MODULE FOUR

DISCRETE TIME SYSTEMS

What is a System?
A system is defined as an entity that acts on an input signal and transforms it into an output signal.
A System is a device or combination of devices, which can operate on signals and produce
corresponding response. Input to a system is called as excitation and output from it is called as
response. A system is also defined as a set of elements or fundamental blocks which are connected
together and produces an output in response to an input signal.

The response or output of the system depends on the transfer function of the system. It is a cause
and effect relation between two or more signals. A communication System is an example of a
system.

As signals, systems are also broadly classified into continuous-time and discrete-time systems. A
continuous-time system is one which transforms continuous-time input signals into continuous-
time output signals, whereas a discrete-time system is one which transforms discrete-time input
signals into discrete-time output signals. For example microprocessors, semiconductor memories,
shift registers, etc. are discrete-time systems.

Systems may be single-input and single-output systems or multi-input and multi-output systems.
For one or more inputs, the system can have one or more outputs.

The block diagram of a discrete-time system is shown above. An arrow entering the box is the
input signal (also called excitation, source or driving function) and an arrow leaving the box is an
output signal (also called response). Generally, the input is denoted by x(n) and the output is
denoted by y(n).

The relation between the input x(n) and the output y(n) of a system has the form:
y(n) = operation on x(n)

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Mathematically, y(n) = T[x(n)]
This means that x(n) is transformed to y(n). In other words, y(n) is the transformed version of x(n).

Classification of Systems
• Continuous time and Discrete time system
• Linear and Non-Linear system
• Static and Dynamic system
• Time invariant and Time variant system
• Causal and Non-Causal system
• Stable and Unstable system

1. Continuous time and Discrete time system

Continuous time system operates on a continuous time signal (input or excitation) and produces
another continuous time signal (output or response) which is shown below.

x(t) T y(t)

The signal x(𝑡) is transformed by the system into signal y(𝑡), this transformation can be expressed
as:

Response y(𝑡) = 𝑇[x(𝑡)]

where 𝑥(𝑡) is input signal, 𝑦(𝑡) is output signal, and T denotes transformation

Discrete time system

Discrete time system operates on a discrete time signal (input or excitation) and produces another
discrete time signal (output or response) which is shown below.

x(n) T y(n)

The signal x(𝑛) is transformed by the system into signal y(𝑛), this transformation can be expressed
as:

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 Response y(𝑛) = 𝑇[𝑥 (𝑛)]
where x(n) is input signal, y(n) is output signal, and T denotes transformation

2. Linear system and Non Linear system

Linear system:
A system which obeys the principle of superposition and principle of homogeneity is called a linear
system and a system which does not obey the principle of superposition and principle of
homogeneity is called a non-linear system. The principle of superposition requires that the
response of the system to a weighted sum of signals be equal to the corresponding weighted sum
of responses (outputs) of the system to each of the individual input signals.

Homogeneity property means a system which produces an output y(n) for an input x(n) must
produce an output ay(n) for an input ax(n).

Superposition property means a system which produces an output y1(n) for an input x1(n) and an
output y2(n) for an input x2(n) must produce an output y1(n) + y2(n) for an input x1(n) + x2(n).

Combining these two principles implies that a system is linear if an arbitrary input x1(n) produces
an output y1(n) and an arbitrary input x2(n) produces an output y2(n), then the weighted sum of
inputs ax1(n) + bx2(n) where a and b are constants produces an output ay1(n) + by2(n) which is the
sum of weighted outputs.

[𝑎𝑥1(𝑛) + 𝑏𝑥2(𝑛)] = aT[x1(𝑛)] + 𝑏T[x2(𝑛)]

In simple terms, a system is linear if the output due to the weighted sum of inputs is equal to the
weighted sum of outputs.

Non Linear system:

A system is said to be Non-linear if it does not obey superposition theorem.
𝑖. 𝑒. [𝑎𝑥1(𝑛) + 𝑏𝑥2(𝑛)] ≠ aT[x1(𝑛)] + 𝑏T[x2(𝑛)]

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3. Static and Dynamic system
A system is said to be memoryless or static if the response of the system is due to present input
alone. That is, for a static or memoryless system, the output at any instant n depends only on the
input applied at that instant n but not on the past or future values of input or past values of output.

