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Periodic Signals are signals that repeat themselves after a certain amount of time. More
formally, a function f(t) is periodic if f(t + T) = f(t) for some T and all t. The classic
example of a periodic function is sin(x) since sin(x + 2 π) = sin(x). However, we do not
restrict attention to sinusoidal functions.
Terminology
We will discuss here some of the common terminology that pertains to a periodic
function. Let g(t) be a periodic function satisfying g(t + T) = g(t) for all t.
Period
The period is the smallest value of T satisfying g(t + T) = g(t) for all t. The period is
defined so because if g(t + T) = g(t) for all t, it can be verified that g(t + T') = g(t) for all
t where T' = 2T, 3T, 4T, ... In essence, it's the smallest amount of time it takes for the
function to repeat itself. If the period of a function is finite, the function is called
"periodic". Functions that never repeat themselves have an infinite period, and are known
as "aperiodic functions".
The period of a periodic waveform will be denoted with a capital T. The period is
measured in seconds.
Frequency
The frequency of a periodic function is the number of complete cycles that can occur per
second. Frequency is denoted with a lower-case f. It is defined in terms of the period, as
follows:
Radial Frequency
ω = 2πf
Amplitude
The amplitude of a given wave is the value of the wave at that point. Amplitude is also
known as the "Magnitude" of the wave at that particular point. There is no particular
variable that is used with amplitude, although capital A, capital M and capital R are
common.
The amplitude can be measured in different units, depending on the signal we are
studying. In an electric signal the amplitude will typically be measured in volts. In a
building or other such structure, the amplitude of a vibration could be measured in
meters.
Continuous Signal
A continuous signal is a "smooth" signal, where the signal is defined over a certain range.
For example, a sine function is a continuous sample, as is an exponential function or a
constant function. A portion of a sine signal over a range of time 0 to 6 seconds is also
continuous. Examples of functions that are not continuous would be any discrete signal,
where the value of the signal is only defined at certain intervals.
DC Offset
A DC Offset is an amount by which the average value of the periodic function is not
centered around the x-axis.
A periodic signal has a DC offset component if it is not centered about the x-axis. In
general, the DC value is the amount that must be subtracted from the signal to center it on
the x-axis. by definition:
With A0 being the DC offset. If A0 = 0, the function is centered and has no offset.
Half-wave Symmetry
Note that if a signal is symmetric about the the half-period point, it is not necessarily
half-wave symmetric. An example of this is the function t3, periodic on [-1,1), which has
no DC offset and odd symmetry about t=0. However, when shifted by 1, the signal is not
opposite to the original signal.
• It is half-wave symmetric.
• It has symmetry (odd or even) about the quarter-period point (i.e. at a distance of
L/2 from an end or the centre).
An equivalent operation is shifting the interval the function is defined in. This may be
easier to reconcile with the formulae for Fourier series. In this case, the function would
be redefined to be periodic on (-L+Δ,L+Δ), where Δ is the shift distance.
[edit] Discontinuities
Discontinuities are an artifact of some signals that make them difficult to manipulate for
a variety of reasons.
In a graphical sense, a periodic signal has discontinuities whenever there is a vertical line
connecting two adjacent values of the signal. In a more mathematical sense, a periodic
signal has discontinuities anywhere that the function has an undefined (or an infinite)
derivative. These are also places where the function does not have a limit, because the
values of the limit from both directions are not equal.
[edit] Sinusoid
The quintessential periodic waveform. These can be either Sine functions, or Cosine
Functions.
[edit] Square Wave
The square wave is exactly what it sounds like: a series of rectangular pulses spaced
equidistant from each other, each with the same amplitude.
The triangle wave is also exactly what it sounds like: a series of triangles. These triangles
may touch each other, or there may be some space in between each wavelength.
Here is an image that shows some of the common periodic waveforms, a triangle wave, a
square wave, a sawtooth wave, and a sinusoid.
[edit] Classifications
Periodic functions can be classified in a number of ways. one of the ways that they can be
classified is according to their symmetry. A function may be Odd, Even, or Even & Odd.
All periodic functions can be classified in this way.
[edit] Even
f(x) = f( − x)
f(x) = − f( − x)
Some functions are neither even nor odd. However, such functions can be written as a
sum of even and odd functions. Any function f(x) can be expressed as a sum of an odd
function and an even function:
We leave it as an exercise to the reader to verify that the first component is even and that
the second component is odd. Note that the first term is zero for odd functions and that
the second term is zero for even functions.