SIGNALS AND
SYSTEMS
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Classification of Systems
Classification of Systems
A system is any process that produces an output signal
in response to an input signal.
Systems are classified into the following categories:
• Linear and Non-linear Systems.
• Time Variant and Time Invariant Systems
• Static and Dynamic System
• Causal and non causal system
• Stable and Unstable system
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Classification of Systems
Linear System
A linear system is illustrated in the figure.
The linear system obeys the superposition principle.
𝑦1(𝑛) is the system output using an input 𝑥1(𝑛)
𝑦2(𝑛) the system output with an input 𝑥2(𝑛)
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Classification of Systems
The Linear system output due to the weighted sum inputs
∝𝑥1(𝑛) + 𝛽𝑥2(𝑛)
is equal to the same weighted sum of the individual
outputs obtained from their corresponding inputs, that is,
𝑦(𝑛) = ∝𝑦1(𝑛) + 𝑦2(𝑛),
where ∝ and 𝛽 are constants.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Classification of Systems
Example:
A digital amplifier is represented by 𝑦(𝑛) = 10𝑥(𝑛), the
input is multiplied by 10 to generate the output.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Classification of Systems
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Classification of Systems
Time-Invariant System
A time-invariant system is illustrated in the figure.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Time Invariant System
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Time Invariant System
Example: Determine whether the linear system y(𝑛)
= 2𝑥(𝑛) − 5 is time invariant.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Time Invariant System
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Time Invariant System
Causal System
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Causal and Stable Systems
Static and Dynamic System
• A system whose response or output is due to present
input alone is known as static system.
• The static system is also called the memoryless
system.
• For a static or memoryless system, the output of the
system at any instant of time (t for continuous-time
system or n for discrete-time system) depends only on
the input applied at that instant of time (t or n), but not
on the past or future values of the input.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Causal and Stable Systems
• A system whose response or output depends upon the
past or future inputs in addition to the present input is
called the dynamic system.
• The dynamic systems are also known as memory
systems.
• Any continuous-time dynamic system can be described
by a differential equation or any discrete-time dynamic
system by a difference equation.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Causal and Stable Systems
Stable System
• A system is called a BIBO (bounded input bounded
output) stable system or simply stable system, if
and only if every bounded input produces a bounded
output.
• The output of a stable system does not change
unreasonably.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Causal and Stable Systems
Unstable System
• If a system does not satisfy the BIBO stability
condition, the system is called the unstable system.
Therefore, for a bounded input, it is not necessary
that the unstable system produces a bounded
output.
• A system is unstable even if one bounded input
generates an unbounded output.
SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS/23ECT201/ Dr. A. Vaniprabha / Causal and Stable Systems
