Continuous-Time Signals
and LTI Systems
Signals and systems
PhD. Alberth Ronal Tamo Calla
Linear Systems and Signals Topics
Domain Topic Discrete Time Continuous Time
Time Signals ✔ ✔
Systems ✔ ➔
Convolution ✔
Frequency Fourier series ✔ ✔
Fourier transforms ✔
Frequency response ✔
Generalized
Frequency
z / Laplace Transforms ✔
Transfer Functions ✔
System Stability ✔
Mixed Signal Sampling ✔
12-2
Systems
• Systems operate on signals to produce
x(t) T{•} y(t)
new signals or new signal
representations y(t ) = T x(t )
• Continuous-time system examples
y(t) = ½ x(t) + ½ x(t-1)
y(t) = x2(t) x(t) (•)2 y(t)
• Squaring block
x(t) = cos(2 p 440 t)
AM radio receiver
Screen maps pixels by ()2.2 y(t) = cos2(2 p 440 t)
Increase musical note by one octave = ½ (1 + cos(2 (2 p 440 t)) )
= ½ + ½ cos(2 p 880 t)
12-3
Continuous-Time System Properties
• Let x(t), x1(t), and x2(t) be inputs to a continuous-time linear system
and let y(t), y1(t), and y2(t) be their corresponding outputs
• A linear system satisfies Quick test to identify some
Additivity: x1(t) + x2(t) y1(t) + y2(t) nonlinear systems?
Homogeneity: a x(t) a y(t) for any real/complex constant a
• For time-invariant system, shift of input signal by any real-
valued t causes same shift in output signal, i.e. x(t - t) y(t - t),
for all t
• Example: Squaring block x(t) (•)2 y(t)
12-4
Role of Initial Conditions
• Observe system starting at time t0 (often use t0 = 0)
• Example: Integrator
t t0 t
(•) dt y(t ) = x(u ) du = x(u ) du + x(u ) du
x(t) t y(t)
−
− − t0
• Observe integrator for t t0 C0 is the initial condition
t0
t (•) dt + C0 C0 = x(u) du
x(t) t y(t) w/r to observation
0
−
Linear system if initial condition is zero (C0 = 0)
Time-invariant system if initial condition is zero (C0 = 0)
• System being “at rest” is necessary for linear and time-invariant
(LTI) properties to hold
12-5
Continuous-Time System Properties
• Ideal delay by T seconds
y(t)
y (t ) = x(t − T )
x(t) Role of initial conditions?
T
Linear? Time-invariant?
• Scale by a constant (a.k.a. gain block)
Two different ways to express it in a block diagram
y(t ) = a0 x(t)
x(t) y(t) x(t) y(t)
a0
a0
Linear? Time-invariant?
12-6
Continuous-Time System Properties
• Tapped delay line M-1 delay blocks:
M −1
y (t ) = a x(t − m T )
x(t − T ) m
x (t ) m =0
T T … T
Coefficients (or taps) are
a0, a1, …aM-1
a0 a1 aM −2 aM −1
… Impulse response lasts for
(M-1) T seconds:
M -1
S h ( t ) = å am d ( t - m T )
y(t )
m=0
Role of initial conditions?
Linear? Time-invariant?
12-7
Continuous-Time System Properties
• Amplitude Modulation (AM)
y(t) = A x(t) cos(2p fc t)
fc is the carrier
frequency x(t) A y(t)
(frequency of
radio station)
A is a constant cos(2 p fc t)
Linear? Time-invariant?
• AM radio transmitter if x(t) = 1 + ka m(t)
m(t) is audio signal to be broadcast
| ka m(t) | < 1
12-8
