Week 4 Lecture

The Continuous Time Unit Step Signal

̃ as shown
Let us define a continuous function 𝑢(𝑡)

̃ ⇾ 𝑢(𝑡)
If we let Δ⇾0 , 𝑢(𝑡)

We can therefore define the unit step function u(t) as

𝑢(𝑡) = 1 𝑡 ≥0

=0 0<t

Note that the unit step is now continuous at the origin and thus we can perform differentiation of
u(t) if so needed. . The usefulness of u(t) is when it is multiplied with another signal y(t) i.e z(t)
= u(t)y(t). After multiplication, z(t) has zero values for t < 0.

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The unit step can also be shifted in time to the left and also to the right like any other signals.

Example

Given a signal x(t) as shown

And another signal y(t) = u(t)-u(t-1)

What is z(t )= x(t)y(t)?

Answer :

Exercise : Define a block function also known as a window function

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 𝑡 𝑇 𝑇
Plot rect(𝑇) ie 𝑢(𝑡 + 2) − 𝑢(𝑡 − 2)

The Unit Impulse Function 𝜹(𝒕)

This unit impulse signal is also known as the Dirac Delta function. This function is
infinitesimally narrow, infinitely tall and yet integrates to unity.

First let’s look at a special signal (not the unit step) defined as shown.

What is the derivative of ?

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The derivative has unit area i.e the area of  (t ) is one.

The pulse height gets higher and higher and its width Δ goes to 0, but its area is still 1!

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So we define δ(t) as the unit impulse as

AND

∞
∫ 𝛿(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 = 1
−∞

δ(t) can be considered to be the derivative of u(t) in a restricted sense.

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The running integral

t≥0

The value of the unit step at time t is equal to the integral of the unit impulse  (t ) from t  
to the time t

Unit Impulse Properties

1. Scaling

Kδ(t) is an impulse with weight or area K:

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2. Multiplication of a function x(t) (that is continuous at t = 0) by an impulse δ(t):

We get an impulse with area or weight x(0).

3. Time Shift of an impulse

y(t) = x(t)δ(t-t0)

So we get an impulse with weight equal to the value of x(t) where the impulse is located:

y(t) = x(t0)δ(t-t0)

Example What is Kx(t)δ(t-t0)?

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Example What is 3u(t-1)δ(t) ?

SIFTING PROPERTY (Important Concept)

What if we multiply a function by an impulse and then integrate?

Since

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Discrete-Time Unit Step Function

Notice that here, the unit step is defined at , unlike for continuous time.

The time-shifted unit step function is:

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Discrete-Time Unit Impulse Function

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Here, there is no difficulty in defining the impulse as we had in continuous time.

Shifted unit impulse:

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The running sum is the discrete-time version of the running integral in the continuous time case,
and the first difference is the discrete time version of the derivative in the continuous time case..
With these similarities, the unit impulse has essentially the same behavior in discrete and
continuous time, including the sifting property.

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Signal Decomposition

Any arbitrary signal x[n]can be constructed by the sum of weighted and shifted unit impulses i.e

x[n] =
... x[3]  n  3  x[2]  n  2  x[1]  n  1  x[0]  n  x[1] n 1  x[2] n  2  x[3] n  3..


This decomposition can be written in a short-hand form as x[n]   x[k ] [n  k ] where each
k 
term in the sum x[k ] [n  k ] is a signal which has amplitude x[k] at time n = k and zero for all
other values of n

In the figure below, a signal x[n] can be decompose into four separate signals, where each signal
is represented by an weighted shifted impulse function.

Or alternatively, the signal x[n] is said to be made up of four separate signals whereby each of
these separate signals is represented by an weighted shifted impulse function.

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Discrete-Time Linear Time-Invariant Systems

We will study discrete-time systems that are both linear and time-invariant and see that their
input/output relationship is described by a discrete-time convolution.

Impulse Representation of Discrete-Time Signals

We can write x[n] as

or

which is writing x[n] as a series of impulse functions shifted in time, all scaled with weights
x[k].

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Representation Of The Output y[n] of An LTI System As The Superposition of Responses
To Individual Samples Of The Input x[n]

In the figure below, we input a unit impulse  [n] into an LTI system and the output is the
impulse response h[n]

Input  [n] Output h[n]

Now if we input x[n] as shown below into the LTI system, what is the output y[n] ?

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The output y[n] of an LTI System can be represented as the superposition of responses due to the
individual samples of the input x[n].

y[n]=∑𝑘=∞
𝑘=−∞ 𝑥[𝑘] ℎ[𝑛 − 𝑘]

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Mathematical Derivation of Covolution for a Linear Time Invariant System (LTI).

The purpose of convolution is to calculate the output y(t) of a given system when an input signal
x(t) is applied. The LTI system is fully represented by the impulse response h[n]

ℎ[𝑛 − 𝑘]

y[n]=∑𝑘=∞
𝑘=−∞ 𝑥[𝑘] ℎ[𝑛 − 𝑘]

The Convolution Equation:

The output of an LTI system y[n] is the input signal x[n] convolved with the impulse
response h[n].

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Example

Given the input signal x[n] as shown

x[n]

and the impulse response of a system h[n] as

h[n]

Calculate the output signal y[n] of the system

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Methods 1

index = 4

index = 3

index =
4+3

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Method 2

Draw
x[k]

h[n-k]

n=0

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Steps in Performing Discrete Time Convolution

i) Calculate y[0] = ∑𝑘=∞

𝑘=−∞ 𝑥[𝑘] ℎ[0 − 𝑘]
Draw x[k] and draw h[-k]. During this particular time n=0 i.e h[-k] = h[n-k]
Then multiply the values of x[k] and h[0-k] for each n and sum the results to obtain
y[0].

ii) To calculate y[1], shift h[0-k] by one step to the right to obtain h[1-k] so that
y[1] = ∑𝑘=∞
𝑘=−∞ 𝑥[𝑘] ℎ[1 − 𝑘]
Draw x[k] and shift h[0-k] to the right by one step to obtain h[1-k]. During this
particular time n=1 Then multiply the values of x[k] and h[0-k] for each n and sum
the results to obtain y[1].

iii) To calculate y[2], shift h[1-k] by one step to the right to obtain h[2-k] so that
y[2] = ∑𝑘=∞
𝑘=−∞ 𝑥[𝑘] ℎ[2 − 𝑘]
Draw x[k] and shift h[1-k] to the right by one step to obtain h[2-k]. During this
particular time n=2 Then multiply the values of x[k] and h[2-k] for each n and sum
the results to obtain y[2].

iv) To calculate y[-1], shift h[0-k] by one step to the left to obtain h[-1-k] so that
y[-1] = ∑𝑘=∞
𝑘=−∞ 𝑥[𝑘] ℎ[−1 − 𝑘]
Draw x[k] and shift h[0-k] to the left by one step to obtain h[-1-k]. During this
particular time n=-1 Then multiply the values of x[k] and h[-1-k] for each n and sum
the results to obtain y-[1].

v) Continue to calculate all values of y[n] by increasing/decreasing the value of the

index n.

vi) The length of y[n] i.e how many different values of y[n] is L+M-1, where L is the
length of x[n], M is the length of h[n]. In the above example L= 9, M = 7. Thus you
would expect the length of y[n] to be 9+7-1 = 15

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