OpenStax-CNX module: m47357 1

Energy and Power of Discrete-Time

*
Signals

Marco F. Duarte

Based on Energy and Power„ by

Anders Gjendemsjø
Melissa Selik
Richard Baraniuk
This work is produced by OpenStax-CNX and licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0…

Abstract
Energy and power for discrete time signals

1 Signal Energy
1.1 Discrete signals

For time discrete signals the "area under the squared signal" makes no sense, so we will have to use another
energy deniton. We dene energy as the sum of the squared magnitude of the samples. Mathematically
P∞ 2
Energy - Discrete time signal: Ed = n=−∞ (|x [n] |)
Example 1
Given the sequence y [l] = bl u [l], where u [n] is the unit step function. Find the energy of the
sequence.
We recognize y [l] as a geometric series.
P Thus we can use the formula for the sum of a geometric
series and we obtain the energy, Ed = ∞ l=0 y 2
[l] 1
= 1−b 2 . This expression is only valid for |b| < 1.

If we have a larger |b|, the series will diverge. The signal y [l] then has innite energy. So let's have
a look at power...

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2 Signal Power
Our denition of energy seems reasonable, and it is. However, what if the signal does not decay fast enough?
In this case we have innite energy for any such signal. Does this mean that a fty hertz sine wave feeding
into your headphones is as strong as the fty hertz sine wave coming out of your outlet? Obviously not.
This is what leads us to the idea of signal power, which in such cases is a more adequate description.

Figure 1: Signal with ininite energy

2.1 Discrete signals

For time discrete signals we dene power as energy per sample.

1
PN 2
Power - Discrete time: Pd = lim n=−N (|x [n] |)
N →∞ 2N +1

For periodic discrete-time signals, the integral need only be dened over one period:
1
PN0 −1 2
Power - Discrete time periodic signal with period N 0 : Pd = N0 n=0 (|x [n] |)
Example 2
Given the signal x [n] = sin π 10
1
n , shown in Figure 2, calculate the power for one period.

For the discrete sine we get Pd = 20 10 πn = 0.500. Download power_sine.m for

1
P20 2 1

1
n=1 sin
plots and calculation.
1 See the le at <http://cnx.org/content/m11526/latest/power_sine.m>

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Figure 2: Discrete time sine.

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