3.
Introduction to systems
Ivan Tim Oloya
BEng, MSc
Soroti University
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What is a system?
• A system is an interconnection of operations that transfer an input signal
into an output signal with properties different from those of the input
signal.
• h(t) is the impulse response of the continuous-time system
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Examples of systems
• Communication systems
• Control systems
• Auditory system
• Biomedical system
• Remote sensing system
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Classification of systems
• Linear and non-linear systems
• Time variant and time invariant systems
• Linear time variant and linear time invariant systems
• Static and dynamic systems
• Causal and non-causal systems
• Invertible and non-invertible systems
• Stable and unstable systems
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Linear and non-linear systems
• A linear system is one which satisfies superposition principle
• Suppose we have a system with two inputs; 𝑥1 𝑛 and 𝑥2 𝑛 and two
outputs 𝑦1 𝑛 and 𝑦2 𝑛 .
• For linearity:
𝑇 𝑎1 𝑥1 𝑛 + 𝑎2 𝑥2 𝑛 = 𝑇 𝑎1 𝑥1 𝑛 + 𝑇 𝑎2 𝑥2 𝑛
• In other words, the transformation of the combined signals must be
equal to the sum of the transformation of the individual signals
Procedure to check for linearity
• Obtain the outputs separately and sum them
• Obtain the responses combined and sum them
• In case the responses match, then the system is linear
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Examples:
Example 1: 𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑥 2 𝑛
Transform of individual signals
𝑇 𝑥1 𝑛 = 𝑥12 𝑛
𝑇 𝑥2 𝑛 = 𝑥22 𝑛
Sum of individual transformations: 𝑥12 𝑛 + 𝑥22 𝑛
Transform of combined signals
𝑇 𝑎1 𝑥1 𝑛 + 𝑎2 𝑥2 𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑥1 𝑛 + 𝑎2 𝑥2 𝑛 2
Since the sum of individual transformations is not equal to the
transformation of combined signals, then the system is said to be non-
linear.
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Examples:
Example 2: 𝑧 𝑛 = 𝑥 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
Transform of individual signals
𝑇 𝑥1 𝑛 = 𝑥1 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
𝑇 𝑥2 𝑛 = 𝑥2 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
Sum of individual transformations: 𝑥1 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛 + 𝑥2 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
Transform of combined signals
𝑇 𝑎1 𝑥1 𝑛 + 𝑎2 𝑥2 𝑛 = 𝑥1 𝑛 + 𝑥2 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
Since the sum of individual transformations = sum of combined
transformation, then the system is said to be linear.
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Time variant and time invariant systems
• A system is said to be time variant if its input/output characteristics
changes with time
• Otherwise, the system is said to be time-invariant
• Condition for time invariance:
𝑇 𝑥 𝑛−𝑁 =𝑦 𝑛−𝑁
Where:
𝑁 = time delay
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Examples:
Example 1:
𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑥 𝑛 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
𝑦 𝑛 − 𝑁 = 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛 − 𝑁
𝑇 𝑥(𝑛 − 𝑁) = 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 cos 𝜔𝑜 𝑛
Therefore, since 𝑇 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 ≠ 𝑦 𝑛 − 𝑁 then the system is time-variant
Example 2:
𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑛. 𝑥 𝑛 − 3
𝑦 𝑛 − 𝑁 = 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 + 𝑛 − 𝑁 .𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 − 3
𝑇 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 = 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 + 𝑛. 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 − 3
Example 3:
𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑥 𝑛2
𝑦 𝑛−𝑁 =𝑥 𝑛−𝑁 2
Soroti University 𝑇 𝑥 𝑛 − 𝑁 = 𝑥 𝑛2 − 𝑁 9
Linear time variant and linear time invariant
systems
• A system is said to be Linear time variant (LTV) if it satisfies both
linearity and time variance
• A system is said to be Linear time invariant (LTI) if it satisfies both
linearity and time invariance
Procedure to check for LTI or LTV
• Test for linearity
• Test for time variance/time invariance
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Memory
• A memoryless system is a system whose output depends only on the present value of
inputs.
• A system is said to possess memory if its output depends on past and/or future values
of inputs.
Example 1:
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A system is given by: 𝑦[𝑛] = 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑥 𝑛 − 1 + 𝑥[𝑛 − 2] . Determine whether the
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system has memory.
Solution:
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𝑦[0] = 𝑥 0 + 𝑥 −1 + 𝑥[−2]
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Therefore, the system has memory since output depends on past values of input.
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Causal and non-causal systems
• A system is said to be causal if its response is dependent on present
and/or past inputs and doesn’t depend on future inputs.
• A system is said to be non-causal if its output/response is dependent
upon future values of inputs at any instant of time.
• NB: All real-life systems/practical systems are causal in nature
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Examples:
Example 1:
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A system is given by: 𝑦[𝑛] = 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑥 𝑛 − 1 + 𝑥[𝑛 − 2] . Determine whether the
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system is causal or non-causal.
Solution:
1
𝑦[0] = 𝑥 0 + 𝑥 −1 + 𝑥[−2]
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Therefore, the system is causal since its output depends on present and past inputs only
Example 2:
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A system is given by: 𝑦[𝑛] = 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑥 𝑛 + 1 + 𝑥[𝑛 − 1] . Determine whether the
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system is causal or non-causal.
Solution:
1
𝑦[0] = 𝑥 0 + 𝑥 1 + 𝑥[−]
3
Therefore, the system is non-causal since its output depends on future inputs
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Stable and unstable systems
• BIBO criteria: For a stable system, the output should be bounded if the input is
bounded at every instant
• Bounded: Amplitude of the signal is finite from −∞ to +∞
• We can test the system, using a finite value, M
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Examples
Test the following systems for stability:
1. 𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑥 2 𝑛
Solution:
We assume 𝑥 𝑛 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
Therefore:
𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 2 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
Therefore, this system is stable
2. 𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑛. 𝑥 𝑛
Solution:
Assuming 𝑥 𝑛 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
Then:
𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑛. 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
This system diverges, hence at 𝑛 = ∞, 𝑦 𝑛 = ∞
Therefore, the system is unstable
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Examples
Test the following systems for stability:
1
3. 𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑥 𝑛 + 𝑥 𝑛 − 1 + 𝑥[𝑛 − 2]
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Solution:
We assume 𝑥 𝑛 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
Therefore:
1
𝑦𝑛 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 + 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 + 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒] = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
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Therefore, this system is stable
2. 𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑟 𝑛 𝑥[𝑛]
Solution:
Assuming 𝑥 𝑛 = 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
Then:
𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑟 𝑛 . 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
This system diverges, hence at 𝑛 = ∞, 𝑦 𝑛 = ∞
Therefore, the system is unstable
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Exercise
Test the following systems for stability:
1. 𝑦 𝑛 = cos 𝑛 . 𝑥 𝑛
𝑥𝑛
2. 𝑦 𝑛 = sin 𝑛
Solution:
We know that cos 𝑛 and sin 𝑛 only exist between amplitude −1 and 1
For 𝑦 𝑛 = cos 𝑛 . 𝑥 𝑛
𝑦 𝑛 = −1 𝑡𝑜 1 . 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 = −finite to + finite
Hence the system is finite
𝑥𝑛
For 𝑦 𝑛 =
sin 𝑛
𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
𝑦𝑛 = = 𝑦 𝑛 = −𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒: : 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
−1 ∶ 0: 1 0
𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒
is undefined, hence the system is unstable
0
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