ECE 4710: Lecture #5

1
Linear Systems
Linear
System
Input Signal
x(t)
Output Signal
y(t)
h(t) H( f )
) (
) (
) (
f
R
f X
x
x
P
t
) (
) (
) (
f
R
f Y
y
y
P
t
Voltage Spectrum (via FT)
AutoCorrelation Function
Power Spectral Density
Useful Signal Characterizations
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
2
Linear Systems
Linear Time Invariant (LTI) Conditions:
- Linear Superposition holds
- Time Invariant Shape of system response, H( f ), is
same no matter when input is applied to system
Does not apply for most mobile (wireless)
communication channels
Impulse Response = h(t)
- h(t) = 0 for t < 0 causal
- y(t) = h(t) when x(t) = o(t) delta impulse function at
input can measure system response
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
3
System Output
Output is result of convolution integral between input
and impulse response function

Convolution integral is difficult to evaluate
Preferred approach is to find system transfer
function H( f )
- Convolution in time is multiplication in frequency

}

- = = ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( t h t x d t h x t y
) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( f H f X f Y t h t x t y = - =
) (
) (
) ( that so
f X
f Y
f H =
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
4
System Transfer Function
H( f ) is the FT of h(t) and is called the frequency
response or the transfer function of the system

In general H( f ) is a complex function with magnitude
and phase response:

Magnitude response is even function in frequency
- Positive and negative frequencies have same amplitude
Phase response is an odd function in frequency
) ( ) ( f H t h
) (
exp | ) ( | ) (
f j
H
f H f H
u
=
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
5
System Transfer Function
H( f ) can be measured by using sinusoidal test input
signal and sweeping the frequency over the desired
range
- Spectrum analyzer uses this approach
How is power content of input signal affected by the
system?

?? ) ( is what ) ( and ) ( Given f f H f
y x
P P
) ( | ) ( | ) (
2
f f H f
x y
P P =
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
6
Power Transfer
Power Transfer Function


Example: RC Low Pass Filter (LPF) Find G
h
( f )
2
| ) ( |
) (
) (
) ( f H
f
f
f G
x
y
h
= =
P
P
+
x(t)

+
y(t)

R
C
i(t)
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
7
RC LPF
KVL around loop:
Capacitor current related to voltage drop:



Table 2-1, pg. 50 :

Take FT of both sides:


Solving for transfer function:
) ( ) ( ) ( t y t i R t x + =
) (
) (
) (
) ( ) (
) ( ) ( t y
dt
t dy
RC t x
dt
t dy
C
dt
t dv
C t i t i
C
+ = = = =
) ( ) 2 (
) (
f W f j
dt
t w d
n
n
n
t
] ) 2 ( 1 [ ) (
) ( ) ( ) 2 ( ) (
RC f j f Y
f Y f Y f j RC f X
t
t
+ =
+ =
f RC j f X
f Y
f H
) 2 ( 1
1
) (
) (
) (
t +
= =
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
8
RC LPF

Table 2-2, pg. 62:


So

where t = RC is the time constant of the LPF
T f j
T
t
t e
T t
t 2 1
0 0
0
/
+

<
>

<
>
=
+
=

0 0
0
1
) (
) 2 ( 1
1
) (
/
t
t e
t h
f RC j
f H
t t
t
t
1
RC
t
e
-1

RC
t = RC
h(t) = Impulse Response
Function of ILPF
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
9
RC LPF
Power Transfer Function:




Define f
o
= cutoff frequency = 1 / 2tRC so


At f = f
o
G
h
( f
o
) = 0.5
- Power @ f
o
attenuated by half half power or 3 dB BW
) (
) 2 ( 1
1
) 2 ( 1
1
) 2 ( 1
1
| ) ( |
so ) ( ) ( 50 page on 1 - 2 Table from
and ) ( ) ( | ) ( | ) (
2
2
*
* 2
f G
RCf f RC j f RC j
f H
f H f H
f H f H f H f G
h
h
=
+
=

+
=
=
= =
t t t
2
) / ( 1
1
) (
o
h
f f
f G
+
=
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
10
Distortionless Transmission
Distortionless channel is very desirable in a
communication system
- Output is simply delayed replica of input : y(t) = A x (t - T
d
)
where A : channel gain (or loss for A < 1)
T
d
: time delay in channel
In frequency domain a distortion free response is

Thus, a distortion free channel has
d
T f j
e f X A f Y
t 2
) ( ) (

=
) ( 2
) (
) (
) (
f j T f j
e A e A
f X
f Y
f H
d
u t
= = =

Note that there is
no frequency
dependence for
amplitude but
there is for phase
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
11
Distortionless Transmission
LTI system will have no distortion if
1) Amplitude response is flat
2) Phase response is linear function of
frequency
Distortion classified as either 1) amplitude or 2)
phase distortion
Looking at phase distortion from time delay
standpoint:
- Time delay of channel/system must be independent of
frequency, otherwise phase distortion will occur


A f H = | ) ( |
d
T f f t u 2 ) ( =
) ( alue constant v f T T
d d
= =
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
12
RC Filter Distortion
Filter Transfer Function:
Amplitude response:


Phase Response:

Time Delay:

- Not a constant value
f RC j
f H
) 2 ( 1
1
) (
t +
=

) / ( 1
1
| ) ( | so
) / ( 1
1
| ) ( | ) (
2
2
2
o
o
h
f f
f H
f f
f H f G
+
=
+
= =
{ }
{ }
) / ( tan
) ( Re
) ( Im
tan ) (
1 1
o
f f
f H
f H
f

=
(

= u
) / ( tan
2
1
) (
2
1
) (
1
o d
f f
f
f
f
f T

= =
t
u
t
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
13







For f < 0.5 f
o
the amplitude distortion is < 0.5 dB (~12%)
RC Amplitude Distortion
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
14







For f < 0.5 f
o
the phase distortion is < 2.1 (~8%)
RC Phase Distortion
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
15







High frequency signal components have less delay
For f
o
= 1 kHz delay is ~0.2 msec

RC Time Delay
ECE 4710: Lecture #5
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Distortion
Most communication systems have both amplitude
and phase distortion of H( f )

Distortion can be acceptable depending on
- Distortion type amplitude, phase, or both
- Distortion magnitude e.g. how bad?
- Type of information signal audio, video, or data

ECE 4710: Lecture #5
17
Audio Distortion
Human ear is sensitive to amplitude distortion in f
Audio spectrum is 300 Hz to 15 kHz
- 15 phase distortion causes time delay of ~ 3 sec
- Duration of spoken syllable is 10-100 msec
- 3 sec delay is imperceptible (< 0.05 % of 10 msec syllable)
3 dB amplitude error is very noticeable to ear
High-fidelity audio amplifiers
- Focus on maintaining flat spectral response
- Phase distortion is not concern


ECE 4710: Lecture #5
18
Video Distortion
For analog video transmission the phase distortion
is the primary concern
Amplitude variations will cause variations in image
intensity
Phase variations will cause time delays which will
cause objects in the image to blur at edges
Human eye is more sensitive to phase variations
Analog video filters require excellent phase
linearity

ECE 4710: Lecture #5
19
Data Distortion
For digital data both amplitude and phase distortion can
have serious affects
Rectangular data pulse train:



Pulse smearing into adjacent symbol time slots
- Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI)
- Increase probability that bit errors will occur (BER |)
Special filters designed for digital data to minimize ISI
0 1 0 1 0

T
s
Bandlimited
System or
Channel
0 1 0 1 0