Linear Time-Invariant Systems
Hu Jin
School of Electrical Engineering
Hanyang University ERICA
Contents
▪ Discrete-time LTI systems: the convolution sum
▪ Continuous-time LTI systems: the convolution integral
▪ Properties of LTI systems
▪ Causal LTI systems described by differential and
difference equations
2
Discrete-Time LTI Systems:
The Convolution Sum
▪ Representation of discrete-time signals in terms of
impulses
▪ Visualize a discrete-time signal as a sequence of individual impulses.
▪ Example
3
Discrete-Time LTI Systems:
The Convolution Sum
▪ A more general form
▪ A linear combination of shifted unit impulses with their individual
weights
Weight Shifted unit impulse
▪ The above equation is also called the shifting property of the discrete-
time unit impulse.
▪ Example: Unit step function
4
Discrete-Time Unit Impulse Response and
Convolution Sum Representation of LTI Systems
▪ Superposition of scaled versions of the shifted unit impulses δ[n-k]
▪ The response of a linear system to x[n]
▪ Superposition of the scaled responses of the system to each of these
shifted impulses.
▪ Time invariance
▪ The response to the time-shifted unit impulses are simply the time-
shifted versions of an another.
▪ Convolution sum for discrete-time LTI systems
5
Discrete-Time Unit Impulse Response and
Convolution Sum Representation of LTI Systems
▪ Unit impulse response of an LTI system h[n]
▪ h [n] is the response of the LTI system when the input is δ[n]
▪ δ[n] → h [n]
▪ Time-invariance
▪ δ[n – k] → h [n – k]
▪ Linearity
6
Discrete-Time Unit Impulse Response and
Convolution Sum Representation of LTI Systems
▪ Output of the LTI system
▪ It is also called the convolution sum or superposition sum.
▪ The right hand side of the above equation is known as the convolution
of x[n] and h[n].
▪ Symbolically it is denoted as
▪ An LTI system can be completely characterized by its
response to a single signal, its response to the unit impulse
7
Example 2.1
▪ Consider an LTI system with impulse response h[n] and input
x[n] given as follows. Find the output.
8
Example 2.5
▪ Consider an LTI system with impulse response h[n]
and input x[n] given as follows. Find the output.
Answer :
9
Continuous-Time Signals in Terms of Impulses
▪ Purpose
▪ A complete characterization of a continuous-time LTI system in terms
of its unit impulse response.
▪ The representation of continuous-time signals in terms of
impulses
▪ ‘staircase’ approximation
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Continuous-Time Signals in Terms of Impulses
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Continuous-Time Signals in Terms of Impulses
▪ Shifting property of the continuous-time impulse
→0
Example (Unit step function):
12
Convolution Integral Representation
▪ Unit impulse response
▪ ℎΔ(𝑡) is the response of the linear system to the input δΔ(t).
▪ δΔ(t) → ℎΔ(𝑡)
▪ If Δ→ 0, we can define the unit impulse response
▪ δ (t) → ℎ(𝑡)
▪ Time-invariance
▪ δΔ(t – t0) → ℎΔ(𝑡– t0)
▪ δ(t – t0) → ℎ(𝑡– t0)
13
Convolution Integral Representation
▪ Approximate representation 𝑥(𝑡)
ො
▪ A sum of scaled and shifted versions of the pulse signal δΔ(t)
▪ Linearity
14
Convolution Integral Representation
▪ By setting Δ→0, we have
▪ Convolution of two signals x(t) and h(t)
▪ An LTI system can be completely characterized by its response to a single
signal, its response to the unit impulse
15
Example 2.6
▪ Let x(t) be the input to an LTI system with unit
impulse response h(t), where
▪ Find the output.
16
Example 2.7
▪ Let x(t) be the input to an LTI system with unit
impulse response h(t), where
▪ Find the output.
17
