ECO 231

Signals and Systems

Types and Classifications of Signals (3)

Some further classification of
signals

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Periodic vs Aperiodic signals

 Periodic signals repeat with some period

T, while aperiodic, or nonperiodic, signals
do not.
 We can define a periodic function through
the following mathematical expression,
where t can be any number and T is a
positive constant:
 f (t) = f (T + t)
 The fundamental period of our function, f
(t), is the smallest value of T that still
allows equation to be true.
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Periodic vs Aperiodic signals

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Causal vs. Anticausal vs.
Noncausal
 Causal signals are signals that are zero for all negative
time,
 Anticausal are signals that are zero for
all positive time.
 Noncausal signals are signals that have nonzero values
in both positive and negative time

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Causal vs. Anticausal vs. Noncausal

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Even vs. Odd
 An even signal is any signal f such that f (t) = f (-t)
 Even signals can be easily plotted as they are vertical about the vertical
axis.
 An odd signal is a signal such that f(t)=-f(t).

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Even vs. Odd

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Deterministic vs. Random
 Deterministic signal is a signal in which each value of the signal is fixed
and can be determined by a mathematical expression, rule, or table.
Because of this the future values of the signal can be calculated from past
values with complete confidence.
 Random signal has a lot of uncertainty about its behavior. The future
values of a random signal cannot be accurately predicted and can usually
only be guessed based on the averages of sets of signals

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Deterministic vs. Random

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Deterministic vs. Random
Signals
 Signals could be deterministic, with an explicit
mathematical description, a table or a well-defined rule.
 All past, present, and future signal values are precisely
known with no uncertainty:
s1(t) =at S2(x,y)=ax+bxy+cy2
 In contrast, for random signals the functional relationship is
unknown.

  statistical analysis techniques

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Finite vs. Infinite Length

 f (t) is a finite-length signal if it is nonzero over

a finite interval
 t1 < f (t) < t2

 Infinite-length signal, f (t), is defined as

nonzero over all real numbers:

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Discrete-time Signal

• A discrete-time signal is a function of independent integer variables.

• x(n) is not defined at instants between two successive samples.
1, n0
• Functional representation: x ( n)  
0, elsewhere

• Sequence representation: x(n)  {1, 1,2,1,3,...}


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Some Elementary Discrete-time
Signals

Unit Sample Unit Step

Unit Ramp

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Signal
Operations/Transformations
 Signal operations are operations on the time variable of the signal.
 Two signal operations are considered

 Time shifting/Time reversal

 Time scaling

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Time Shifting

 Time shifting is, the shifting of a signal in time. This is done by adding or
subtracting the amount of the shift to the time variable in the function.
Subtracting a fixed amount from the time variable will shift the signal to
the right (delay) that amount, while adding to the time variable will shift
the signal to the left (advance).
 Delay x(t-2)
 Advance x(t+2)

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Time Shifting

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Time Delay and Time Advance

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Time Shifting

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Folding and Shifting Operations

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Time Scaling

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Downsampling

y ( n)  x ( 2n) Source: Stanford

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 Addition, Multiplication and
Scaling

◦Addition: y(n) = x1(n) + x2(n)

◦Multiplication: y(n) = x1(n) x2(n)
◦Scaling: y(n) = a x(n)

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 Classification of Discrete-Time
Signals
 Symmetric (even) and anti-symmetric (odd) signals:
 Even: x(-n) = x(n)
 Odd: x(-n) = -x(n)
 Any arbitrary signal can be expressed as a sum of two signal components, one even
and the other odd:

xe(n)  1
2
x(n)  x(n)
=
+
xo ( n)  1
2
x(n)  x(n)
x(n)  xe(n)  xo(n)

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