Fourier Series

Frequency-domain representation of periodic signals

 Objectives
What will be covered in this lecture?

• Trigonometric Fourier Series

• Short Trigonometric Fourier Series

• Complex Fourier Series

• Absolute and Significant Bandwidths

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 Motivation
why use frequency domain representation

• Signals in time domain may not reveal some important • The frequency-domain representation reveals this
signal features information more clearly

• Frequency-domain representation is found thru

Fourier analysis of signal

• French mathematician, J.B.J. Fourier, proved that:

“any arbitrary signal can be written as a sum of
sinusoidal functions”
− difference between 𝑠1 (𝑡) and 𝑠2 (𝑡)?
− sum is discrete in the case of periodic signals
− hint. notice time axis units
− sum is continuous in the case of aperiodic signals
− freq. of 𝑠2 (𝑡) is 1000 times >> than freq. of 𝑠1 (𝑡)

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 Trigonometric Fourier Series

• Fourier: Any periodic signal can be written as: • FS coefficients:

𝑠 𝑡 = 𝑎0 + 𝑎1 cos 𝜔0 𝑡 + 𝑎2 cos 2𝜔0 𝑡 + 𝑎3 cos 3𝜔0 𝑡 + ⋯ 1 𝑇0 /2
𝑎0 = න 𝑠 𝑡 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑠 𝑡 + 𝑏1 sin 𝜔0 𝑡 + 𝑏2 sin 2𝜔0 𝑡 + 𝑏3 sin 3𝜔0 𝑡 + ⋯ 𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2
− in other words: 2 𝑇0 /2
𝑎𝑛 = න 𝑠 𝑡 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
∞ ∞ 𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2
𝑠 𝑡 = 𝑎0 + ෍ 𝑎𝑛 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 + ෍ 𝑏𝑛 sin 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 2 𝑇0 /2
𝑛=1 𝑛=1
𝑏𝑛 = න 𝑠 𝑡 sin 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2

− fundamental frequency: 𝑓0 = 1/𝑇0

− this is called the Fourier series of 𝑠(𝑡)
− angular frequency: 𝜔0 = 2𝜋𝑓0 = 2𝜋/𝑇0
− 𝑎0 is DC coefficient of 𝑠(𝑡) = signal avg. value
− 𝑛-th harmonic: 𝑓𝑛 = 𝑛𝑓0 , 𝜔𝑛 = 𝑛𝜔0 = 2𝑛𝜋𝑓0
− 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑏𝑛 are AC coefficients

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 Other Forms of Fourier Series

Short Trigonometric Fourier Series Complex Fourier Series

− FS has shorter form in terms of cosines only: − FS can be written as sum of complex exponentials:
∞ ∞

𝑥 𝑡 = 𝐴0 + ෍ 𝐴𝑛 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 + 𝜙𝑛 𝑥 𝑡 = ෍ 𝑑𝑛 𝑒 𝑗𝑛𝜔0 𝑡

𝑛=1 𝑛=−∞

− where amplitude spectrum: − Notes:

𝐴𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑏𝑛2 • Euler’s equation is used to write complex FS

• coefficients 𝐴𝑛 , 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑏𝑛 , and 𝑑𝑛 are related

− and phase spectrum:
𝜙𝑛 = tan−1 −𝑏𝑛 /𝑎𝑛 • FS of an even function has cosines only i.e., all 𝑏𝑛 = 0

• FS of an odd function has sines only i.e., all 𝑎𝑛 = 0

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 Examples

• Ex1. Find fundamental freq. and trigonometric FS: • Ex2. Find the amplitude and phase spectra of signal:
1 1 𝑆 = 15 + 10 sin 16𝜋𝑡 + 5 sin 32𝜋𝑡
− 𝑥1 𝑡 = cos 2𝜋𝑡 + sin 6𝜋𝑡
2 4

− 𝑥2 𝑡 = cos 2 2𝜔0 𝑡 + sin 𝜔0 𝑡

• where 𝜔0 = 314 rd/s
1 1
− Hint. recall that cos 2 𝜃 = + cos 2𝜃
2 2

Amplitude spectrum

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 Example

FS of Periodic Square Wave Hint.

• Periodic bipolar square wave has time-domain representation:

2 𝑇0 /2
𝑏𝑛 = න 𝑠 𝑡 sin 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2
2 0 2 𝑇0 /2
𝑎𝑛 = න −𝐴 sin 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 + න 𝐴 sin 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
• Find its amplitude spectrum using trig. Fourier series 𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2 𝑇0 0
2 𝑇0 /2
𝑎𝑛 = න 𝑠 𝑡 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑎𝑛 = ?
𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2
2 0 2 𝑇0 /2
𝑎𝑛 = න −𝐴 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 + න 𝐴 cos 𝑛𝜔0 𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑇0 −𝑇0 /2 𝑇0 0
−2𝐴 𝑛𝜔0 𝑇0 2𝐴 𝑛𝜔0 𝑇0
𝑎𝑛 = 0 − sin − + sin −0
𝑛𝜔0 𝑇0 2 𝑛𝜔0 𝑇0 2
𝑎𝑛 = ?

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 Important Conclusions
periodic signals have discrete spectra and possibly infinite absolute bandwidth

• Periodic signal have discrete spectra

→∞
• Absolute bandwidth is typically infinite

• Higher frequencies have increasingly insignificant amplitudes

• Engineers use concept of significant bandwidth

max
− where max. amplitude drops to ½ its max, called 3-dB bandwidth

− where 90% of energy is located ½ max

− where 1st spectrum null occurs

3 dB bandwidth = 5000 – 1000 = 4000 Hz
−…

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 Example
amplitude and phase spectra of unit square wave

• Find FS of unit square wave with period 𝑇0 = 2 s • Solution

− amplitude spectrum
𝑠(𝑡)

− phase spectrum

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 Synthesis of Periodic Signals
using FS to reconstruct periodic signal from its frequency components

• Gradually adding harmonics comprised in FS of signal,

reconstructs signal from its freq. comp.

• Example
− use Excel to add sines with right amplitudes and
phases as per the FS of square wave

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