ELEC 351

Signals
-System Models
and Systems
-The main fundamental properties we will study are:
1. Causality
2. Linearity
3. Time-Invariance Lecture 4
4.Instantaneous/Dynamical systems
-Linear System System Properties
-Linear Systems and differential equations
-Time-Invariance

Dr. Serkan Kiranyaz

Electrical Engineering Department
Qatar University

1
 Basic Signals
1, t0
Unit Step Function u(t): u (t ) = 
0, t0

t, t0
Unit Ramp Function r(t): r (t ) = 
0, t0
 (t )

The impulse function  (t )

Complex / Real Harmonic Signals

What is the use of the above basic functions?

2
Problem Solving Technique:

Breaking down a large, complex problem into smaller, solvable

problems.

Same philosophy

Often times, complex signals can be simplified as linear

combinations of basic functions

3
 What about the impulse function?

x(t ) =  x( ) (t −  )d
−

It states that x(t) can be written as a linear combination of

scaled and shifted unit impulses. This will be a key concept
when we discuss convolution.
Reminder:
The above integral can be conceived as a weighted sum of
functions values x ( ) (t −  ) multiplied by infinitesimal step
width d .
scaled and shifted unit impulses

4
 What about Complex exponential and
Sinusoidal Signals?

We will see that we can write any practical periodic signal as a

infinite sum of these functions !!!! (Fourier Series)

We will see that we can write any practical signal as a infinite

sum of these functions !!!! (Fourier Transform)

5
 Systems
Physically, a system is something that “takes in” one or
more input signals and “produces” one or more output
signals.
❑ It can be a circuit
❑ It can be a mechanical thing
❑ It can be….

Car: - Input: position of gas pedal

- Output: speed of car
Stereo Amplifier: - Input: voltage from CD player
- Output: voltage to speakers
Cell Phone: - Input: RF signal into antenna
- Output: voltage to speaker

6
 Systems
The study of systems consists of three major areas:
❑ Mathematical Modeling
❑ Analysis: How to determine the system outputs from
the given inputs and a given mathematical model of the
system
❑ Design : how to construct a system which will produce
a desired set of outputs for the given inputs

7
 System Models
❑ Represent a physical system through a schematic
diagram
❑ Represent the schematic as block diagram with a
mathematical model
o The mathematical model gives a way to quantitatively
relate a given mathematical representation of an input
signal into a mathematical representation of the output
signal.

8
Physical View
Get output signal
Apply input as a voltage
signal here as a
voltage

Schematic View
Output signal is
Apply audio the voltage across
signal here as a the speaker
voltage

System View
Math Function Math Function
for input for output

y (t ) = [ x(t )] 9
 Mathematical Models for Systems
• Many physical systems are modeled with Differential Eqs
o Physics shows that electrical (& mechanical!) components
often have “Rules” that depend on derivatives.
d 2 y (t ) dy(t ) dx(t )
a2 + a1 + a0 y (t ) = b1 + b0 x(t )
dt dt dt

Given: Input x(t)

Find: Output y(t)

• However, engineering use Other Math Model to solve and

analyze differential Eqs.
o The concept of “Frequency response” and the related concept of
“Transfer Function” are the most widely used such math models.
o Another helpful math model is called “Convolution”
10
 Relationships Between Systems Models
• These 4 models all are equivalents
• …. but one or another may be easier to apply to a given
problem

11
 Example of Systems

• RC Circuit
-You’ve seen in Circuits Class that R, L, C circuits are
modeled by Differential Equations:
• From Physical Circuit…get schematic

• From Schematic write circuit equations…get Differential Equation

• Solve Differential Equation for specific input…get specific output

12
Schematic View:

System View:

Mathematical Modeling:

dy(t ) 1 1
+ y (t ) = x(t )
dt RC C

13
 Basic System Properties
There are some fundamental properties that many (but not all!)
systems share regardless if they are electrical, mechanical, etc.

An understanding of these fundamental properties allows an

engineer to develop tools that can be widely applied…rather
than attacking each seemingly different problem a new!!

