[n]  k  x[k ]
n

 because y[n] only depends on x[n], x[n-1], …

 E.g. The averaging/filtering system is non-causal

M
y[n]  1
2 M 1 k  M
x[n  k ]
 because y[n] depends on x[n+1], x[n+2], …
 Most
23/20 physical systems are causal

Continue..

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System Stability
 Informally, a stable system is one in which
small input signals lead to responses that do
not diverge
 If an input signal is bounded, then the output
signal must also be bounded, if the system is
stable

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System Stability
 To show a system is stable we have to do it for all input signals.
To show instability, we just have to find one counterexample
 E.g. Consider the DT system of the bank account

y[n]  x[n]  1.01y[n  1]

when x[n] = [n], y[0] = 0

This grows without bound, due to 1.01 multiplier. This system is
unstable.

 E.g. Consider the CT electrical circuit, is stable if RC>0, because

it dissipates energy

dvc (t ) 1 1
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 vc (t )  vs (t )
dt RC RC

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Invertible and Inverse Systems

 A system is said to be invertible if distinct inputs lead to
distinct outputs (similar to matrix invertibility)
 If a system is invertible, an inverse system exists which, when
cascaded with the original system, yields an output equal to
the input of the first signal

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Thank You
For Your Attention

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