SEU 3043 SIGNALS AND

NETWORK

Chapter 1:
Introduction to Signal and Systems

Dr. Farabi Iqbal

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 Dr. Farabi Iqbal
B.Eng. (UTM), M.Eng. (UTM), PhD (TU Delft)

Room 05-12-16, P19a, FKE,

School of Electrical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering,
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

✉ : [email protected]
📱: 011-21918609 (Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm)
 Be punctual to class.

Abstain from food/smartphone/photos.

Follow UTM dress code.

All assessments must be submitted on time.

 1.0 Introduction
• Why study signals and systems?
o Fundamental to all engineering. Steps involve in engineering are:
o Model system: Involve writing a mathematical description of input and
output signals
o Analyze system: Study of the various signals associated with the system
o Design system: Requires deciding on a suitable system architecture, as well
as finding suitable system parameters
o Implement system/test system: Check system, and the input and output
signal, to see that the performance is satisfactory.

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 Signal System
Any physical time-varying  Signal processor which is to
quantities that carry certain either modify the signal or to
information extract further information
from the received signal
For example: human voice,
 For example: human body,
baby’s crying, the value of
radio receiver, a software’s
stock market and radio signal
algorithm, stock market and a
country’s government
 A system can have one or
multiple input ports and one or
multiple output ports
 2.0 Types of Signal

• Continuous and Discrete Signal

• Analog and Digital Signal
• Energy and Power Signal
• Deterministic and Probabilistic Signal
• Harmonic Signal
• Even and Odd Signal

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 Continuous signal Discrete signal
• Defines for all values of • Define only at discrete value of
time, t independent variable time, t
• E.g. telephone output and • E.g. total monthly sale for a
video camera company and average daily
stock market

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 Analog signal
Digital signal
• Signal with amplitude
which can take any values • Signal can have amplitude
in a continuous range with certain value only
• Amplitude of an analog • Amplitude of digital signal
signal can be of infinite takes value from a discrete set
value

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 Analog signal & time continuous Digital signal & time continuous

Analog signal & time discrete Digital signal & time discrete

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 Energy signal Power signal
• Signal which has certain value of • Signal with certain value of
energy power and non-zero
• Energy is a measurement strength • Power is a time average of
of signal, the area under the energy (energy per unit time)
squared signal

• Eg: non-periodic signal,

• Power is useful when energy
deterministic signal
signal goes to infinity
• Eg: periodic signal, random
signal

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 Notes!
• Power is a time average factor of energy.
• Energy signal has certain (finite) value of energy and has
zero value of power
• Power signal has certain value of power and has an infinite
value of energy .
• In general, signal that has certain value in time from –∞ to
+∞ has an infinite energy (power signal)
• A signal cannot possess both properties of energy and power
simultaneously
• Some signals can be classified neither as power signals nor as
energy signals. Eg. ramp signal

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 Deterministic Signal Probabilistic Signal
• Signal with a known physical • Has only probabilistic
representation in either representation such as mean
mathematical or graphical value, root mean square and
form etc
• Can be described by analytical • Also known as random signal
expressions for all times (past,
presence, future). • The value of the signal cannot
be predicted accurately
• Hence, the value is
predictable for arbitrary times • E.g. noise in communication
and can be reproduced system
identically arbitrarily often.

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 Harmonic Signal

or known as periodic signal

• Condition for harmonic signal f(t) for any value of positive T
where n = any integer
• Minimum value for T is known as the fundamental period T0
• Fundamental frequency is
• Example:

Non-Harmonic
Harmonic signals
signals
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 Even (Symmetric) Signal Odd(Anti-symmetric) Signal
• Has the same value at time t • The value of odd signal at time
and –t for all values of t t is negative to the value at
time –t
•
f (t) = - f (-t)
• Symmetry at vertical axis
• Anti-symmetry at horizontal
• Example: axis
• Example:

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 Skew Signal Hidden Odd Signal
• A signal can also be a skew • Odd signal combined with a
symmetry if: DC value
• Not anti-symmetry anymore at
horizontal axis due to upper or
for any values of t lower shift from the horizontal
• Example: axis depending on the DC
value
• Example :

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 3. Signal Operations
• Time based operations
o Time inversion
o Time scaling
o Time shifting
• Amplitude based operations
o Amplitude inversion
o Amplitude scaling
o Amplitude shifting
• Addition & Multiplication of signals

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 Time operation (Inversion)

• If y(t)is a time inverted signal for x(t), then

y(t) = x(-t)
• For any time t = t0;
y(t0) = x(-t0) and y(-t0) = x(t0).

