Principles of Communications

ECE 011

Signal Representations

Time-Domain representation:
graph: time vs (voltage or power)
oscilloscope displays signals in time-domain

Frequency Domain Representation:

graph: frequency vs (voltage or power)
spectrum analyzer displays signals in time-domain
Example
Sketch the given in frequency domain

Solution:
amplitude = 2V
frequency = 440Hz

Why transform to frequency domain?

. For communication engineers, the primary interest is what portion of the frequency spectrum
does the signal occupy and how strong is the signal (magnitude);
Part of the benefit of a frequency domain representation is that certain signal attributes, like
bandwidth is visualized.
Bandwidth (BW) is that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum occupied by a signal.

Working Example:

1.) It phase offset (if present) is not part of the frequency plot,,
2.) a sine or cosine with the same amplitude (positive or negative) and any phase offset
have the same frequency plot.
Fourier Theory
In the real world, not all information signals are sinusoidal.
Information signals can take on an infinite number of shapes, including rectangular waves (i.e.,
digital pulses), triangular waves, sawtooth waves, and other nonsinusoidal forms.
Any well-behaved periodic waveform can be represented as a series of sine and/or cosine
waves at multiples of its fundamental frequency plus (sometimes) a dc offset. This is known as a
Fourier series.
Example
Find the Fourier series for the signal in Figure and sketch its frequency domain equivalent to the
fifth harmonics

Solution: The given is sawtooth positive going

V = 5; T (period) = 1 ms;
fo= 1/T = 1kHz

Some waveforms have no dc components