The Z-Transform

Quote of the Day

Such is the advantage of a well-constructed
language that its simplified notation often
becomes the source of profound theories.

Laplace

Content and Figures are from Discrete-Time Signal Processing, 2e by Oppenheim, Shafer, and Buck, ©1999-2000 Prentice Hall Inc.
 The z-Transform
• Counterpart of the Laplace transform for discrete-time signals
• Generalization of the Fourier Transform
– Fourier Transform does not exist for all signals
• The z-Transform is often time more convenient to use
• Definition:

Xz    xn z n

n  

• Compare to DTFT definition:

    xn e

j  j n
Xe
n  

• z is a complex variable that can be represented as z=r ej

• Substituting z=ej will reduce the z-transform to DTFT

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 The z-transform and the DTFT
• The z-transform is a function of the complex z variable
• Convenient to describe on the complex z-plane
• If we plot z=ej for =0 to 2 we get the unit circle

Im  
X e j

Unit Circle

r=1
 0
Re 
2 0 2

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 Convergence of the z-Transform
• DTFT does not always converge
    xn e

j  j n
Xe
n  
– Infinite sum not always finite if x[n] no absolute summable
– Example: x[n] = anu[n] for |a|>1 does not have a DTFT

• Complex variable z can be written as r ej so the z-transform

    xn re   
 
X re j  j  n
  xn r n e  jn
n   n  

• DTFT of x[n] multiplied with exponential sequence r -n

– For certain choices of r the sum maybe made finite



 xn r
n  
-n


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 Region of Convergence
• The set of values of z for which the z-transform converges
• Each value of r represents a circle of radius r
• The region of convergence is made of circles
• Example: z-transform converges for
values of 0.5<r<2
Im – ROC is shown on the left
– In this example the ROC includes the
unit circle, so DTFT exists
• Not all sequence have a z-transform
Re • Example: xn  coson
– Does not converge for any r
– No ROC, No z-transform
– But DTFT exists?!
– Sequence has finite energy
– DTFT converges in the mean-
squared sense
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 Right-Sided Exponential Sequence Example

 az 
 
xn  a un n
 Xz    a unz
n n
 1 n

n   n0

• For Convergence we require Im

 n
 az
n0
1


• Hence the ROC is defined as

1
n a 1
az 1 z  a o x Re

• Inside the ROC series converges to

 1 z


Xz    az 1 
n

n0 1  az 1 z  a
• Geometric series formula • Region outside the circle of
N2 N1 N2 1 radius a is the ROC
a  a
 an 
1a
• Right-sided sequence ROCs
n  N1
extend outside a circle
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 Same Example Alternative Way

 az 
 
xn  a un
n
 Xz    a unzn n
 1 n

n   n0
N2
N1  N2 1

n  N1
n
 
1

az   az 
1 0 1 

 az   1  az

1 n
1
n0
|z|>2
• For the term with infinite exponential to vanish we need
az 1  1  a  z

– Determines the ROC (same as the previous approach)

• In the ROC the sum converges to

 az 

1
Xz   1 n

n0 1  az 1

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 Two-Sided Exponential Sequence Example
n n
 1 1
xn     un -   u- n - 1
 3 2
0  1 1
 1 1   1 1  ROC :  z 1
n z    z  3

 1 1   3   3  1
 
n0 

3
z 


1

1 1
 z
1  z 1 1  z 1 3
3 3
 1 1 

 1 1 
0 1 1
 z    z  ROC : z  1
 1 1 
n
1 2
2 2
1
  
 
n   2
z 


1 1 1
1  z 1 1  z 1  z Im
2 2 2

 1 
2z z   1 1
1 1  12  
Xz     3x oo
2
x Re
1 1  1  1 1
1  z 1 1  z 1  z   z   12
3 2  3  2
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 Finite Length Sequence
an 0  n  N  1
xn  
0 otherwise

1  az  1 N
1 zN  aN
 az   1  az
N 1 N 1
Xz   a z n n
 1 n
1
 N 1
n0 n0 z za

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 Properties of The ROC of Z-Transform
• The ROC is a ring or disk centered at the origin
• DTFT exists if and only if the ROC includes the unit circle
• The ROC cannot contain any poles
• The ROC for finite-length sequence is the entire z-plane
– except possibly z=0 and z=
• The ROC for a right-handed sequence extends outward from
the outermost pole possibly including z= 
• The ROC for a left-handed sequence extends inward from the
innermost pole possibly including z=0
• The ROC of a two-sided sequence is a ring bounded by poles
• The ROC must be a connected region
• A z-transform does not uniquely determine a sequence
without specifying the ROC

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 Stability, Causality, and the ROC
• Consider a system with impulse response h[n]
• The z-transform H(z) and the pole-zero plot shown below
• Without any other information h[n] is not uniquely determined
– |z|>2 or |z|<½ or ½<|z|<2
• If system stable ROC must include unit-circle: ½<|z|<2
• If system is causal must be right sided: |z|>2

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