For example, the systems defined below are static or memoryless systems:

y(n) = x(n)

y(n) = 2x2(n)

A system is said to be memory or dynamic if the response of the system depends upon past or
future inputs or past outputs. A summer or accumulator, a delay element is a discrete time system
with memory.

For example, the systems defined below are memory or dynamic systems:

y(n) = x(2n)

y(n) = x(n) + x(n – 2)

y(n) + 4y(n – 1) + 4y(n – 2) = x(n)

Any discrete time system described by a difference equation is a dynamic system. A purely
resistive electrical circuit is a static system, whereas an electric circuit having inductors and or
capacitors is a dynamic system.

Exercises:

Determine if the following systems are dynamic or not:

a) y(n) = x(n + 2) b) y(n) = 2x(n) c) y(n) = x(n – 2) + x(n)

Solution:

a) Given y(n) = x(n + 2) the output depends on the future value of input. Therefore, the system is
dynamic.

b) Given y(n) = 2x(n) the output depends on the present value of input alone. Therefore, the system
is static.

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c) Given y(n) = x(n – 2) + x(n) the system is described by a difference equation. Therefore, the
system is dynamic.

4. Time invariant (Shift invariant) and Time variant (Shift variant) system

Time-invariance is the property of a system which makes the behavior of the system independent
of time. This means that the behavior of the system does not depend on the time at which the input
is applied. For discrete-time systems, the time invariance property is called shift invariance. A
system is said to time invariant if the relationship between the input and output does not change
with time.

A system is said to be time-invariant if its input or output characteristics do not change with time,
that is, if a time shift in the input results in a corresponding time shift in the output.

If T[x(n)] = y(n) then T[x(n – k)] = y(n – k)

A system that does not satisfy the requirement above is called a time-varying (time variant) system
or shift-varying (shift variant) system. A system is said to be time variant if the relationship
between the input and output changes with time.

5. Causal and Non-Causal system

A system is said to causal if the output of the system at any time n depends only on present and
past values of the input but not on future inputs. For a causal system, the impulse response or
output does not begin before the input function is applied.

Causal systems are real systems, they are physically realizable. The impulse response of a causal
system is zero for n < 0, since (n) exists only at n = 0.

that is h(n) = 0 for n<0

Examples of causal systems are:

y(n) = n x(n)

y(n) = x(n – 2) + x(n – 1) + x(n)

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A system is said to be non-causal if the system at any instant n depends on future inputs. They
produce an output even before the input is given. They do not exist in real time. They are not
physically realizable. A delay element is a causal system while an image processing system is a
non-causal system.

Examples of non-causal systems are:

y(n) = x(n) + x(2n)

y(n) = x2(n) + 2x(n + 2)

Example: Consider these two systems described by these difference equations:

(a) y[n] = 1/3(x[n] + x[n + 1] + x[n + 2] and (b) y[n] = 1/3(x[n] + x[n - 1] + x[n - 2]

Solution: The system in equation (a) is noncausal because the output y[n] depends on the future
values of the input x[n]. The system in equation (b) is causal because the output y[n] depends only
on the present and past values of the input x[n].

Examples: Determine if the systems described by the following input-output equations are causal
or noncausal:

(a) y(n) = x(n) – x(n – 1) (b) y(n) = ax(n)

(c) y(n) = x(n) + 3x(n + 4) (d) y(n) = x(n2)

(e) y(n) = x(2n) (f) y(n) = x(-n)

Solution:

The systems described in (a) and (b) are clearly causal, since the outputs depends only on the
present and past inputs. On the other hand, the systems described in (c), (d) and (e) are clearly non-
causal since the output depends on the future values of the input. The system in (f) is also non-
causal, the output for example at n = -1, depends on the input at n = 1, which is two units of time
into the future.

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6. Stable and Unstable system

A system is said to be stable if and only if it satisfies the BIBO (Bounded Input Bounded Output)
stability criterion.

