Introduction

Week 1
At the end of this module, you should be
able to:

1. Recognize the physical quantities that are referred to as signals and the
importance of signal processing.

2. Classify the characteristics of signals in both continuous time and discrete-

time form

3. Explain the basic block diagram of digital signal processing

Digital Signal Processing

Digital Signal Processing or DSP is a discipline that spans electrical

engineering, computing, mathematics and the physical sciences.

It is distinguished from other areas in computer science by the unique type of

data it uses: signals.
DSP in the Past
In communication
snail mails
switchboard operator

In storage
paper trails

In Military
remote sensing was created to detect intruders
21st century DSP
There are many applications of DSP that are continuously being studied. Listed
below are some of them:
• Image processing
• Neural networks
• Pattern recognition
• Digital communications
• Biomedical applications
• Speech processing
• Underwater acoustics
• Radar signal processing
• Astronomy
• Geophysical data analysis
Classifications of Signals
Signals are primarily classified into two:

1. Continuous Time Signal

2. Discrete Time Signals
• Continuous time signals are often referred to as analog signals and they
take on values in continuous interval (a, b), where a can be -∞ and b, ∞.
Unprocessed physical quantities such as the audio signal that we hear are
in the form of continuous time.
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

Figure 1. Waveform of an analog audio signal represented in time domain

generated in MATLAB.
Discrete time-signals on the other hand, are signals which are the preprocessed
signals which are to be used in digital signal processing. It is represented
mathematically by a sequence of numbers x, in which the nth number in the
sequence is denoted x[n] and is formally written as:

Figure 2. Waveform of continuous

time signal , y = sin ωt
generated in MATLAB
Figure 3. Waveform of discrete time signal , y = sin ωn generated in MATLAB
Classification of continuous time and
discrete-time
• Deterministic signal
Signal which can be expressed in mathematical form example is y = A sin ωt
where it can be described as a sinusoidal signal with amplitude, A and is a function
of time, t.

• Non-deterministic signal
Signal which cannot be expressed in simple mathematical form example is
random noise. Random signal are expressed using probability.
 Figure 4. (top) Waveform of deterministic signal in the mathematical
form y = sin ωt; (bottom) Waveform of a random noise generated in MATLAB
• Periodic signal
Signal which exhibits periodicity or can complete a certain pattern in one cycle.
Using the same signal in Figure 4, the deterministic signal is also periodic since it
has a complete pattern in cycle. Mathematically, it can be determined by the ω in y
= A sin ωt where ω is the angular frequency in radians per second . The angular
frequency is equal to the frequency multiplied by a factor of 2π. Periodicity is an
important characteristic of signal used in spectral analysis.

• Aperiodic signal
Signal which cannot complete a certain pattern in one cycle. Also, using the same
example in Figure 4, the random signal didn’t exhibit periodicity.
• Even signal
Signal which exhibits symmetry in the vertical axis. An even signal may be
expressed in continuous time as x (t) = x(-t) or x(n) = x(-n) for discrete time form.
• Odd signal
Signal which exhibits rotational symmetry with respect to the origin. An odd
signal may be expressed in continuous time as x (t) = -x(-t) or x(n) = -x(-n) for
discrete time form.
Figure 5. (top) Waveform of a discrete-
time even signal
(bottom) Waveform of a discrete-time odd
signal generated in MATLAB
DSP System
A basic block diagram of DSP system is represented by an analog-to-digital
converter, a digital signal processor and an analog-to-digital converter is shown in
Figure 6.
Signal in or the analog input

All signal processing begins with an input transducer. The transducer

converts an analog signal to typically an electrical signal.

In signal-processing applications, the transducer can take many forms.

In audio signal processing, a microphone acts as the transducer in the

system. In communications, an antenna converts electromagnetic waves
also to an electrical energy.
Analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

There are a lot going on inside an analog to digital converter, an in-depth approach
will be discussed in the next module but the main concept behind the ADC is that
from the electrical signal coming from the transducer, it is converted into a stream
of 0s and 1s which can be read by the digital signal processor.
Digital Signal Processor

Digital signal processor is represented by computers. It is where the analysis

and decision takes place. Using computer algorithms, the signals are processed
through the instructions to achieve the desired output.
Digital Signal Processor

Digital signal processor is represented by computers. It is where the analysis

and decision takes place. Using computer algorithms, the signals are processed
through the instructions to achieve the desired output.
Digital- to analog converter (DAC)

A DAC is used to convert digital signals consisting of 0s and 1s to varying analog

signals (such as a voltage signal).

An audio signal for example may come in and come out in the same continuous
time form- a processed version designed according to the desired output.
References and Supplementary Materials
Books and Journals

• Proakis, J. G., & Manolakis, D. G. (2007). Digital signal processing.

Pearson Prentice Hall

• Oppenheim, A.V., & Schafer, R.W. (2014)Discrete-Time Signal Processing.

Pearson Education Limited