The main fundamental properties we will study are:

1. Causality
2. Linearity
3. Time-Invariance
4. Instantaneous/Dynamical systems
14
 Causality : A system is causal if its output at time t1 does
not depend on future value of the input ( t  t1 ).

A CT system is causal if and only if the condition x1 (t ) = x2 (t ) for t  t0 implies the

condition T [ x1 (t )] = T [ x2 (t )] for t  t0 for any t0 , x1 (t ) and x2 (t ) .
Any practical system that operates in real time must necessarily be casual.
15
Check yourself (Causality)

a) y (t ) = x(t − 3) + x(4 − t )

b) y (t ) = [sin( 2t )]x(t − 2)
3t
c) y (t ) =  x( )d
−5t
Linearity: A system is linear if superposition holds:

17
If a system is linear: “a scaled
input gives a scaled output

Same scaling factor

When superposition holds, it makes our life easier.

We can decompose complicated signals into a sum of simpler
signals, and find out how each of these simple signals goes
through the system.

This is exactly what the so-called Frequency Domain

Methods of later chapters do!!!

18
 Response of Linear System

A system output for t>0 is the result of two independent causes:

1. The initial conditions of the system at t=0
2. The input signal for t>0

For linear system we have:

Total Response = zero-input response + zero-state response

Output due to Output due to

initial condition input signal

19
 Linear Systems and differential equations
Consider a system described by the following differential equation:

d n y (t ) d n −1 y (t ) d m x(t ) dx(t )
an n
+ a n −1 n −1
+  + a 0 y (t ) = bm m
+  + b1 + b0 x(t )
dt dt dt dt
This system is linear if the coefficients ai’s and bi’s are constants or functions
of time.
dy(t ) dx(t ) 2
t + 2 y (t ) = sin( t ) + t x(t )
dt dt
If one of these coefficient be a function of input signal x(t) or the output signal
y(t) then the system will be nonlinear.

dy(t ) dx(t ) 2
t + 2 y (t ) = sin( y (t )) + t x(t )
dt dt
Try to show this??
20
Check yourself (Linearity)

a) y (t ) = x(t − 1) + x(2 − t )

b) y (t ) = [sin( 2t )]x(t ) x(t − 2)

Time-Invariance:
Physical View: The system itself does not change with time i.e. the
system response to a certain input signal does not depend on absolute
time.

Ex. A circuit with fixed R,L,C is time invariant. Actually, R,L,C values
change slightly over time due to temperature & aging effects. A circuit
with, say, a variable C is time variant
A system is time invariant (TI) if:

22
 Time-variance and differential equations
Consider a system described by the following differential equation:

d n y (t ) d n −1 y (t ) d m x(t ) dx(t )
an n
+ a n −1 n −1
+  + a 0 y (t ) = bm m
+  + b1 + b0 x(t )
dt dt dt dt
This system is time invariant if the coefficients ai’s and bi’s are constants or
function of input or output.
dy(t ) dx(t )
+ 2 y (t ) = + 10 x(t )
dt dt
If one of these coefficient be a function of time then the system will be time
variant.
dy(t ) dx(t ) 2
+ 2ty(t ) = + t x(t )
dt dt

Try to show this??

23
Check yourself (Time-invariance)

a) y (t ) = x(t − 3) + x(4 − t )

b) y (t ) = [sin( 2t )]x(t − 2)

dy df
c) + (tant)y(t) = + f (t)
2

dt dt
Continuous-time System
A system whose inputs and outputs are continuous-time
signals.
Discrete-time Systems
A system whose inputs and outputs are discrete-time
signals.

Analog System
A system whose inputs and outputs are analog signals.

Digital System
A system whose inputs and outputs are digital signals.

26
Conclusion:

The most important consequence of the properties of

linearity and time invariance is the fact that once
we know the response of LTI system to a single
input or the response to several inputs, we can
directly computes the responses to many other
input signals.

27
• Reading Assignment
– Chapter 1, sections 1.6. and 1.7
– Problems: 1.6-1,1.7-1,1.7-2,1.7-7,1.7-8

28