NMK31003

DIGITAL SIGNAL
PROCESSING

Region of Convergence and Causality

Topic Outcomes
At the end of the lecture, the students should be able to:
 determine region of convergence of a system.

 relate region of convergence to causality.

Region of Convergence
 Definition for z-transform:

X ( z)   x( n
n  
)  z n

 The region of convergence (ROC) is an area on the complex

z-plane (values of z) where the sum of the above definition
converges (absolutely summable).
 Example:
Determine z-transform and the corresponding ROC for the
signal x1(n).
a n , n  0
x1(n)  
0 , n0
Region of Convergence
 Answer:
By applying the definition of z-transform, the closed-loop
expression is obtained as
z
X 1( z)  , for | z| | a|
za
Hence, poles and zeros can be observed.
Note that:
i. For |z|<|a|, the value of X 1(z) goes to infinity.
ii. Hence, the ROC for X1(z) is the radius outside |a|.
Region of Convergence
 Answer:
The ROC for X1(z) is the shaded region outside the circle of
radius |a|, centered at the origin of the z-plane.
Region of Convergence
 Example:
Determine z-transform and the corresponding ROC for the
signal x2(n).

 0 , n0
x2(n)   n
 a , n0
Region of Convergence
 Answer:
By applying the definition of z-transform,
1
X 2( z)   x(
n  
n)  z n

1
  ( 
n  
a n
)  z n

Through change of limit,


X 2 ( z )   ( a  n )  z n
n 1
Region of Convergence
 Answer:
By expanding the expression,
 n
z
X 2( z)    
n 1  a 

   z n  z 0 
        
 n 0  a   a  
 n
z
 1  
n 0  a 
Region of Convergence
 Answer:
Hence, by applying the closed-loop expression,
a
X 2( z)  1 
az
z
 , for | z| | a|
za

Note that:
i. For |z|>|a|, the value of X 2(z) goes to infinity.
ii. Hence, the ROC for X2(z) is inside the radius |a|.
Region of Convergence
 Answer:
The ROC for X2(z) is the shaded region inside the circle of
radius |a|, centered at the origin of the z-plane.
Region of Convergence
 The expression for the two examples are identical, and have
the same z-transform.
 However, the difference is in the two different ROCs for X1(z)
and X2(z), where the regions refer to those values of z for
which X1(z) and X2(z) exist.
 The ROC depends on causality condition of the systems being
observed.
 If the large system is formed by a combination of smaller
systems, then the overall ROC is bound to the causality
conditions of the subsystems.
Causal Systems
 If x(n) is a signal that is equal to zero for n < 0, then X1(z) is a
series of negative power of z only.
 Hence, the ROC of x(n) is the area outside the circle of radius
|a|, centered at the origin of z-plane.
 Example:
Consider the ROC for the signal x1(n).
a n , n0
x1(n)  
0 , n0
Causal Systems
 Answer:
By applying the definition of z-transform,

X 1( z)   x1(n)  z  n
k 0

 1  a1 z 1  a2 z  2  a3 z 3  ...
As demonstrated in the previous example, the z-
transformation of signal x1(n) would be
1
X 1( z) 
a
1  
z
Causal Systems
 Answer:
In order for the ROC of X1(z) to have a summable value,
notable by the following expression of
X 1(z)  
Then,
a
1
z
z  a
Causal Systems
 Answer:
Therefore, the ROC of Condition 1 below corresponds to a
right-sided sequence, or a causal system.
Anti-Causal Systems
 If x(n) is a signal that is equal to zero for n ≥ 0, then X(z) is a
series of positive power of z only.
 Hence, the ROC of x(n) is the area inside the circle of radius |
a|, centered at the origin of z-plane.
 Example:
Consider the ROC for the signal x2(n).

 0 , n0
x2(n)   n
 a , n0
Anti-Causal Systems
 Answer:
By applying the definition of z-transform,

X 2( z)   x2(n)  z  n
k 0

 a1 z  a2 z 2  a3 z 3  ...
As demonstrated in the previous example, the z-
transformation of signal x2(n) would be
1
X 2( z)  1 
z
1  
a
Anti-Causal Systems
 Answer:
In order for the ROC of X2(z) to have a summable value,
denoted by the following expression of
X 2(z)  
Then,
z
1
a
z  a
Anti-Causal Systems
 Answer:
Therefore, the ROC of Condition 2 below corresponds to a
left-sided sequence, or anti-causal system.
Bilateral Systems
 When X(z) contains both positive and negative powers of z,
then the ROC is an annular region centered at the origin of z-
plane.
 Example:
Consider a combination of two systems with ROC 1: |z| < 1/2
and ROC 2: |z| > 1/3.
 Answer:
The overall ROC for the combination of both systems would
be the overlapping region between ROC 1 and ROC 2.
1 1
 z 
3 2
Bilateral Systems
 Answer:
On z-plane, the overall ROC can be represented by the figure
below.
Bilateral Systems
 However, when the combination of systems do not have
overlapping ROCs, the overall ROC does not exist.
 Example:
Consider a combination of two systems with ROC 1: |z| > 1/2
and ROC 2: |z| < 1/3.
 Answer:
The overall ROC does not exist (or null) since ROC 1 and
ROC 2 do not overlap with each other.
Further Reading
 J. G. Proakis, and D. G. Manolakis, Digital Signal
Processing: Principle, Algorithms & Applications,
4th ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007.
 Chapter 3
Thank you…
“An inventor is a person who makes an
ingenious arrangement of wheels, levers and
springs, and believes it civilization…”