2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Discrete-Time Signals and Systems

1 ECEA108

2.0 Introduction
Signal: something conveys information,
represented mathematically as
functions of one or more independent
variables. Classified as:
Continuous-time (analog) signals,
discrete-time signals, digital signals
Signal-processing systems are classified
along the same lines as signals:
Continuous-time (analog) systems,
discrete-time systems, digital systems
2 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 1
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

2.1 Discrete-Time Signals: Sequences

Discrete-Time signals are represented as

x  xn,    n  , n : integer
Cumbersome, so just use x  n 
In sampling of an analog signal xa(t):
xn  xa nT , T : sampling period

1/T (reciprocal of T) : sampling frequency

3 ECEA108

Figure 2.1 Graphical representation

of a discrete-time signal

Abscissa: continuous line

x  n  : is defined only at discrete instants

4 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 2
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

x[ n]  xa (t ) |t  nT  xa ( nT )
EXAMPLE Sampling the analog waveform

5 Figure 2.2 ECEA108

Basic Sequence Operations

Sum of two sequences

x[n]  y[n]
Product of two sequences
x[n]  y[n]
Multiplication of a sequence by a number α
  x[n]
Delay (shift) of a sequence
y[n]  x[n  n0 ] n0 : integer

6 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 3
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Basic sequences
Unit sample sequence 0 n  0
(discrete-time impulse,  n  
1 n  0
impulse, Unit impulse)

7 ECEA108

Basic sequences

A sum of scaled, delayed impulses

p n   a  3 n  3  a1 n  1  a2 n  2  a7 n  7


arbitrary
sequence
x[n]   x[k ] [n  k ]
k 

8 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 4
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Basic sequences
1 n  0
Unit step sequence u[n]  
0 n  0

  k 
 n

0, when n  0
    k   1, when n  0 ,




u[n]   k  
k   since   k   0 k  0 
 1 k 0 

u[n]   [n]   [n  1]   [n  2]      [n  k ]
k 0
 [n]  u[n]  u[n  1] First backward difference
9 ECEA108

Basic Sequences
Exponential sequences x[n]  A n
A and α are real: x[n] is real
A is positive and 0<α<1, x[n] is positive and
decrease with increasing n
-1<α<0, x[n] alternate in sign, but decrease
in magnitude with increasing n
   1: x[n] grows in magnitude as n increases

10 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 5
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

EX. 2.1 Combining Basic sequences

If we want an exponential sequences that is

zero for n <0, then

 A n n  0
x[n]   Cumbersome
0 n0

x[n]  A nu[n] simpler

11 ECEA108

Basic sequences

Sinusoidal sequence

x[n]  A cosw0 n    for all n

12 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 6
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Exponential Sequences
A  A e j    e jw 0

x[n]  A n  A e j  e jw0 n  A  e j  w0 n  
n n

 A  cosw0 n     j A  sin w0 n   

n n

Exponentially weighted sinusoids

 1 Exponentially growing envelope
 1 Exponentially decreasing envelope
 1 x[n]  Ae jw0 n is refered to
Complex Exponential Sequences
13 ECEA108

difference between continuous-time

and discrete-time complex
exponentials or sinusoids
j  w0  2 n jw0 n j 2n
x[n]  Ae  Ae jw0 n
e  Ae
x[n]  A cos  w0  2 r  n     A cos  w0 n   
j   2 t
x(t )  Ae  Ae jt
 w0 : frequency of the complex sinusoid
or complex exponential
  : phase

14 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 7
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Periodic Sequences

A periodic sequence with integer period N

x[n]  x[n  N ] for all n

A cosw0 n     A cosw0 n  w0 N   

w0 N  2 k , where k is integer

N  2 k / w0 , where k is integer

15 ECEA108

EX. 2.1 Examples of Periodic Sequences

x1[n]  cos n / 4
Suppose it is periodic sequence with period N
x1[n]  x1[n  N ]
cos n / 4  cos n  N  / 4
 n / 4  2 k   n / 4  N / 4, k : integer
N  2 k / ( / 4)  8 k
k  1,  N  8  2 / w0
16 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 8
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

EX. 2.1 Examples of Periodic Sequences

2
8

3
8
x1[n]  cos 3 n / 8 
Suppose it is periodic sequence with period N
x1[n]  x1[n  N ]
cos3 n / 8  cos3 n  N  / 8
3 n / 8  2 k  3 n / 8  3 N / 8, k : integer
N  2 k / w0  2 k / (3 / 8) k  3,  N  16
N  2 3/ w0  2 / w0 ( for continuous signal)
17 ECEA108

EX. 2.1 Non-Periodic Sequences

x2 [n]  cos n 
Suppose it is periodic sequence with period N

x2 [n]  x2 [n  N ]

cos n   cos(n  N )
for n  2 k  n  N , k : integer,
there is no integer N

18 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 9
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

High and Low Frequencies in Discrete-time signal

x[n]  A cos( w0 n)
(a) w0 = 0 or 2
Frequency: The rate at which a
repeating event occurs.

(b) w0 = /8 or 15/8

(c) w0 = /4 or 7/4

(d) w0 = 
19 ECEA108

2.2 Discrete-Time System

Discrete-Time System is a trasformation

or operator that maps input sequence
x[n] into an output sequence y[n].
y[n]=T{x[n]};
x[n], y[n]: discrete-time signal

x[n] y[n]
T{‧}

Discrete-Time System
20 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 10
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

EX. 2.2 The Ideal Delay System

y[n]  x[n  nd ],    n  
If nd is a positive integer: the delay of the
system, Shift the input sequence to the
right by nd samples to form the output .

If nd is a negative integer: the system will

shift the input to the left by n samples,
d
corresponding to a time advance.

21 ECEA108

EX. 2.3 Moving Average

M2
1
y n   xnk
M1  M2 1kM1
1

M1  M2 1
x n M1  x n M1 1 ... x n  x n1 ... xnM2 

for n=7, M1=0, M2=5 y[7]

x[m]

n-5
n m
dummy
index m
22 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 11
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Properties of Discrete-time systems

2.2.1 Memoryless (memory) system
Memoryless systems:
the output y[n] at every value of n depends
only on the input x[n] at the same value of n

Example 2.4 A Memoryless System

yn   x[n]
2

23 ECEA108

Properties of Discrete-time systems

2.2.2 Linear Systems
If x1 n T{‧} y1 n

x2 n T{‧} y2 n

and only If:
x1n  x2 n T{‧} y1n  y2 n additivity property

axn T{‧} ayn homogeneity or scaling

property
principle of superposition
x3 n  ax1 n  bx2 n T{‧} y3 n  ay1 n  by2 n
24 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 12
2Q SY20212022 11/23/2021

Example of Linear System

n
Ex. 2.5 Accumulator system yn   xk 
for arbitrary x1 n and x2 n k  
n n
y1 n   x k  1 y2 n   x k  2
k   k  

when x3 n  ax1 n  bx2 n

n n
y3 n   x k    ax k   bx k 
3 1 2
k   k  
n n
 a  x1 k   b  x2 k   ay1 n  by2 n
k   k  
25 ECEA108

Example 2.6 Nonlinear Systems

Method: find one counterexample
yn   x[n]
2
 For

12  12  1  1
2
 counterexample

 For yn  log10  x[n] 

 counterexample
10  log10 1   log10 10 1 
26 ECEA108

Compiled by LDV 13