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Communication Principles
Frequency Spectra*

*Mesiya chap 2 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Copyright Regulations 1969

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Do not remove this notice.
 Aims
• Understand the concepts of time and frequency
domains.
• Draw the frequency spectrum for a periodic
signal.

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 Spectral Analysis
• The process of determining the relative
amplitudes and phases of frequency
components of a given signal.
• Important since it can be used to estimate the
bandwidth requirements for a communication
system.

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 Spectrum of Signal
• In the last module we saw how a periodic signal
could be made up by summing harmonically
related sinusoids.
• If we plot the coefficients of the Fourier series
against frequency, we obtain the Fourier
Spectrum of the signal. (Commonly called
Spectrum).
• The spectrum is useful since it allows a visual
determination of the frequency content of a
signal (frequency domain picture).

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 Spectrum of Signal
• Generally we use the:
• Amplitude-Phase coefficients:
– One-sided Spectrum.
• OR
• Complex-Exponential form:
– Two-sided Spectrum.
• Note both forms have a magnitude and phase
component at each frequency.
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 Line Spectrum of Signal
• We have calculated the Fourier Series
coefficients for a square wave, these can now
be used to obtain the line spectrum of the
signal. Recall:
A
C0 =
2
2A nπ 
 sin n odd 
Cn =  nπ 2 

0 n even 

φn = 0
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 Spectrum of Signal
• The nth coefficient of the Fourier series is
either the amplitude (Cn) or the initial phase
(φn) of the nth harmonic.
• Assuming A=1V then the first 6 coefficients
are: n |C| φ
C0 0.5 0.5 0
C1 0.637 0.637 0
C3 -0.212 0.212 180°
C5 0.127 0.127 0
C7 -0.091 0.091 180°
C9 0.071 0.071 0

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• Plotting each of the sinusoids we get:

0.75
0.5
0
0.25 f0
0 3f0
-0.25 5f0
7f0
-0.5
9f0
-0.75 0
0 89 179 269 359
time

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• Rotating the chart we can separate each
component as shown:
0.75
0.5
0
0.25 f0
0 3f0
-0.25 5f0
-0.5 7f0
9f0
-0.75

0
3f0
7f0
0 89 179 269 359

time frequency
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 0.75
0.5
0
0.25 f0
0 3f0
-0.25 5f0
-0.5 7f0
9f0
-0.75
0

3f0
5f0
7f0
9f0
f0
0 89 179 269 359

time frequency
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 0.75

0.5

0.25 0
f0
0 3f0
5f0
-0.25
7f0
-0.5 9f0

-0.75
359
0
89
179
269

0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0

time frequency
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• Rotating further we see the view from the
frequency domain:
0.75

0.5

0.25 0
f0
0 3f0
5f0
-0.25 7f0
9f0
-0.5

-0.75 89
0
359
269
179
0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0
frequency
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• Only plotting the amplitude of the
coefficient gives the Amplitude Spectrum:
0.75

0.5

0.25 0
f0
0 3f0
5f0
-0.25 7f0
9f0
-0.5

-0.75 89
0
359
269
179
0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0
frequency
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 Time / Frequency Domains
• We now have two Amplitude V
A
representations for a
signal:
• Time Domain:
(time is the axis) -T/2 0 T/2 time

• Frequency Domain:
(frequency is the axis) 0.5A

• ie Spectrum 0.25A

0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0

frequency
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 One-Sided Magnitude Spectrum
•Taking the magnitude we obtain the Magnitude
Spectrum:
Magnitude
0.75

0.5

0.25

0 Frequency
0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0
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 One-Sided Phase Spectrum
•Plotting the phase of each coefficient
we have the Phase Spectrum:
180

90

Frequency
0
0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0

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 One-Sided Spectrum
• Normally both Magnitude and Phase Spectra are
shown together:
0.75
Magnitude
0.5

0.25

0
Phase
180

90

Frequency
0
0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0

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 Comments
• We see that the spectrum of a periodic signal
is made up of discrete lines (impulse) at
multiples of the fundamental frequency.
• Plotting the coefficients from the Amplitude-
Phase form gives rise to the One Sided
Spectrum since n≥0.
• Plotting the coefficients from the Complex
Exponential form gives rise to the Two Sided
Spectrum since -∞<n< ∞.

