Chapter 4

Signals
Analog and Digital
Periodic and Aperiodic Signals
Analog Signals
Digital Signals

Analog and Digital

Information can be in the form of data, voice, picture, etc.
To be transmitted, information must be transformed into
media-transmittable signals.

Analog and Digital

Analog and digital clocks

Analog and Digital

Analog and digital signals

Analog signal a continuous wave form that changes smoothly

over time; as the wave moves from value A to value B, it passes
through and includes an infinite number of values along its path.

Analog and Digital

Analog and digital signals (cont)

Digital signal discrete; has limited number of defined values,

often as simple as 1 and 0.

Periodic and Aperiodic

Signals
Periodic Signals

A periodic signals completes a pattern within a measurable time

frame (or period) and repeats that pattern over identical
subsequent periods
The completion of one full pattern is called a cycle and is
expressed in seconds.

Periodic and Aperiodic

Signals
Aperiodic (non-periodic) Signals

An aperiodic signal has no repetitive pattern.

Can be decomposed into an infinite number of periodic signals.

Analog Signals
Simple analog signals

The sine wave is the most fundamental form of a periodic analog

signal.
Three characteristics of sine wave amplitude, period or
frequency, phase

Analog Signals
Simple analog signals (cont)

Amplitude the value of the signal at any point on the wave

Measured in volts (voltage), amperes (current), watts (power)

Analog Signals
Simple analog signals (cont)

Period the amount of time (in second) it takes a signal to

complete one cycle (T)
Frequency the number of cycles per second (f) (in hertz, Hz)
f = 1/T, T= 1/f

Analog Signals
Simple analog signals (cont)

Phase the position of the waveform

relative to time zero

Digital Signals
Data can also be represented by a digital signal

1 as a positive voltage and 0 as zero voltage

Digital Signals
Bit interval (instead of period)

Time required to send one bit

Bit rate (instead of frequency)

The number of bits sent in one second

bits per second
(bps)

Time and Frequency

Domains
Time-domain plot

instantaneous amplitude with respect to time

Frequency-domain plot

maximum amplitude with respect to frequency

Example:

Time and Frequency

Domains

Composite Signals
Can be decomposed into a collection of sine
waves
using
Fourier
analysis

Composite Waveform

Composite Signals
Frequency spectrum (of a signal)

The combination of all sine wave signals that make up

that signal (shown using a frequency-domain graph)

Bandwidth (of a signal)

The width of the frequency spectrum

Composite Signals
Bandwidth