Digital and Analog Signals and Sources

Some important terms in comm. systems:

• An Analog waveform: It has a continuous range of amplitude values.

• A Digital waveform: It has a discrete set of amplitude values.

• Analog Information Source: Produces analog waveforms

(E.g. :Microphone)
• Digital Information Source: Produces digital waveforms
(E.g. :Typewriter, telephone touch pad)

x(t) x(t)

t t
Analog Digital 8
Digital and Analog Communication Systems

 A digital communication system transfers

information from a digital source to the intended
receiver (also called the sink).

 An analog communication system transfers

information from an analog source to the sink.

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 Digital Communication
 Advantages
• Relatively inexpensive digital circuits may be used;
• Allows encryption, so privacy is preserved
• Multiplexing different data (Data from voice, video, and other sources may
be merged and transmitted over a common digital transmission system)
• Resistance to channel errors
• Errors may often be corrected by the use of coding.

 Disadvantages
• Generally, more bandwidth is required than that for analog systems;
• Synchronization is required.

* Digital Systems are more popular since it has more advantages than
disadvantages.

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 More terms in Telecom
Two main classes of Waveform
1. Deterministic waveform: The waveform is a function of
time. Other parameters are constant.
E.g. 𝑤 𝑡 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑤𝑡 + θ) where A, w and 𝜽 are constants

2. Random Waveform (or stochastic waveform) is a

function of time and some of the parameters are random.
E.g. 𝑤 𝑡 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑤𝑡 + θ)

The waveform is Random if some of them (A, w and 𝜽) are random.

In this course, we will focus on deterministic waveforms.

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 Block Diagram of A Communication System
 All communication systems contain three main sub systems:
1. Transmitter
2. Channel
3. Receiver

Transmitter Receiver

• m(t) is the message from source. 𝑚 ෥ 𝑡 is the received signal (delivered signal)
• m(t) and 𝑚 ෥ 𝑡 may not be the same. Why ???
• The spectra (frequencies ) of m(t) and 𝑚
෥ 𝑡 are concentrated around f=0.
• Any signal whose frequencies are concentrated around f=0 is called baseband signal.
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13
Block Diagram of A Communication System
TRANSMITTER has two main blocks:
• Signal-processing block
• Carrier circuit

1. The signal-processing block is used for more efficient transmission.

Examples:
• The signal processor may be an low-pass filter to restrict the bandwidth
of m(t).
• The signal processor may be an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to
produce digital signals that represent samples of the analog input
signal.

Transmitter Receiver
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Block Diagram of A Communication System
2. The carrier circuit converts (shifts) the processed baseband signal into a
frequency band that is convenient for the transmission medium of the channel.

• The signal at the output of the carrier circuit is concentrated around very
high frequencies (𝑓𝑐 ≫ 0).
• Any signal whose frequencies are concentrated around very high
frequencies (𝑓𝑐 ≫ 0) is called Bandpass signal.
• The mapping of baseband information signal m(t) to the bandpass signal
s(t) is called modulation.

Transmitter Receiver

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Modulation 16
17
Block Diagram of A Communication System
Channel: Communication path
General classification of channels are:
• Wire: Twisted-pair telephone line, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cables.

• Wireless: Air vacuum, and seawater.

Transmitter Receiver

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 Block Diagram of A Communication System
Receiver:

 The receiver takes the corrupted signal r(t) at the channel output

 Carrier circuit in receiver converts bandpass signal r(t) to baseband signal.

This process is called Demodulation.

 The signal processor cleans up this signal and delivers an estimate of

the source information m(t).

Transmitter Receiver

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Demodulation 20
 Quality of a Communication Systems

 How close is the received signal to the transmitted signal?

 How much power is required to transmit s(t)?

 How much bandwidth is required to transmit s(t)?

 How much information is transmitted?

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 Chapter 2: SIGNALS AND SPECTRA

• In this chapter, We will summarize important topics

and theories from ‘Signals and Systems’ course, which
have applications in Communication Theory.

• We will also learn new terms and theories related to

signal analysis

Note: Part of the slides are adapted and modified from Prof. Hüseyin Bilgekul’s lecture
notes.
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 Properties of Signals

- We need mathematical tools and quantities to describe signals

• DC value, • Phasespectrum,
• Root-mean-square (rms) value, • Power spectral density,
• Normalized power, • Bandwidth (BW)
• Magnitude spectrum, • ………………..

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 Physically Realizable Waveforms
• Physically realizable waveforms are practical
waveforms which can be measured in a laboratory.

• These waveforms satisfy the following conditions

– The waveform has significant nonzero values over a finite

time interval.
– The spectrum of the waveform has significant nonzero
values over a finite frequency interval
– The waveform is a continuous function of time (Continuity)
– The waveform has a finite peak value
– The waveform has only real values.

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 Physically Realizable Waveforms
• Mathematical Models sometimes violate some or all of the
conditions listed in the previous slide.
• The main reason for violation is to simplify the mathematical
analysis of the signal so that we can undertand the signal
behaviour and characteristic.

Physical Waveform

The Math model in this example

violates the following rules:
Mathematical Model Waveform 1. Continuity
2. Finite duration

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 Time Average Operator
• To evaluate some of the signal characteristics (DC, Power,
RMS value, etc), we need to use Time Average Opearator.
• Definition: The time average operator is given by,

• The operator is a linear operator,

• The average of the sum of two quantities is the same as
the sum of their averages:

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 DC Value
Definition: The DC (Direct Current) value of a waveform
w(t) is given by its time average, w(t). Thus,

• In the previous examle, we calculated the time average of

cos(t), which means the DC value of cos(t).

• The DC value of cos(t) and sin(t) is 0.

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 Periodic Waveforms
• Definition
A waveform w(t) is periodic with period T0 if,

w(t) = w(t + T0) for all t

where T0 is the smallest positive number that satisfies this relationship

• A sinusoidal waveform of frequency f0 = 1/T0 Hertz is periodic

• If the waveform involved is periodic, the time average operator can be

reduced to

where T0 is the period of the waveform and integral can be taken over any
interval of one period. E.g. From -T0 /2 to T0 /2 , or From 0 to T0
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 Signal Power
Derivation of Signal Power formula:
• From Electrical Circuits:

– v(t) is the voltage across the circuit terminals, and i(t) denote the current into
the terminal, as shown.

• The instantaneous power : P(t)=v(t).i(t)

• The Average Power is:

Average Power = 𝑃 𝑡 = 𝑣 𝑡 𝑖 𝑡 = 𝑣 2 (𝑡)Τ𝑅

• If R is assumed to be 1Ω, the formula represents Normalized Power.

• The Average Normalized Power is:

𝑃 = 𝑣 2 (𝑡) 29
 Average Normalized Power

The average normalized power is given as follows, where w(t) is any waveform

RMS Value
The root-mean-square (rms) value of w(t) is:

2
=> 𝑊𝑟𝑚𝑠 = 𝑤2 𝑡

2
𝑤2 𝑡 𝑊𝑟𝑚𝑠
Average Power = =
𝑅 𝑅
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