Kombolcha Institute of Technology

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Chapter Two
Discrete-time Signals and Systems

Jemal H. (Msc)

May, 2023

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 Chapter Contents

• Discrete- time signals and systems

• Linear-time invariant systems
• Classification of Discrete-Time Signals and Systems
• Classification of Discrete-Time Systems
• Convolution of Discrete time signal

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 Discrete- time Signals and Systems

Discrete-Time Signals

• A discrete-time signal is a function of an independent variable represented as a

sequence of number
X={x(n)},
* is the nth sample of the sequence and defined for an integer n.
• A discrete-time signal is often obtained by periodic sampling of a continuous -
time signal

A/D
𝑥 𝑛 = 𝑥 (𝑛𝑇)

• In this case the nth sample of the sequence is equal to the value of the analogue
signal at time t = nT and T is the sampling period.
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 Representation of Discrete-Time Signals

• Discrete-time signals may be represented mathematically in several ways:

• The following are the basic representation of discrete-time signal
i) Functional representation:

ii) Sequence representation:

.
x (n) = {..., −0.5, 1.5,3,−3.7,2.9,0.6...}
↑
- The arrow indicates an infinite duration signal or sequence with the time origin
(n=0) . Thus , x (−1) = −0.5, x (0) = 1.5,x (1) = 3,...
iii) Tabular representation
such as

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 Sequence Operations

• Summation( Adder): Point-wise addition of signals expressed as

1 2

𝑥1(𝑛)

1 2
+
2

• Multiplication: Point-wise multiplication of signals

1 2

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 Cont…

• Time shifting: y (n) = x (n − N) where N is an integer.

- if N > 0 , it is delaying operation.
- if N < 0 , it is an advance operation
Unit delay Unit advance

Example: When N = 2, x (n − 2) is a said to be a delayed version of x (n)

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 Basic Sequences

• General (Arbitrary) sequence:

• The above sequence is random and not suitable for computation. Thus, we
have to represent using basic sequences.
• Basic sequence : Unit samples(Impulse)sequence,
Unit step Sequence,
Exponential sequence and complex sinusoidal sequence.

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 Some Elementary Discrete-Time Signals

• Some of the basic sequences and signals in DTS are the following

1.5
• Unit sample (impulse) sequence
1
0 n  0
 [ n]   0.5
1 n  0
0
-10 -5 0 5 10
1.5
• Unit step sequence
0 n  0
u[n]   1
1 n  0 0.5
• Exponential sequences
0
-10 -5 0 5 10
For exponential sequence, if A and 1
are real numbers then the sequence
is real. If 0 < < 1 and A is x[ n ]  A  n
0.5

positive, then the sequence values 0

-10 -5 0 5 10
are positive and decrease with increasing n:

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 Classification of Discrete-Time Signals

• The mathematical methods employed in the analysis of discrete time signals and
systems depend on the characteristics of the signals.
Energy signal and Power signal
• The energy E of a discrete-time signal is defined as
𝑬≡ |𝒙(𝒏)|𝟐
𝒏

• This is applied to complex-valued signals as well as real-valued signals.

• If E is finite, i.e., E < ∞, then x(n) is called an energy signal.
• Signals that have non-finite energy, however, may have finite average power. The
average power of a discrete-time signal x(n) is defined as
𝑵
𝟐
𝑵
𝒏 𝑵
• If E is finite, then the average power P = 0. If, on the other hand, E is infinite, then
the average power P may be either finite or infinite.
• The signal is called a power signal if the average power is finite.
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 Cont…

Periodic Signals and Aperiodic Signals:

• A discrete-time signal x(n) is periodic, with period N, if and only if

x(n + N) = x(n), for all n.
• The smallest integral value of N for which this condition holds is called the
fundamental period. If there is no value N that satisfies the above condition,
then the signal x(n) is non-periodic or aperiodic.

Symmetric and Anti-symmetric Signals

• A real-valued signal x(n) is called symmetric (even) if

x(-n) = x(n), for all n, and
• It is called anti-symmetric (odd) if x(-n) = - x(n), for all n.

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 Exercise

(1) A sequence is shown below. Express as a linear combination

of weighted and delayed unit samples.

(2) Using the above sequence determine and plot the following
related sequences.

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 Discrete-time Systems

• A discrete-time system is defined as a transformation or operator that

maps an input sequence with values x[n] into an output sequence with
values y(n).
• This can be denoted as y(n)= T{x(n)} and depicted as

) Discrete
time system
Input sequence Output sequence

• Discrete-time system examples:

- An ideal delay: y (n) = x (n − nd ) , nd is the delay of the system.
- Compressor (down-sampler): y (n) = x (Mn)
- Modulator:y (n) = x (n)cos(nωo )

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 Classification of Discrete-Time Systems

Memory less (Static) Systems

• A discrete-time system is referred to as memoryless or static if its output y(n) at
any instant n depends only on the input x(n) at the same instant n and not on
past or future input values.
• If the output of the system at time n is completely determined by the input
samples in the interval n-N to n, N positive, then the system is said to have
memory of duration N.

