EE 370 Chapter II: Introduction to Signals

Classification of Signals
Some important classifications of signals
Analog vs. Digital signals: as stated in the previous lecture, a signal ith a
magnitude that ma! ta"e an! real value in a specific range is called an analog
signal hile a signal ith amplitude that ta"es onl! a finite num#er of values is
called a digital signal.
Continuous$time vs. discrete$time signals: continuous$time signals ma! #e analog
or digital signals such that their magnitudes are defined for all values of t, hile
discrete$time signal are analog or digital signals ith magnitudes that are defined
at specific instants of time onl! and are undefined for other time instants.
%eriodic vs. aperiodic signals: periodic signals are those that are constructed from
a specific shape that repeats regularl! after a specific amount of time T
0
, &i.e., a
periodic signal f't( ith period T
0
satisfies f't( ) f't*nT
0
( for all integer values of
n+, hile aperiodic signals do not repeat regularl!.
Deterministic vs. pro#a#ilistic signals: deterministic signals are those that can #e
computed #eforehand at an! instant of time hile a pro#a#ilistic signal is one that
is random and cannot #e determined #eforehand.
Energ! vs. %oer signals: as descri#ed #elo.
Energy and Power Signals
,he total energ! contained in and average poer provided #! a signal f't( 'hich
is a function of time( are defined as
-
. ' ( .
f
E f t dt

,
and
/ -
-
/ -
0
lim . ' ( .
T
f
T
T
P f t dt
T

,
respectivel!.
1or periodic signals, the poer P can #e computed using a simpler form #ased on
the periodicit! of the signal as

0
0
-
. ( ' .
0
t T
t
f Periodic
dt t f
T
P
,
here T here is the period of the signal and t
0
is an ar#itrar! time instant that is chosen
to simpl! the computation of the integration 'to reduce the functions !ou have to integrate
over one period(.
EE 370 Chapter II: Introduction to Signals
Classification of Signals into Power and Energy Signals
2ost signals can #e classified into Energ! signals or %oer signals. A signal is classified
into an energ! or a poer signal according to the folloing criteria
a( Energ! Signals: an energ! signal is a signal ith finite energ! and 3ero
average poer '0 4 E 5 , P ) 0(,
#( %oer Signals: a poer signal is a signal ith infinite energ! #ut finite
average poer '0 5 P 5 , E (.
Comments:
0. ,he s6uare root of the average poer P of a poer signal is hat is
usuall! defined as the 72S value of that signal.
-. 8our #oo" sa!s that if a signal approaches 3ero as t approaches then the
signal is an energ! signal. ,his is in most cases true #ut not ala!s as !ou
can verif! in part 'd( in the folloing e9ample.
3. All periodic signals are poer signals '#ut not all non:periodic signals are
energ! signals(.
;. An! signal f that has limited amplitude '. f | 5 ( and is time limited
'f ) 0 for . t | < t
0
for some t
0
< 0( is an energ! signal as in part 'g( in
the folloing e9ample.
Exercise 21: determine if the folloing signals are Energ! signals, %oer signals, or
neither, and evaluate E and P for each signal 'see e9amples -.0 and -.-
on pages 07 and 0= of !our te9t#oo" for help(.
a(
' ( 3sin'- (, a t t t < <
,
,his is a periodic signal, so it must #e a poer signal. >et us prove it.
[ ]
- -
. ' ( . . 3sin'- ( .
0
? 0 cos'; (
-
0
? ? cos'; (
-
@
a
E a t dt t dt
t dt
dt t dt

Aotice that the evaluation of the last line in the a#ove e6uation is infinite
#ecause of the first term. ,he second term has a value #eteen :- to - so
it has no effect in the overall value of the energ!.
EE 370 Chapter II: Introduction to Signals
Since a't( is periodic ith period , ) -/- ) 0 second, e get
[ ]
0 0
- -
0 0
0
0
0 0
0 0
0
0
0
. ' ( . . 3sin'- ( .
0
0
? 0 cos'; (
-
0
? ? cos'; (
-
? ?
sin'; (
- ;
?
B
-
a
P a t dt t dt
t dt
dt t dt
t

1

1
]

So, the energ! of that signal is infinite and its average poer is finite '?/-(.
,his means that it is a poer signal as e9pected. Aotice that the average
poer of this signal is as e9pected 's6uare of the amplitude divided #! -(
#(
-. .
' ( C ,
t
b t e t

< < ,
>et us first find the total energ! of the signal.
-
- -. .
0
; ;
0
0
; ;
0
. ' ( . C
-C -C
-C -C
; ;
-C -C C0
@
; ; ;
t
b
t t
t t
E b t dt e dt
e dt e dt
e e

+
1 1 +
] ]
+


,he average poer of the signal is
/ - / -
-
- -. .
/ - / -
0 / -
; ;
/ - 0
0 / -
; ;
/ - 0
- -
0 0
lim . ' ( . lim C
0 0
-C lim -C lim
-C 0 -C 0
lim lim
; ;
-C 0 -C 0
lim 0 lim 0
; ;
0 0 0
T T
t
b
T T
T T
T
t t
T T
T
T
t t
T T T
T T
T T
P b t dt e dt
T T
e dt e dt
T T
e e
T T
e e
T T

+
1 1 +
] ]
1 1 +
] ]
+


EE 370 Chapter II: Introduction to Signals
So, the signal b't( is definitel! an energ! signal.
So, the energ! of that signal is infinite and its average poer is finite '?/-(.
,his means that it is a poer signal as e9pected. Aotice that the average
poer of this signal is as e9pected 'the s6uare of the amplitude divided #!
-(
c(
3
; , . . C
' (
0, . . C
t
e t
c t
t
+

'
>

,
d(
0
, 0
' (
0, 0
t
d t t
t

>

'

,
>et us first find the total energ! of the signal.
[ ]
-
0
0
0
. ' ( .
ln
0 @
d
E d t dt dt
t
t

So, this signal is AD, an energ! signal. Eoever, it is also AD, a poer
signal since its average poer as shon #elo is 3ero.
,he average poer of the signal is
[ ] [ ]
/ - / -
-
/ - 0
/ -
0
0 0 0
lim . ' ( . lim
0 0 0
lim ln lim ln ln 0
-
ln
0 -
lim ln lim
-
T T
d
T T
T
T
T T
T T
P d t dt dt
T T t
T
t
T T T
T
T
T T

_ _ 1


1
, ] ,
_ 1

1
_ 1
]



1
] ,

,

Fsing >eGhopitalGs rule, e see that the poer of the signal is 3ero. ,hat is
-
ln
-
lim lim 0
0
d
T T
T
T
P
T

_ 1
_

1

]





,
,
EE 370 Chapter II: Introduction to Signals
So, not all signals that approach 3ero as time approaches positive and
negative infinite is an energ! signal. ,he! ma! not #e poer signals
either.
e(
-
' ( 7 , e t t t < < ,
f(
-
' ( -cos '- (, f t t t < < .
g(
-
0-cos '- (, = 30
' (
0, elsehere
t t
g t
< <

'