Original signal Time inversion signal

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 Time Operation (Scaling)

• Signal x(t) which had a time scale of a is given by:

where a = real constant
• Example 1: • Example 2:

Time compression Time expansion

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 Time Operation (Shifting)

• A signal x(t) which has a time shift of t0 is given by:

where t0 is a constant
• So,

• If t0 = positive, signal y(t) will be • If t0 = negative, signal y(t) will be

time-delayed and shifted to the time-delayed and shifted to the
right of x(t) left of x(t)

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 Time Scaling and Shifting

• Signal x(t) will have both scaling and time shift simultaneously

Time scaling Time shifting

where a, b = real coefficients and

• If a is negative, time inversion is involved.
y(t) = x(-at – b) Time scaling, shifting, and inversion

• There are 3 methods to obtain the signal y(t).

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 Method 1

i. Shift x(t) by b yields x(t – b).

ii. Then scale x(t – b) by a, by replacing t with at, to get y(t) =
x(at – b) .
• Example 3:
Plot signal y(t)= x(– 2t – 1) by using method 1 and signal x(t) and as
shown below:

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 Method 2

i. Scale x(t) by a to yield x(at).

ii. Then shift x(at) by t0/a, by replacing t with (t – t0/a), to get
x[a(t – t0/a) = x(at – t0) .
• Example 4:
Plot signal y(t)= x(– 2t – 1) by using method 2 and signal x(t) as shown
below:

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 Method 3

i. Plot the original signal but replace t with τ

ii. Consider τ = at - t0 , and solve for
iii. Plot t axis below τ axis
iv. Plot y(t) on t axis.
• Example 6: Plot signal y(t)= x(– 2t – 1) by using method 3 and signal x(t) as
shown below:

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 Amplitude Operation

• Signal x(t) experiences both shifting

and amplitude scaling, then

where A, B = coefficients and if A =

negative , it is amplitude inversion

• Example 7:
x(t) experiences amplitude inversion due to
negative A, amplitude scaling with |A| = 2 and
amplitude shift with B = 1

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 Addition & Multiplication of Signals

• Addition and multiplication can be done on two or more

continuous time signal.

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Exercise 1.1:
Consider signal x(t) as shown below. Plot the product if the signal
experiences these operations;
 t 
(i ) y1 (t )  x   (v ) y 5 (t )  4 x t   2
 3
(ii ) y 2 (t )  x  t  (v i) y 6 (t )  2 x 2t   2
(iii ) y 3 (t )  x 3  t  (v ii) y 7 (t )  x  3t  6 
(iv ) y 4 (t )  x 2  t  (v iii) y 9 (t )  x (t )  x  t 
 4. Basic Functions

• Sinusoids & Complex Exponential

• Unit Step Function
• Ramp Function
• Impulse Function
• Rectangular Function
• Triangular Function
• Sinc Function

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 Sinusoids & Complex Exponential Signals

• Continuous time sinusoids function

• Exponential function

where
A = real amplitude of sinusoid or complex exponential
T0 = real fundamental period of sinusoid (sec)
f0 = real fundamental freq. of sinusoid (Hz)
0 = real fundamental angle freq. for sinusoid (rad/s)
t = continuous time (sec)
0 = real damping rate

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Example: Sinusoids & Complex Exponential Signals

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 Unit Step Function

• Is employed to switch other signals on or off.

• Definition:

where τ = independent variable and is a linear function of time.

• E.g.

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 Example: Unit Step Function

Plot the function x(t) given by:

Solution:
• All the four step functions in signal x(t) can be written as:

• Therefore, the equation x(t) for different range of t is

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Exercise 1.2:
Plot the signals given below;

1. i)

2.

3.
 Ramp Function

• Function that changes linearly before or after some

time, or is multiplied by function that changes linearly
before or after some time.
• Is obtain by integrating the unit step function.

• E.g.

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 Impulse Function

• Has zero value at all time except at t0.

• The area under the unit impulse function is 1.
• Defined by:

Can be estimated by one

narrow impulse rectangular
with one unit of area, where
the width of this impulse has
a small value, ε → 0.
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Properties of Unit Impulse Function

– t0

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 Rectangular Function

• Has a unit value for its width, height and area.

• Defined by:
1, - ½ < t < ½
rect(t) =
0, otherwise

• Operates as an on-off switching function in a certain

signal after one period.