BIBO stable condition:

• Every bounded input yields bounded output.

• Impulse response should be absolutely summable

If the BIBO stable condition is not satisfied, then the system is said to be unstable system

Linear Time invariant (LTI) Systems

Linear Time invariant Systems (LTI Systems) are a class of systems used in DSP that are both
linear and time invariant. Linear systems are systems whose output for a linear combination of
inputs are the same as a linear combination of individual responses to those inputs. The time
invariant systems are systems where the output does not depend on when an input was applied.
These properties make LTI systems easy to represent and understand graphically.

A linear system means it obeys the principle of superposition. There are two separate property of
a linear system:

1. Response for input (A+B) = Response for input A + Response for input B.

2. If you scale input by a factor K, the output is scaled by the same factor K. For example, if you
double the input (K=2), the output will also double.

The system is also time (shift) invariant. This means if input is delayed by k samples, i.e. x[n] →
ax[n-k] , then the output is the same but also delayed by k samples, i.e. y[n] → ay[n-k].

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 BLOCK DIAGRAM REPRESENTATION OF DT SYSTEMS
DT systems can be represented through multiple ways such as:

i. Signal flow diagram: this is similar to a circuit schematic showing how signals are transferred to
various modules. Its graphical nature allows a reader to relate to the actual physical system easier
than using mathematical equations.

ii. Difference Equation: difference equations are compact, easy to analyze, and suited for computer
implementation. An example is the difference equation for the simplest feedback system, an
accumulator: y[n] = y[n−1] + x[n].

iii. Operator Notation: In operator notation, the symbol R stands for the right-shift operator. It
takes a signal and shifts it one step to the right. For example, the notation for a system that delays
a signal X by one tick to produce a signal Y: Y = R{X}.

iv. Block diagram: Block diagrams visually represent a system.

Block Diagram representation of Discrete-time systems

Digital Systems are represented with blocks of different elements or entities connected with arrows
which also fulfills the purpose of showing the direction of signal flow.

Some common elements of Discrete-time systems are:-

• Adder: It performs the addition or summation of two signals or excitation to have a response. An
adder is represented as:

• Constant Multiplier: This entity multiplies the signal with a constant integer or fraction. And is
represented as:
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in this example the signal x(n) is multiplied with a constant “a” to have the response of the system
as y(n).

•Signal Multiplier: This element multiplies two signals to obtain one.

•Unit-delay element: This element delays the signal by one sample i.e. the response of the system
is the excitation of previous sample. This element is said to have a memory which stores the
excitation at time n-1 and recalls this excitation at the time n form the memory. This element is
represented as:

•Unit-advance element: This element advances the signal by one sample i.e. the response of the
current excitation is the excitation of future sample. Although, this element is not physically
realizable unless the response and the excitation are already in stored or recorded form.

Example1:

Draw the block diagram representations of y(n) = y(n-1) + x (n-1) + 2x(n)

Solution:

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Example 2:

Draw the block diagram representations of a LTI system whose input and output y[n] satisfy the
following difference equation: y[n] = -a1y[n-1] – a2 y[n-2] + b0x[n]

Solution:

2 adders, 3 multipliers and 2 delay elements are required to implement the system.

Example 3:

Draw the block diagram representations of a DT system whose output y[n] is represented by the
following difference equations: v[n] = x[n] – 3x[n-1] + 2x[n-2] and y[n] = -0.3y[n-1] + 0.1y[n-2]
+ v[n]

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Solution:

y[n] = -0.3y[n – 1] + 0.1y[n – 2] + x[n] – 3x[n – 1] + 2x[n – 2]

Practice:
1. Construct the block diagram for the discrete-time systems whose input-output relations are
described by the following difference equations: y[n] = 0.25(x[n] + x[n – 1] – x[n – 2] + x[n – 3])

2. Draw the block diagram representations of a DT system whose output y[n] is represented by the
following difference equations: y[n] = 1/4y[n – 1] + ½(x[n] + x[n – 1])

3. Given the difference equations: y[n] = y[n – 1] – 2x[n] + 3x[n – 1], draw the system block
diagram.

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