Signals and Systems Course # EE 2235
Lecture # 4 Topic: Elementary Signals
• Impulse function
• Step function
• Exponential signals
• Sinusoidal signals
• Exponentially damped sinusoidal signals
• Ramp function
• Pulse function
• Square or Rectangular signal
(i) Impulse function: Another name Dirac Delta function
The discrete-time version of the impulse-function, commonly denoted by δ[n] is defined as follows:
1, n 0
[ n]
0, n 0
Figure: An impulse function δ[n] and a shifted impulse δ[n – k]
Any discrete time signal can be expanded into the superposition of elementary shifted impulses, each
one representing each of the samples. This is expressed as
x[n] x[k ] [n k ]
k
where each term x[k ] [n k ] in the summation expresses the n-th sample of the sequence.
Example: the sequence shown in above figure can be expanded as
x[n] = 1.5 δ [n + 2] - 1.0 δ [n + 1] + 1.2 δ [n] - 0.5 δ [n - 1] + 0.5 δ [n - 2] + 1.6 δ [n - 3]
The continuous-time version of the step-function, commonly denoted by δ(t) is defined by the
following pairs of relations:
(t ) 0, for t 0 ; Impulse δ(t) is zero except at the origin
and (t )dt 1 ; Total area under the unit impulse is infinity
(ii) Step function: a battery or a dc source
The discrete-time version of the step-function, commonly denoted by u[n] is defined as follows:
k , n 0
u[n]
0, n 0
The continuous-time version of the step-function, commonly denoted by u(t) is defined as follows:
k , t 0
u (t )
0, t 0
Unit step function:
1, t 0 1, n 0
u (t ) , u[n]
0, t 0 0, n 0
It can be show that
t
u[n] [k ]
k
u (t ) ( )d
Figure: Unit step function Figure: Unit step function
(iii) Exponential signals: Example – Lossy capacitor
CT signal: x(t ) Be at , where B and a are real parameters, B=amplitude at time t=0
Two cases of exponential signal:
Decaying exponential: a < 0
Growing exponential: a > 0
DT signal: x[n] Br , where r=e
n α
(iv) Sinusoidal Signal: Example – an AC voltage, sinusoidal voltage
CT signal: x(t ) A cos(wt ) , A=amplitude, w=frequency in rad/sec, and φ=phase angle. A
2
sinusoidal signal is an example of periodic signal, the period is T
We can easily show that this is a periodic signal x(t ) x(t T )
Proof:
x(t T ) A cos(w(t T ) ) A cos(wt wT )
A cos(wt 2 ) A cos(wt ) x(t )
DT signal: x[n] A cos(n )
The period of a periodic discrete-time signal is measured in samples. The angular frequency is given
2m
by, rad/cycle, where m is an integer.
N
It can be easily shown that x[n] x[n N ]
Proof:
x[n N ] A cos((n N ) ) A cos(n N )
2m
A cos(n N ) A cos(n 2m ) A cos(n ) x[n]
N
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Qs: For a sinusoidal signal, prove that x[n N ] x[n]
Qs: For a sinusoidal signal, prove that x(t T ) x(t )
Qs. Consider the following sinusoidal signals: Determine whether each x[n] is period, and if it is,
find its fundamental period.
(a) x[n] 5 sin[ 2n] - non-periodic
(b) x[n] 5 cos[0.2n] - periodic, fundamental period=10
(c) x[n] 5 cos[6n] - periodic, fundamental period=1
(d) x[n] 5 sin[ 6n / 35] - periodic, fundamental period=35
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***Relation between sinusoidal and complex exponential signals
(v) Exponentially damped sinusoidal signals
CT signal: x(t ) Ae at sin( wt ), a 0 ;
DT signal: x[n] Br n sin[ n ) ; r must lie in the range 0 < |r| < 1
(vi) Ramp function:
The discrete-time version of the ramp-function, commonly denoted by r[n] is defined as follows:
n, n 0
r[n] or equivalently, u[n] nu[n]
0, n 0
The continuous-time version of the step-function, commonly denoted by r(t) is defined as follows:
t, t 0
r (t )
0, t 0
Unit-ramp function:
• The unit ramp function is the integral of the unit step function.
• It is called the unit ramp function because for positive t, its slope is one amplitude unit per
time.
t , t 0 t
ramp t u d t u t
0 , t 0
(vii) Rectangular pulse function:
1/ a , t a / 2
a t
0 , t a/2
(viii) Unit-step and unit impulse function:
The unit step is the integral of the unit impulse and the unit impulse is the generalized derivative of
the unit step
Graphical representation of the impulse:
The area under an impulse is called its strength or weight. It is represented graphically by a vertical
arrow. Its strength is either written beside it or is represented by its length. An impulse with strength
of one is called a unit impulse.
Unit periodic impulse: The unit periodic impulse/impulse train is defined by
T t t nT
n
, n an integer
The periodic impulse is a sum of infinitely many uniformly-spaced impulses
Unit Rectangular function:
The signal “turned on” at time t = -1/2 and “turned back off” at time t = +1/2.
Unit triangular function:
1 t , t 1
tri t
0 , t 1
The unit triangle is related to the unit rectangle through an operation called convolution. It is called a
unit triangle because its height and area are both one (but its base width is not).
Unit Sinc function: The unit sinc function is related to the unit rectangle function through the
Fourier transform.
sin t
sinc t
t