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 Triangular Function

• Has a unit value for its height and area, but not its
width.
• Defined by:

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 Sinc Function

• Obtained from the Fourier transform of the unit

rectangular function
• Defined by:

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Exercise
1. Plot the continuous time signals given below;

a) f(t) = 5 ramp(t +1) f) r(t) = tri(4t)

b) f(t) = -3 ramp(2t) g) s(t) = 4 sinc(5t-3)

c) g(t) = 2(t+3)) h) s(t) = 4 sinc(5(t-3))

d) g(t) = -4(2(t-1)) i)

e) j)
 Plot the combination of continuous time functions given below

(a)x(t) = 5e-(t/4)u(t)

(b) x(t) = sgn(t) sin(2t)

(c)y(t) = -6 rect(t) cos(3t)

(d) y(t) = tri2(t)

(e)z(t) = |sinc(t)|

(f)
 5. Types of System
• A system can be classified depends on how the system interacts
with an input signal.
• Several classifications:
o Linear systems
o Time-Invariant systems
o Memory and memoryless system
o Causal system
o Lumped and distributed systems
o Continuous-time and discrete-time systems
o Analogue and digital systems
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 Linear System

• Output is proportional to an input.

• Properties:
o Additive properties
x1(t)  y1(t), x2(t)  y2(t)
Therefore, x1(t) + x2(t)  y1(t) + y2(t)
o Scaling properties
x1(t)  y1(t)
Therefore, kx1(t)  ky1(t)
o Superposition properties
x1(t)  y1(t), x2(t)  y2(t)
Therefore, k1 x1(t)+ k2x2(t)  k1y1(t) + k2y2(t)
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 Time-Invariant System

• Also called fixed system

• A time shift in the input signal results only in the same
time shift in the output signal
x(t)  y(t)
therefore x(t-t0)  y(t-t0)

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 Memory and Memoryless System

• Memoryless: If the output at t0 depends on the input at

time t0 only, regardless the inputs before or after t0. The
output is a function of the input at only present time.
• Example: v(t)=Ri(t)
• Memory: Output at time t0 depends on input at time t0,
and also inputs before and after t0.
1 t
• Example: v(t ) 
C 

i (t )dt

Circuit with L or C components is said to be dynamic system

because the output depends on the past history of the input

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 Causal System

• Output at any time depends on the input only for t ≤ t0

and does not depend on the value of input for t > t0.
• Output only exists after an input was applied to the
system.
• Example:

y(t) = x(t – 2) → causal

y(t) = x(t + 2) → non-causal

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 Lumped and Distributed System

• Lumped system – current flows through an electrical device is

assumed to be fixed, i.e. components are lumped at a point
-applies only at low frequency (high wavelength)
-Functions with respect to time t only
• Distributed system – functions with respect to time and space,
e.g transmission lines
 Convolution

• If x(t) = (t)  y(t) = h(t)

• if x(t) = (t-t0)  y(t) = h(t-t0)
• any y(t) is obtained from the integration between
x(t) and h(t)
• interaction between x(t) and h(t) is called
convolution
• mathematically, y (t )  x(t ) * h(t )

  x( )h(t   )d

where * indicates convolution operation
 Properties of convolution are as follow;

i) Commutativity – The convolution integral is

symmetry to x(t) and h(t), thus
x(t)* h(t) = h(t)* x(t)
 both LTI systems below yield the same
output
• ii) Associativity – product of convolution for
three or more functions does not depend on
the orders of the functions
[x(t)* h1(t)]* h2(t) = x(t)* [h1(t)* h2(t)] = x(t)* [h2(t)* h1(t)]
h(t) = h1(t)* h2(t) = h2(t)* h1(t)
iii) Distributivity;
x(t)* h1(t) + x(t)* h2(t) = x(t)* [h1(t) + h2(t)]

 sum of impulse response,

h(t) = h1(t) + h2(t)
Example:
Let x(t) be the input signal for an LTI system
with impulse response h(t), where

and
Determine the output signal y(t) for the
system.
Solution :
• For t < 0,

• for t > 0,
 Example:

Given two signals as follow;

Signal y(t) is the product of convolution

between the two signals. Plot y(t).
Solution:
• For t < -2,
y (t )  s (t ) * r (t )

  s( )r (t   )d


0

• For -2 < t < -1, For -1< t <2

y (t )  s (t ) * r (t )

  s ( )r (t   )d y (t )  s (t ) * r (t )
 

t   s( )r (t   )d
  (2)(1)d 
t
2

 2
t
 2(t  2)
  (2)(1)d
t 1
2

 2  2(t  t  1)  2
t
t 1
 y (t )  s (t ) * r (t )
• For 2 < t < 3, 
  s( )r (t   )d

2
  (2)(1)d
t 1

 2  2(2  t  1)
2
t 1

 2(3  t )

• For t > 3, y (t )  s (t ) * r (t )

  s( )r (t   )d


0
Exercise:
1. (a) Plot the signals below:

(b) Determine the convolution between the two

signals above and plot the resulted signal.
2. Consider these two signals;

Determine the result from the convolution between

the signals.