Chapter 2

Fourier Transform and Spectra

Topics:
 Rectangular and Triangular Pulses
 Spectrum of Rectangular, Triangular Pulses
 Convolution
 Spectrum by Convolution

Huseyin Bilgekul
Eeng360 Communication Systems I
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Eastern Mediterranean University Eeng 360 1
Rectangular Pulses

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Triangular Pulses

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 Spectrum of a Rectangular Pulse
t 
w(t )      W ( f )  T  Sa   Tf 
T 

 Rectangular pulse is a time window.

 FT is a Sa function, infinite frequency content.
 Shrinking time axis causes stretching of frequency axis.
 Signals cannot be both time-limited and bandwidth-limited.

Note the inverse relationship between the pulse width T and the zero crossing 1/T
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 Spectrum of Sa Function
 To find the spectrum of a Sa function we can use duality theorem.

Duality: W(t)  w(-f)

Because Π is an even and real function

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 Spectrum of a Time Shifted Rectangular Pulse
• The spectra shown in previous slides are real because the time domain pulse
(rectangular pulse) is real and even.
• If the pulse is offset in time domain to destroy the even symmetry, the spectra will
be complex.
• Let us now apply the Time delay theorem of Table 2.1 to the Rectangular pulse.

 t T 
v(t )    2
1  T 
 

Time Delay Theorem: w(t-Td)  W(f) e-jωTd

We get:

sin( fT )
V( f ) T  ( f )  e j fT  Sa ( fT )
 fT
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 Spectrum of a Triangular Pulse
 The spectrum of a triangular pulse can be obtained by direct evaluation of the FT
integral.
 An easier approach is to evaluate the FT using the second derivative of the
triangular pulse.
 First derivative is composed of two rectangular pulses as shown.
 The second derivative consists of the three impulses.
 We can find the FT of the second derivative easily and then calculate the FT of
the triangular pulse.

dw(t )
dt d 2 w(t )
dt 2

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Spectrum of a Triangular Pulse

dw(t )
dt d 2 w(t )
dt 2

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Spectrum of Rectangular and Sa Pulses
Duality Theorem if w(t )  W ( f ) Then W(t )  w(  f )
t   f 
    TSa   Tf  Then 2WSa  2 Wt     
T   2W 

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Table 2.2 Some FT pairs

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 Key FT Properties
 Time Scaling; Contracting the time axis leads to an expansion of the
frequency axis.
 Duality
• Symmetry between time and frequency domains.
• “Reverse the pictures”.
• Eliminates half the transform pairs.
 Frequency Shifting (Modulation); (multiplying a time signal by an
exponential) leads to a frequency shift.
 Multiplication in Time
• Becomes complicated convolution in frequency.
• Mod/Demod often involves multiplication.
• Time windowing becomes frequency convolution with Sa.
 Convolution in Time
• Becomes multiplication in frequency.
• Defines output of LTI filters: easier to analyze with FTs.
x(t) x(t)*h(t)
h(t)
X(f) X(f)H(f)
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 Convolution
 The convolution of a waveform w1(t) with a waveform w2(t) to
produce a third waveform w3(t) which is

where w1(t)∗ w2(t) is a shorthand notation for this integration operation and ∗ is
read “convolved with”.
If discontinuous wave shapes are to be convolved, it is usually easier to evaluate
the equivalent integral

 Evaluation of the convolution integral involves 3 steps.

• Time reversal of w2 to obtain w2(-λ),
• Time shifting of w2 by t seconds to obtain w2(-(λ-t)), and
• Multiplying this result by w1 to form the integrand w1(λ)w2(-(λ-t)).

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Example for Convolution
 T 
 t  
w1 (t )    2

 T 
 
t
-
w 2 (t)=e u (t )
T

For 0< t < T

For t > T

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 Convolution
 y(t)=x(t)*z(t)=  x(τ)z(t- τ )d τ
• Flip one signal and drag it across the other
• Area under product at drag offset t is y(t).

x(t) z(t) z(t-)

x() z()
  
-1 0 1 t -1 0 1 t t-1 t t+1

z(-6-) z(-2-) z(0-) z(2-) z(4-)

-6 -4 -2 -1 0 1 2 
2
y(t)
-6 -4 -2 -1 0 1 2 t

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