Elementary Signals

Dr. James S. Kang

1
 1/ τ

Dirac Delta Function

f(t)
-τ 0
t

• A rectangular pulse with height 1/τ and width τ is shown above. The
pulse is centered at -τ/2 and the area of the pulse is one.
𝜏𝜏
The
1 𝑡𝑡+2
rectangular pulse can be written as 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏
• If the pulse width τ is decreased to zero, the height of the pulse is
increased to infinity while maintaining the area at one. The limiting
form of a rectangular pulse as τ→0 is defined as Dirac delta function
and is denoted by δ(t). 2
𝜏𝜏
1 𝑡𝑡+2
• 𝛿𝛿 𝑡𝑡 = lim 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 1

δ(t)
𝜏𝜏→0 𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏
0
0
t

2
 Dirac Delta Function
• If the rectangular pulse is shifted to the right by τ/2, it becomes
1 𝑡𝑡
• 𝑔𝑔 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏
• The Dirac delta function can also be defined as
1 𝑡𝑡
• 𝛿𝛿 𝑡𝑡 = lim 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝜏𝜏→0 𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏

1/

f(t)

0
- /2 t0 /2

3
 EXAMPLE
• Plot f(t) = 4 δ(t-1).
• The Dirac delta function is located at t = 1 and has area of 4. The
signal f(t) is shown below.

5
4
3
f(t)

2
1
0
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
t

4
 Sifting Property
∞
• ∫−∞ 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 𝛿𝛿 𝑡𝑡 − 𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑎𝑎)
• This result is called sifting property of delta function because it sifts
out single value of f(t), f(a), at the location of delta function (t = a).
1 𝑡𝑡−𝑎𝑎
• Proof 𝛿𝛿 𝑡𝑡 − 𝑎𝑎 = lim 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝜏𝜏→0 𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏
∞ 1 ∞ 𝑡𝑡−𝑎𝑎
• ∫−∞ 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 𝛿𝛿 𝑡𝑡 − 𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = lim 𝜏𝜏 ∫−∞ 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 𝜏𝜏 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝜏𝜏→0
1 𝑎𝑎+𝜏𝜏/2 𝑡𝑡−𝑎𝑎 1
• = lim ∫𝑎𝑎−𝜏𝜏/2 𝑓𝑓 𝑎𝑎 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝑓𝑓 𝑎𝑎 𝜏𝜏 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑎𝑎)
𝜏𝜏→0 𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏

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 Step Function
• The unit step function u(t) is the integral of the Dirac delta function.
𝜏𝜏
1 𝑡𝑡+2
• If 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 is integrated, we get
𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏
0, 𝑡𝑡 < −𝜏𝜏
𝑡𝑡 𝑡𝑡
• ∫−∞ 𝑓𝑓 𝜆𝜆 𝑑𝑑𝜆𝜆 = �𝜏𝜏 + 1, −𝜏𝜏 ≤ 𝑡𝑡 < 0
1, 0 ≤ 𝑡𝑡
• As τ → 0, we have 2
0, 𝑡𝑡 < 0
• 𝑢𝑢 𝑡𝑡 = �
1, 0 ≤ 𝑡𝑡 1

u(t)
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑡𝑡)
• 𝛿𝛿 𝑡𝑡 = 0
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
t
6
 EXAMPLE
• Plot f(t) = u(t) – u(t-2).
• Notice that u(t) = 1 for t ≥ 0 and zero for t < 0, and u(t-2) = 1 for t ≥ 2
and zero for t < 2. Thus, u(t) – u(t-2) = 0 for t ≥ 2, and u(t) – u(t-2) = 1
for 0 ≤ t < 2, and zero for t < 0. The signal f(t) is shown below.
2

1
f(t)

0
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

t (s)

7
 Step Function
1 𝑡𝑡
• If 𝑔𝑔 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 is integrated, we obtain
𝜏𝜏 𝜏𝜏
0, 𝑡𝑡 < −𝜏𝜏/2
𝑡𝑡 𝑡𝑡 1
• ∫−∞ 𝑔𝑔 𝜆𝜆 𝑑𝑑𝜆𝜆 = 𝜏𝜏
+
2
, −𝜏𝜏/2 ≤ 𝑡𝑡 < 𝜏𝜏/2
1, 𝜏𝜏/2 ≤ 𝑡𝑡
• As τ → 0, we obtain
0, 𝑡𝑡 < 0
1
• 𝑢𝑢 𝑡𝑡 = �2 , 𝑡𝑡 = 0
1, 𝑡𝑡 > 0
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 Ramp Function
• A unit ramp function is defined by
• 𝑟𝑟 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡(𝑡𝑡)
• The unit ramp function is the integral of the unit step function.
𝑡𝑡
• 𝑟𝑟 𝑡𝑡 = ∫−∞ 𝑢𝑢 𝜆𝜆 𝑑𝑑𝜆𝜆
• The derivative of the unit ramp function is the unit step function.
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑡𝑡)
• 𝑢𝑢 𝑡𝑡 = 5