• Here there is no need to store any of the past input or output values to
compute the present output and both are memoryless systems .
• Consider he following I/O equation

describe dynamic or systems with memory

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 Linear System

• A system is linear if it satisfies principle of superposition.

Additive property and scaling property for linearity are:
T{ n) + n) } = T { n) } + T { n) } = n) + n)
T {ax(n)} = aT {x(n)} = ay(n) where a is arbitrary constant
• These two properties are combined into the principle of superposition:
𝟏 𝟐 𝟏 𝟐 𝟏 𝟐

• The procedure of checking for linearity is:

1. Find outputs y1(n) and y2(n) corresponding to inputs x1(n) and x2(n)
2. Form the sum a1 y1(n) + a2 y2(n) and get y3(n)
3. Find output y4(n) corresponding to input a1x1(n) + a2x2(n)
4. Compare the results of steps 2 and 3
Example check the linearity of a). y(n) = n x(n)
b). y(n) = 2 x(n)+3.

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 Time -Invariant Systems

• A time-invariant system is a system for which a time shift or delay of the input
sequence results in the same time shift of the output sequence or signal.
• This means that applying a time delay to the input of a system is equivalent to
applying it to the output.
- If → implies that
- 𝑜 𝑜
• The procedure for determining time- invariance is:
1. Determine output y(n) corresponding to input x(n).
2. Delay the output y(n) by units, resulting in y(n– 𝑜).
3. Determine output y(n, ) corresponding to input x(n– 𝑜).
4. Determine if y(n, 𝑜) = y(n– 𝑜). If equal, then the system is time-
invariant; otherwise it is time-varying.
Example, determine if the given systems are time invariant or time varying
a).
( )
b).

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 Causal System

• A system is causal if the output value at 𝑜 depends only on the input

sequence values for 𝑜.
• In other words the output of the system at any time depends only on
- present and past values of the input x (n)
y[n] = [x (n), x (n − 1), x (n − 2), . . . . x (n − no )]
- but does not depends on future inputs
y[n]= [x (n + 1), x (n + 2), . . . x (n + no )] → non-causal system.
Stability
• A system is stable if a bounded input sequences always produces a bounded
output signal sequence.
• That is, if x(n) B for some B , then (n)
Bounded input: 𝒙
Bounded Output: 𝒚

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 Linear time-invariant (LIT) systems

• This is a particularly important class of systems that combines both the

properties of linearity and time invariance.
• Linear time-invariant (LTI) system can be completely characterised by its
impulse response, which is the response of the system to a unit impulse input.

LTI- System,
T[.]

• If x (n) = δ(n) then T [δ(n)]= h(n) so y (n) ≡ h(n) → impulse response

• Using signal decomposition we can express any sequence by unit sample
(impulse) δ(n) as :

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 Cont…

• When we apply the above sequence x (n) as an input to LTI system

• Due to linearity :

• Due to Time invariance

if T [δ(n)] = h(n) then T [δ(n − k)] = h(n − k) Therefore

• For the LTI system, the convolution sum or superposition sum is given as

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 Discrete Time Convolution

• Convolution is the process by which an input interacts with an LTI system to

produce an output.
• There are three ways to perform digital convolution
• Graphical method
• Analytical method
• Tabular (table) method
• In the analytical method, the impulse response is multiplied and add up together
with the input signal to get the convolution or the output.
• But for graphical method we use the following steps

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 Properties of convolution

• The convolution sum is used to compute the output of a LTI system for a given
input x[n] and impulse response h[n].
• For the LTI system, the convolution sum or superposition sum is given as

• The following are the basic properties of convolution

• Commutative Property

• Distributive property

• Associative Property
]] *

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 Example

• Evaluate the convolution, y(n) where x(n) and h(n) are given below by using
a. Analytical technique
b. Graphical technique
c.Tabular method

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 Circular Convolution

• The convolution of two periodic sequences with periodicity N or

Multiplication of two DFT is called circular convolution.
• If (n) and (n) are two periodic sequences with N samples in a period,
then the circular convolution of (n) and (n) is defined as,

(n) (n) ((n−m)

(n) ((m−n)

Where stands for circular convolution.

• Circular convolution can be performed using two basic method.
a) using concentric circle b) using matrix multiplication

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 Linear Convolution and Circular Convolution

• The following table will summarize the difference between linear and circular
convolution.
Linear Convolution Circular convolution
In case of convolution two signal sequences input
signal x(n) and impulse response h(n) given by the It is Multiplication of two DFT
same system, output y(n) is calculated.

It is a multiplication of two sequences in time Multiplication of two sequences in

domain frequency domain

Linear Convolution is given by the equation Circular convolution is given by the equation
(n)

(n) ((m−n)

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 Example

• Calculate the circular convolution of the two sequence using

(n) =( 1,1,-1,2) and (n) =(1,2,3,4)

a) Concentric circle method

b) Matrix multiplication method

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 The End

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