SIGNALS & SYSTEMS

(ENT 281)

Chapter 1 (Part 3):

Signals & Systems Modelling Concepts

DR. HASIMAH ALI

SCHOOL OF MECHATRONIC ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA PERLIS
• There are various type of systems: electrical systems, mechanical systems,
biological systems and so on.
• The actual physical structure of the system determines the exact relation
between the input x(t).
• Physical devices such as motor, amplifier, filter, boiler and turbine are
examples of the systems.

2
• A system is defined as an entity that acts on an input signal and transforms
it into an output signal.
• A system = is a set of elements or functional blocks which are connected
together and produces an output in response to an signal.
• The response or output of the system depends upon the transfer function
of the system.
• It is a cause-and-effect relation between two or more signals.

Block diagram representation

of a system.

3
• Elements of a communication system

• Feedback of control system

4
1. Continuous-time and discrete-time case:

Example 1.12 Moving-average system

Consider a discrete-time system whose output signal y[n] is the average of the
three most recent values of the input signal x[n], that is

1
y[n]  ( x[n]  x[n  1]  x[n  2])
3

Formulate the operator H for this system; hence, develop a block diagram
representation for it.

5
1. Discrete-time-shift operator Sk:

Shifts the input x[n] by k time units to produce an output equal to x[n  k].

2. Overall operator H for the moving-average system:

1
H  (1  S  S )
2

(a): cascade form; (b): parallel form. 6

Properties of Systems
★ Stability
★ Memory

★ Causality

★ Invertibility

7
Stability

• A system is said to be bounded-input, bounded-output (BIBO) stable if

and only if every bounded input results in a bounded output. The operator
H is BIBO stable if the output signal y(t) satisfies the condition

y(t )  M y   for all t

whenever the input signals x(t) satisfy the condition Both Mx and My
represent some
x(t )  M x   for all t finite positive
number

One famous example of an unstable

system:
8
Example 2 Moving-average system (continued)

Show that the moving-average system described in Example 1.12 is BIBO stable.
Sol.
1. Assume that: x[n]  M x   for all n
2. Input-output relation:
1
y[n]   x[n]  x[n  1]  x[n  2]
3
1
y[n]  x[n]  x[n  1]  x[n  2]
3
  x[n]  x[n  1]  x[n  2] 
1
The moving-average
3 system is stable.
1
 M x  M x  M x 
3
 Mx

9
Example 3 Unstable system
Consider a discrete-time system whose input-output relation is defined by
y[n]  r n x[n]
where r > 1. Show that this system is unstable.
Sol.

1. Assume that: x[n]  M x   for all n

2. We find that:

y[n]  r n x[n]  r n．x[n]

With r > 1, the multiplying factor rn diverges for increasing n.

The system is unstable.

10
Memory
• A system is said to possess memory if its output signal depends on past
or future values of the input signal.

• A system is said to possess memoryless if its output signal depends

only on the present values of the input signal.

1
Ex.: Resistor i(t )  v(t ) Memoryless !
R

1 t
Ex.: Inductor i(t )   v( )d Memory !
L 

11
Ex.: Moving-average system
1
y[n]  ( x[n]  x[n  1]  x[n  2]) Memory !
3

Ex.: A system described by the input-output relation

y[n]  x 2[n] Memoryless !

12
Causality

• A system is said to be causal if its present value of the output signal

depends only on the present or past values of the input signal.

• A system is said to be noncausal if its output signal depends on one

or more future values of the input signal.

Ex.: Moving-average system

1
y[n]  ( x[n]  x[n  1]  x[n  2]) Causal !
3
Ex.: Moving-average system
1
y[n]  ( x[n  1]  x[n]  x[n  1]) Noncausal !
3
 A causal system must be capable of operating in real time.

13
 Invertibility

• A system is said to be invertible if the input of the system can be

recovered from the output.

1. Continuous-time system:
The notion of system invertibility. The
second operator H inv is the inverse of
the first operator H. Hence, the input
x(t) is passed through the cascade
correction of H and H inv completely
x(t) = input; y(t) = output
unchanged.
H = first system operator;
H inv = second system operator

2. Output of the second system: H inv = inverse

operator
H inv  y(t )  H inv H x(t )  H inv H x(t )
14
 3. Condition for invertible system:
I = identity operator
H inv H  I

Example 4 Inverse of System

Consider the time-shift system described by the input-output relation

y (t )  x(t  t0 )  S t0 x(t )
where the operator S t0 represents a time shift of t0 seconds. Find the inverse of this system.

Sol.
1. Inverse operator S t 0:
S t0 { y(t )}  S t0 {S t0 {x(t )}}  S t0 S t0 {x(t )}
2. Invertibility condition:
S t0 S t0  I S  t0  Time shift of t0
15
Example 5 Non-Invertible System
Show that a square-law system described by the input-output relation

y(t )  x 2 (t )
is not invertible.

Sol.

Since the distinct inputs x(t) and  x(t) produce the same output y(t). Accordingly, the
square-law system is not invertible.

16
★ Time Invariance

• A system is said to be time invariance if a time delay or time

advance of the input signal leads to an identical time shift in the
output signal.

 A time-invariant system do not change with time.

The notion of time invariance. (a) Time-shift operator St0 preceding

operator H. (b) Time-shift operator St0 following operator H. These two
situations are equivalent, provided that H is time invariant.