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 4

3
r(t)

0
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

t (s)
9
 EXAMPLE
• Plot f(t) = 2tu(t) – 4(t-1)u(t-1) + 4(t-3)u(t-3) - 4(t-5)u(t-5) + 2(t-6)u(t-
6).
• For t < 0, f(t) = 0.
• For 0 ≤ t < 1, f(t) is a linear line with slope of 2.
• For 1 ≤ t < 3, f(t) is a linear line with slope of -2.
• For 3 ≤ t < 5, f(t) is a linear line with slope of 2.
• For 5 ≤ t < 6, f(t) is a linear line with slope of -2.
• For 6 ≤ t , f(t) = 0.

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 EXAMPLE
• f(t) = 2tu(t) – 4(t-1)u(t-1) + 4(t-3)u(t-3) - 4(t-5)u(t-5) + 2(t-6)u(t-6).

3
2
1
0
f(t)

-1
-2
-3
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

t (s)

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 3
2

EXAMPLE
1
0

f(t)
-1
-2
-3
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

t (s)

• Find the equation of the waveform shown above. For t < 0, f(t) = 0.
• For 0 ≤ t < 1, f(t) is a linear line with slope of 3. Thus, f(t) = 3tu(t).
• For 1 ≤ t < 3, f(t) is a linear line with slope of -3. f(t) = 3tu(t) - 6(t-1)u(t-1).
• For 3 ≤ t < 6, f(t) is a linear line with slope of 1.
• f(t) = 3tu(t) - 6(t-1)u(t-1) + 4(t-3)u(t-3).
• For 6 ≤ t , f(t) = 0. To change the slope from 1 to 0, we need to add
• -(t-6)u(t-6).
• f(t) = 3tu(t) - 6(t-1)u(t-1) + 4(t-3)u(t-3) - (t-6)u(t-6).

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 Exponential Decay
• A signal that decays exponentially can be written as
• 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑢𝑢 𝑡𝑡 , 𝑎𝑎 > 0
• The signal f(t) for a = 0.5 is shown below.
• A damped cosine and damped sine can be written respectively as
• 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐(𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏)𝑢𝑢(𝑡𝑡), 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑒𝑒 −𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠(𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏)𝑢𝑢(𝑡𝑡)
• A damped cosine signal is shown below for a = 0.5 and b = 4.
1
1
f(t)

0 0

f(t)
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
t (s)
-1
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
t (s)

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 Rectangular Pulse
• A rectangular pulse with amplitude A, pulse width τ is shown below.
The center of the pulse is at t = 0.
• The rectangular pulse below is denoted by
𝑡𝑡
• 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝐴𝐴 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝜏𝜏

f(t)
A

0
- /2 t0 /2

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 EXAMPLE
𝑡𝑡+1 𝑡𝑡−1 𝑡𝑡−3.5
• Plot 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 + 3 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 − 2 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
2 2 3
• The first rectangle is centered at t = -1, and has an amplitude of 1 and
width of 2. The second rectangle is centered at t = 1, and has an
amplitude of 3 and width of 2. The third rectangle is centered at t =
3.5, and has an amplitude of -2 and width of 3.
4
3
2
1
0
f(t)

-1
-2
-3
-4
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

t (s)

15
 Triangular Pulse
• A triangular pulse with amplitude A, base 2τ is shown in below. The
center of the pulse is at t = 0.
• The triangular pulse shown below is denoted by
𝑡𝑡
• 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 𝐴𝐴 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
𝜏𝜏

A
f(t)

0 -
0
t

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 EXAMPLE
𝑡𝑡+2 𝑡𝑡 𝑡𝑡−2
• Plot 𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑡 = 2 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 − 2 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 + 2 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 .
2 2 2
• The first triangle is centered at t = -2, and has an amplitude of 2 and
base of 4. The second triangle is centered at t = 0, and has an
amplitude of -2 and base of 4. The third triangle is centered at t = 2,
and has an amplitude of 2 and base of 4. The waveform f(t) is shown
below.
4
3
2
1
0
f(t)

-1
-2
-3
-4
-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

t (s)

17