II The Z Transform

Topics to be covered
1. Introduction

2. The Z transform

3. Z transforms of elementary functions

4. Properties and Theory of z transform

5. The inverse z transform

6. Z transform for solving difference equations

II.1 Introduction
The role of the z transform in discrete-time control system is similar to that of the Laplace
transform in continuous-time system.
Discrete time signals: The sampled signal is x0 , xT , x2T  where T is the sampling period.
The signal can be written as x0 , x1, x2  xk  it can be considered as a sampled signal of
xt  where T is 1 sec. xkT  and xk  are interchangeable if it doesn’t make confusion.

II.2 The Z transform

In considering the z transform of a time function xt  , we consider the sampled
value of xt  , that is x0 , xT , x2T  The z transform of a time function , where t is
nonnegative, is defined as follows

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 X ( z )  xt   xkT    xkT z

k
2.1
k 0


xkT   X (Z )
Definition: Z-transform of a general discrete-time signal xk  is defined as

X ( Z )   xk z k 2.2
k 0


xk   X (Z )

Note: eq. 2.1 and 2.2 is referred to as the one-sided z transform or unilateral z transform. Z is a
complex variable.

If    t   , or k  0,1,2 , then the z transform will be defined as

X ( z)   xt  xkT   xkT z



k 
k
2.3

xkT   X (Z )
Definition: Z-transform of a general discrete-time signal xk  is defined as

X (Z )   xk z
k  
k
2.4

xk   X (Z )
Note: eq. 2.3 and 2.4 is referred to as the two-sided z transform or bilateral z transform. Z is a
complex variable. We are only focused on one-sided z transform in this course.

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 II.3 Z Transforms of elementary
functions
Unit step function

1 0  t
xt   
0 t  0

Unit ramp function

t 0  t
x t   
0 t  0

Polynomial function a k
a k k  0,1,2 
x k   
0 k0

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Exponential function
e  at 0t
x t   
 0 t0

Example 2.1 Obtain the z transform of

e  at sin wt 0  t
x t   
 0 t0

Example 2.2 Obtain the z transform of

x s  
1
s  a 2

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Table of z transforms 1

5
Table of z transforms 2

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II.4 Properties and Theory of z transform
i) Linearity

x1 k   X 1 ( z ), ROC  R1 
  ax1 k   bx2 k   aX 1 ( z )  bX 2 ( z ), ROC  R1  R2
x2 k   X 2 ( z ), ROC  R2 

ii) Scaling in the z-Domain

xk   X ( z ), ROC  R  a k xk  X (a 1 z ), ROC  a R

Z

Example 2.3 Determine the z transform and the associated region of convergence for following
function of time: u k  and a k u k 

iii) Time Shifting

x t  nT   z  n X ( z ),
 n 1

x t  nT   z n  X ( z )   x kT z k 
 k 0 
for number sequence k. we have

x k  n   z  n X ( z ),
 n 1

x k  n   z n  X ( z )   x k z k 
 k 0 

Example 2.4. Determine the z transform for u k   u k  1

iv) Complex translation theorem

x t   X ( z )  e  at x t   X ( ze aT )

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 v) Differentiation in the z-Domain

x k   X ( z ), ROC  R  kx k    z
Z dX ( z )
, ROC  R
dz

vi) The initial value theorem

If x k   0, k  0 , then x 0  lim X z 

z 

k
1
Example2.5 Determine the z transform for following function of time: x k   k   u k 
2

vii) Final Value theorem

If x k   0, k  0 , then lim x k   lim1  z 1 X z 

k  z 1

z
Example2.6 Determine the final value of by using the final value theorem.
z  e aT

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Property table:

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 II.5 The inverse z transform
Note: the inverse z transform yields the corresponding time sequence x k  , but doesn’t yield a
unique x t 

If the z transform is given as a ratio of two polynomials in z, then the inverse z transform may be
obtained by several different methods, such as direct division method, the computational method,
the partial-fraction-expansion method, and the inversion integral method.

1) direct division method


X ( Z )   x kT z k  x 0  x T z 1  x 2T z 2   x kT z k   or
k 0

X ( Z )   x k z k  x 0  x 1z 1  x 2 z 2   x k z k  
k 0

z 1
Example2.7 Determine the inverse transform of
1  2 z 1 2

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 2) The computational method

a) MATLAB approach
z 1
Example 2.8 find the inverse transform of
1  2 z  1 2

z 1 z 1
Let G ( z )  , X ( z)  1 , Y ( z)  input X ( z )  1 is the z transform of
1  2 z 1 2
1  2 z 1 2

the Kronecker delta input. In MATLAB, the Kronecker delta input is given by
x  1 zeros 1, N  , where N corresponds to the end of the discrete time duration of the
process considered.

b) Difference equation approach

Y z  z 1
G( z)    
 1  4 z 1  4 z  2 Y  z   z 1 X  z 

X z  1  2 z 1

2

 y k   4 y k  1  4 y k  2   xk  1

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 3) The partial-fraction-expansion method

b0 z m  b1 z m 1    bm 1 z  bm b0 z m  b1 z m 1    bm 1 z  bm
X ( z)  
z n  a1 z n 1   a n 1 z  a n z  p1 z  p 2  z  p n 
Case 1 all pole are distinguished:

a1 a2 an  X z 
, where ai   z  pi 
X ( z)
  
z z  p1  z  p 2  z  pn   z  z  pi

X ( z) c1 c2
Case 2 double pole  
z z  p1 2 z  p1 
 2 X z  d  2 X z  
Then c1   z  p1   , and c 2    z  p1  
 z  z  p1  dz  z   z  p1

1
Example 2.9 find the inverse transform of
z  1z  2

4) The inversion integral method.

xkT   xk  
1
2j C
X ( z ) z k 1 dz

Where C is a circle with its center at the origin of the z plane such that all poles of X ( z ) z k 1 are
inside it.
Using complex variable theory, we have
xkT   xk   K 1  K 2   K m
m
  residue of X z z k 1 at pole z  z i of X  z z k 1
i 1

Case 1: X ( z ) z k 1 contains simple pole at z  z i , K  lim z  z i X  z z k 1

z  zi
k 1
Case 2 X ( z ) z contains a multiple pole of z  z i of order q .
d q 1
lim q 1 z  z i  X  z z k 1
1
K
q

q  1! z  zi dz

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 1
Example 2.10 Find the inverse transform of
z  1z  2

z k 1
Note that X  z z k 1 
z  1z  2

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 Example 2.11 Find the inverse transform of

z 1 1  az 1 
1  az 
1 3

z 1 1  az 1  z k z  a 
X z z k 1
 z k 1

1  az 1 3
z  a 3

II.6 Z transform for solving difference

equations
Note: difference equations can be solved using digital computer. However, closed form
expressions cannot be obtained from the computer solution. Maple can do some simple ones.

Table: z transform of xk  m  and xk  m 

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Example 2.12. For following difference equation and associated input and initial
conditions, determine the zero-input and zero-state responses by using the z transform.

y k   3 y k  1  xk ,
k
1
xk     u k 
2
y  1  1

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