17
★ Time Invariance
1. Continuous-time system:
y1 (t )  H {x1 (t )}
2. Input signal x1(t) is shifted in time by t0 seconds:

x2 (t )  x1 (t  t0 )  S t0 {x1 (t )} S t 0 = operator of a time shift equal to t0

3. Output of system H:
y2 (t )  H {x1 (t  t0 )}
 H {S t0 {x1 (t )}}
 HS t0 {x1 (t )}
4. For Fig (b), the output of system H is y1(t  t0):
y1 (t  t0 )  S t0 { y1 (t )}
 S t0 {H {x1 (t )}}
 S t0 H {x1 (t )}
5. Condition for time-invariant system: HS t0  S t0 H

18
Example 7 Inductor y1(t) = i(t)

The inductor shown in figure is described

by the input-output relation: 1 t x1(t) = v(t)
L
y1 (t )  x1 ( )d


where L is the inductance. Show that the inductor so described is time invariant.

Solution:
1. Let x1(t) x1(t  t0) Response y2(t) of the inductor to x1(t  t0) is
1 t
y2 (t )   x1 (  t0 )d (A)
L 
2. Let y1(t  t0) = the original output of the inductor, shifted by t0 seconds:
1 t t0
y1 (t  t 0 )   x1 ( )d (B)
L 

3. Changing variables:  '    t0

1 t t0
(A) y2 (t )   x1 ( ')d ' Inductor is time invariant.
L 
19
Example 8 Thermistor
y1(t) = i(t)
Let R(t) denote the resistance of the thermistor,
expressed as a function of time. We may express the
input-output relation of the device as x1(t) = v(t)
y1 (t )  x1 (t ) / R(t )
Show that the thermistor so described is time variant.
Solution:
1. Let response y2(t) of the thermistor to x1(t  t0) is
x1 (t  t0 )
y2 (t ) 
R(t )
2. Let y1(t  t0) = the original output of the thermistor due to x1(t), shifted by t0
seconds:
x1 (t  t0 )
y1 (t  t0 ) 
R(t  t0 )
3. Since R(t)  R(t  t0) y1 (t  t0 )  y2 (t ) for t0  0 Time variant!

20
★ Linearity
A system is said to be linear in terms of the system input (excitation) x(t) and the
system output (response) y(t) if it satisfies the following two properties of superposition
and homogeneity:
1. Superposition:
x (t )  x1 (t ) y (t )  y1 (t ) x(t )  x1 (t )  x2 (t )
x ( t )  x2 ( t ) y ( t )  y2 ( t ) y (t )  y1 (t )  y2 (t )
2. Homogeneity: a = constant
x(t ) y (t ) ax(t ) ay (t ) factor
 Linearity of continuous-time system
1. Operator H represent the continuous-tome system.
2. Input:
N
x1(t), x2(t), …, xN(t)  input signal; a1, a2, …, aN 
x(t )   ai xi (t ) Corresponding weighted factor
i 1

3. Output: N
y (t )  H {x(t )}  H { ai xi (t )}
i 1

21
 N
Superposition and
y (t )   ai yi (t ) homogeneity
i 1
where
yi (t )  H {xi (t )}, i  1, 2, ..., N .
4. Commutation and Linearity:
N
y (t )  H { ai xi (t )}
i 1
N
  ai H {xi (t )}
i 1
N  Linearity of discrete-time system
  ai yi (t ) Same results, see Example 9
i 1

22
Example 9 Linear Discrete-Time system

Consider a discrete-time system described by the input-output relation

y[n]  nx[n]
Show that this system is linear.

Solution
N
1. Input: x[n]   ai xi [n]
i 1

2. Resulting output signal:

N N N
y[n]  n ai xi [n]   ai nxi [n]   ai yi [n] where yi [n]  nxi [n]
i 1 i 1 i 1

Linear system!

23
Example 10 Nonlinear Continuous-Time System
Consider a continuous-time system described by the input-output relation
y(t )  x(t ) x(t  1)
Show that this system is nonlinear.

Solution:
N
1. Input: x(t )   ai xi (t )
i 1
2. Output:
N N N N
y(t )   ai xi (t ) a j x j (t  1)  ai a j xi (t ) x j (t  1)
i 1 j 1 i 1 j 1

y(t )  i 1 ai yi (t )
N
Here we cannot write Nonlinear system!

24
Example 1.21 Impulse Response of RC Circuit
For the RC circuit shown in Fig. determine
the impulse response y(t).

Solution
1. Recall: Unit step response
RC circuit for Example 1.20, in
y(t )  (1  e t / RC )u(t ), x(t )  u(t ) which we are given the
2. Rectangular pulse input:. capacitor voltage y(t) in
response to the step input x(t) =
x(t) = x(t)
y(t) and the requirement is to
1  find y(t) in response to the unit-
x1 (t )  u (t  ) impulse input x(t) = (t).
 2 1/
1 
x2 (t )  u (t  )
 2
3. Response to the step Rectangular pulse of unit
area, which, in the limit,
functions x1(t) and x2(t):
approaches a unit impulse
/2 /2 as Δ0.

25
 REFERENCES
 Simon Haykin and Barry Van Veen, “Signals and Systems”,
Wiley, 2nd Edition, 2002
 Charles L. Phillips, John M. Parr, Eve A. Riskin; “Signals,
Systems and Transforms”, Prentice Hall, Fourth Edition,
2009
 M.J. Roberts, “Signals and Systems”, International Edition,
McGraw Hill, 2nd Edition 2012