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 Two-Sided Spectrum of Signal
• The coefficients of the Complex Exponential
Fourier series for the squarewave are:
n |X| φ
X-9 0.0355 0.0355 0
RECALL :
X-7 -0.0455 0.0455 -180°
X-5 0.0635 0.0635 0 Cn
X-3 -0.106 0.106 -180° Xn =
X-1 0.3185 0.3185 0 2
X0 0.5 0.5 0 X n = X −n
*
X1 0.3185 0.3185 0
X3 -0.106 0.106 180° X 0 = C0
X5 0.0635 0.0635 0
X7 -0.0455 0.0455 180°
X9 0.0355 0.0355 0
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 Two-Sided Amplitude Spectrum
• Plotting these coefficients we obtain the Two-
Sided Amplitude Spectrum:
Amplitude
0.6

0.4 Amplitude
Spectrum

0.2

0
Frequency
-9f0 -7f0 -5f0 -3f0 -f0 0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0

-0.2

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 Two-Sided Magnitude Spectrum
• Plotting the magnitude of the coefficients we
obtain the Two-Sided Magnitude Spectrum:
Magnitude
0.6

Magnitude
0.4
Spectrum

0.2

-9f0 -7f0 -5f0 -3f0 -f0 0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0

Frequency
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 Two-Sided Phase Spectrum
• Plotting the phase coefficients we obtain the
Two-Sided Phase Spectrum:
Phase
180

135

90

45

0
Frequency
-9f0 -7f0 -5f0 -3f0 -f0 0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0
-45

-90

-135

-180

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 Comments
• We see that the two-sided spectrum is related
to the one-sided spectrum.
• For the magnitude, all the components
(except the DC) are halved and the spectrum
is mirrored in the Y axis.
• For the phase the one-side spectrum is
mirrored in the Y axis, then the negative
frequency components are flipped in the X
axis.

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One-Sided to Two-Sided Spectrum
• Magnitude Spectrum:
Magnitude
0.75 0.75

Half the
One-Sided
Reflect in Y
0.5
amplitudes
Spectrum
0.5 axis

0.25 0.25

0
0
-9f0 -7f0 f0
-5f0 -3f0 3f0
-f0 0 5f0
f0 3f0 7f0
5f0 7f0 9f0
9f0 Frequency

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One-Sided to Two-Sided Spectrum
• Phase Spectrum:
Phase Reflect
Flip in Xinaxis
One-Sided Y axis
Spectrum:
180

135

90

45

Frequency
-9f0 -7f0 -5f0 -3f0 -f0 0 f0 3f0 5f0 7f0 9f0
-45

-90

-135

-180
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Example: Spectrum for a signal made
up of cosine & sine terms
• Given that a signal is given by:
• x(t)=6 - 12cos(40πt-60°)+ 8sin(120πt).
• Draw the both the one sided and two
sided amplitude and phase spectra.
Amplitude V
24.6

time s
-12.6
Skip
example
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 Example: Spectrum for a signal made
up of cosine & sine terms
• x(t)=6 - 12cos(40πt-60°)+ 8sin(120πt).
• Express the signal so that it has only +ve
cosine terms.
• ie -cos(x)=cos(x+π) and sin(x)=cos(x−π/2)
•∴x(t)=6+ 12cos(40πt-60°+180°)+ 8cos(120πt -90°)
• =6+ 12cos(40πt+120°)+ 8cos(120πt -90°)
• Note there is no need to find the Fourier
Series coefficients, as we already have the
expression in the correct form.

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 Example: Spectrum for a signal made
up of cosine & sine terms
• One Sided Spectrum:
Magnitude
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 20 60 f Hz
Phase
120
60
0
20 f Hz
-90
Skip
0 example
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 Example: Spectrum for a signal made
up of cosine & sine terms
• Two Sided Spectrum:
Magnitude
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
-60 -20 0 20 60
f Hz
Phase
120
-20 60
-60 0 20 f Hz
-90 Skip
example
0
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 Spectrum of a Pulse Train
• The following slides show the spectrum of a
pulse train for different values of τ.
Amplitude V
A

-τ/2 0 τ/2 time

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 Spectrum of a Pulse Train
• 2 Sided Magnitude Spectrum for τ/T=0.5
(squarewave).

Note even
harmonics
are zero

Java Applet
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 Spectrum of a Pulse Train
• Magnitude Spectrum for τ/T=0.1

Note zero
crossing
occurs at
multiples of
10
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 Spectrum of a Pulse Train
• Magnitude Spectrum for τ/T=0.05

Note zero
crossing
occurs at
multiples of
20
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 Spectrum of a Pulse Train
• Magnitude Spectrum for τ/T=0.01

Where is the
zero
crossing?

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 Summary
• In this module you should have become
familiar with:
• One-sided and two-sided Fourier spectra.
• Amplitude, Magnitude and Phase spectra.
• How to plot Fourier spectra.
• The Fourier spectrum of a pulse train.

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 References

• Mesiya: Section 2.3

• Carlson: Section 2.1 and 2.2
• Blake: Section 1.3
• Couch: Chapter 2, Section 2.5, pages:73-76
http://cnyack.homestead.com/files/afourse/fspultr.htm
http://www.jhu.edu/~signals/fourier2/index.html

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