Chapter 2

Discrete-Time Signals and Systems

EE316 - Digital Signal Processing
Wasif Latif

Signals in Discrete Domain

Basic Types

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 Discrete-time Signals
• Discrete-time signals (or simply sequences) may be inherently discrete, or
they may be obtained by sampling a continuous-time signal

• x[n] is only defined for 𝑛 ∈ ℤ

EE316 - DSP: Chapter 2 - DIscrete Time Signals and Systems

Basic Sequences

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 Exponential Sequences
If 𝐴 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 are real numbers
𝑥 𝑛 = 𝐴𝑎𝑛
And A > 0, then
• For 0 < 𝑎 < 1, x[n] values are +ve and decreases with increasing ‘n’
• For -1 < 𝑎 < 0, x[n] value alternate in sign and decreases with increasing ‘n’
• For 𝑎 > 1, x[n] values are +ve and increases with increasing ‘n’
• For 𝑎 < -1, x[n] values alternate in sign and increases with increasing ‘n’

EE316 - DSP: Chapter 2 - DIscrete Time Signals and Systems

Exponential Sequences - 2

• Exponential exhibits oscillatory behavior for 𝑎 < 0

• Exponential is unbounded if 𝑎 > 1

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 Sinusoidal Sequences
If 𝐴 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎 are complex numbers, then
𝑥 𝑛 = 𝐴𝑎𝑛
can be represented as exponentially weighted sinusoids
𝑥 𝑛 = 𝐴𝑎𝑛 = |A|.ejФ.|𝑎|n.ejω0n
= |A|.|𝑎|n.ej(ω0n+Ф)
For |𝑎|n= 1
𝑥 𝑛 = |A|.ej(ω0n+Ф)

EE316 - DSP: Chapter 2 - DIscrete Time Signals and Systems

Sinusoidal Sequences - 2
Sinusoids: x[n] = cos(ω0n + φ)

Differently from continuous-time sinusoids, discrete-time sinusoids...

• are periodic only if ω0/π is rational.
• have maximum frequency ω = π.

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 Relation between Complex Exponential and Sinusoidal Sequences
From Euler’s equation
𝑒 𝑗𝜔0 𝑛+𝜑 = cos(ω0n + φ) + j sin(ω0n + φ)

EE316 - DSP: Chapter 2 - DIscrete Time Signals and Systems

Sine and Exp using MATLAB

% sine generation:
% A*sin(w0*n+ph)
n = 0: 1: 50;
A = 0.87; % amplitude
ph = 0.4; % phase
w0 = 2*pi/20; % frequency

% sine generation
xn1 = A*sin(w0*n+ph);

% exponential generation: A^n

xn2 = A.^n;

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 Properties of Discrete Time Sinusoidal Sequences
• Discrete-time (DT) sinusoidal sequences are different from continuous-
time sinusoids in 3 ways:
• What is meant by “frequency”
• Under what circumstances are sinusoids periodic and
• When sinusoids of different frequencies are unique

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1. Discrete-time frequency
• Discrete-time frequency is different from continuous-time frequency
• The continuous-time frequency Ω0 has units of radians/sec;
• i.e., it is an angular frequency.
• The discrete-time frequency ω0 must have units of radians/sample;
• i.e., discrete-time frequency is actually equivalent to phase

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 2. Periodicity
• A continuous-time function x(t) is periodic if there exists some time T such that x(t) = x(t + T)
• The period is defined as the smallest value of T for which this is true, i.e.,
cos Ω0(t + T) = cos(Ω0t + Ω0T) = cos(Ω0t + 2πk) = cos Ω0t,
Provided Ω0T = 2πk
• Since both Ω0 and T are real, we can always do it
• So, cos Ω0t is periodic for every value of frequency Ω0
• Not all discrete-time sinusoidal sequences are periodic
• A discrete-time sequence will be periodic if there exists an integer N such that x[n] = x[n + N]
cos ω0(n + N) = cos(ω0n + ω0N) = cos(ω0n + 2πk) = cos ω0n
Provided ω0N = 2πk
• Since N must be an integer, cos ω0n will be periodic only if there exists an integer k such that 2πk/ω0 is
an integer
• So, cos ω0n will be periodic if ω0 is a rational multiple of 2π

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2. Periodicity (contd.)

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 3. Non-unique Frequencies
• In the continuous-time world, sinusoids of different frequencies are
unique
• In the discrete-time world, sinusoidal sequences of different frequencies
are not necessarily distinct, e.g.,
x2[n] = cos ω2n = cos(ω1 + 2πk) = cos ω1n = x1[n].
• DT sinusoidal sequences whose frequencies ω1 and ω2 differ by an
integer multiple of 2π are indistinguishable
• The reason being that discrete-time frequency is actually phase

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3. Non-unique Frequencies (contd.)

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 3. Non-unique Frequencies (contd.)
• The fact that discrete-time sinusoids at frequencies that differ by a factor
of 2π are indistinguishable is equivalent to stating that discrete-time
frequencies are unique within any contiguous 2π range i.e., [-π, π) or [0,
2π)

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3. Non-unique Frequencies (contd.)

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 Classification of Discrete-Time Signals
Energy and Power signals
• Energy signals have finite energy

• Power signals have infinite energy (e.g., periodic signals), but they have
finite average power

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Classification of Discrete-Time Signals

Symmetry

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 Basic Operations

• Ideal delay: 𝑦[𝑛]=𝑥[𝑛−𝑑]

𝑥2 𝑛
• Sum, difference: 𝑦[𝑛]= 𝑥1[𝑛] ± 𝑥2[𝑛]

𝑥1 𝑛 𝑦𝑛
• Multiplication: 𝑦[𝑛]= 𝑥1[𝑛] 𝑥2[𝑛]
operations
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Delay Operation in MATLAB

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 Addition Operation in MATLAB

xn1 = [1 0 3 2 -1 0 0 0 0 0];

xn2 = [1 3 -1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0];

yn = xn1 + xn2;

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Subtraction Operation in MATLAB

xn1 = [1 0 3 2 -1 0 0 0 0 0];

xn2 = [1 3 -1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0];

yn = xn1 - xn2;

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 Multiplication Operation in MATLAB

xn1 = [1 0 3 2 -1 0 0 0 0 0];

xn2 = [1 3 -1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0];

yn = xn1 .* xn2;

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Input: Sum of Weighted Shifted Impulses

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 x[n] via Impulse Functions

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