Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
of ECE, KL University
KL University, Vaddeswaram,
Dept. of ECE,
Signal Processing (B. Tech all branches) 13-ES205
Lesson-1: Introduction to Digital Signal Processing
Topics to be covered:
Introduction to Signals, Systems and Signal Processing.
Basic elements of Digital Signal Processing System,
Advantages and disadvantages of DSP systems.
Applications of DSP.
Study objectives:
After studying this lesson you should be able to:
Understand the concept of Signals, Systems and their Relationship.
Explain the meaning of Digital Signal Processing.
Recognize the differences between analog and digital signal processing and explain the
key advantages of digital over analog processing.
Description of each element in the DSP system
Explore the applications of DSP.
Introduction:
For the past few decades the field of digital signal processing (DSP) has grown to be
important, both theoretically and technologically. A major reason for its success in industry is the
development and use of low-cost software and hardware. New technologies and applications in
various fields are now taking advantage of DSP algorithms. This will lead to a greater demand
for mechanical, civil, bio-technology, electrical and computer engineers with background in
DSP. Therefore, it is necessary to make DSP an integral part of any engineering curriculum.
Signal processing is a discipline concerned with the acquisition, representation, manipulation,
and transformation of signals required in a wide range of practical applications. In this chapter,
we introduce the concepts of signals, systems, and their relationship. Further we explore the
basic elements of digital signal processing (DSP) system and briefly outline the advantages and
dis-advantages of DSP system over analog processing system. Finally the applications of DSP
are discussed.
1
s1 (t ) 5 t
s2 (t ) 12 t 2
(1.1)
Describe two signals, one that varies linearly with the independent variable t (time) and a
second that varies quadratically with t. Another example, consider the function
s( x, y) 3x 2 xy 10 y 2
(1.2)
Describes a signal of two independence variables x and y that could represent the two spatial
co-ordinates in a plane.
These signals described by eq (1.10 and (1.2) belongs to a class of signals that are
precisely defined by specifying the functional dependence on the independent variable.
However, there are cases where such functional relationship is unknown or too highly
complicated to be of any practical use. For example, a speech signal (Fig 1.1) cannot be
described functionally by expressions such as eq(1.1). In general, a segment of speech may be
represented to a high degree of accuracy as a sum of several sinusoids of different amplitudes,
frequencies and phases respectively.
Figure 1.1 Example of a recording of speech. The time waveform shows the variation of acoustic
pressure as a function s(t) of time for the word signal.
Another example of a natural signal is an electrocardiogram (ECG) as shown in Fig 1.2. Such
a signal provides a doctor with information about the condition of the patients heart. Similarly,
an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal provides information about the activity of the brain.
2
Speech, ECG and EEG signals are examples of information bearing signals that evolve as
functions of a single independent variable namely, time. An example of a signal that is a
function of two independent variables is an image as shown in Fig 1.3. The independent
variables in this case are the spatial coordinates. These are but a few examples of the countless
number of natural signals encountered in practice.
(a)
(b)
Fig 1.4 (a) System represented as a black-box (b) Example of physical system: A Public Address
System as an amplifier.
speech, music and so on. The output of the PA system is an amplified version of the input signal
(For example 10 times of the input signal as shown in figure).
Another example of a physical system is a mobile phone used daily. The mobile phone is a
Trans-receiving system, which is capable of transmitting as well as receiving signals
simultaneously. At the transmitting mode the mobile phone (system) is acting as a transmitting
system as shown in Fig 1.5(a). The input to the transmitter is a speech signal and
corresponding output of the transmitter is a modulated RF signal which is radiated to the air
through antenna. On the other hand, in the receiving mode, the mobile system is acting as a
receiver. That is the input to the receiver is an RF signal received through antenna (built in the
mobile phone), where the receiver produces audio signal through speaker in the mobile system.
(a)
(b)
A two wheeler is a automobile vehicle system, which depressing pedal is an input to the
automobile system and output of the automobile system is motion of vehicle. Various kinds of
systems and their characteristics are studied in further chapters.
Relation between Signals and Systems: A Signal may be defined as a physical quantity,
where as a system is defined as a physical device. As shown in Fig 1.5(a), when the input
signal is applied to a system, the signal is modified according to the characteristics of the
system and gives some output.
Signal Processing:
In this modern world we are surrounded by all kinds of signals in various forms. Some of
the signals are natural, but most of the signals are manmade. Some signals are necessary
(speech), some are pleasant (music), while many are unwanted or unnecessary in a given
situation. In an engineering context, signals carry information, both useful and unwanted.
Therefore extracting or enhancing the useful information from a mix of conflicting information is
the simplest form of signal processing. More generally, signal processing is an operation
designed for extracting, enhancing, storing, and transmitting useful information. The distinction
between useful and unwanted information is often subjective as well as objective. Hence signal
processing tends to be application dependent.
4
For example a filter (called system) used to reduce the noise and interference corrupting a
desired information-bearing signal as shown in Fig 1.6. Left side of the Fig 1.6 shows the noisy
image corrupted by a unwanted signal or interference called noise. Here the system acting as a
filter to reduce the noise and produced noise-free image as shown in the right side of the
Fig.1.6. When the noisy image signal is passed through a system as filtering operation, it is said
to be the image signal is processed.
Finally the Digital Signal Processing is referred to as processing of signals by means of a
Digital Computer.
Fig 1.6 Illustration of the processing a system. The noisy image is filtered and produced noise free
image.
Digital Signal Processing: Digital signal processing provides an alternative method for
processing the analog signal as illustrated in Fig 1.8. To perform the processing digitally, there
is need for an interface between the analog signal and the digital processor. This interface is
called an analog-to-digital (ADC or A/D) converter. The output of a digital signal that is
appropriate as an input to the digital processor.
5
The digital signal processor may be a large programmable digital computer or a small
microprocessor programmed to perform the desired operations on the input signal. It may also
be a hardwired digital processor configured to perform a specified set of operations on the input
signal. Programmable machines provide the flexibility to change the signal processing
operations through a change in the software, whereas hardwired machines are difficult to
reconfigure.
other hand, the signal processing operations are well defined, a hardwired implementation of
the operations can be optimized, and resulting in a cheaper signal processor and usually one
that runs faster than its programmable counterpart.
In applications where the digital output from the digital signal processor is to be given to the
user in analog form, such as in speech communications, it must provide another interface from
the digital domain to the analog domain. Such an interface is called digital-to-analog converter.
Thus the signal is provided to the user in analog form as illustrated in Fig 1.8.
In practice, due to inherent real-world limitations, a typical system for the digital processing of
analog signals includes the following elements:
1. A sensor that converts the physical quantity to an electrical variable signal. The output of the
sensor is subject to some form of conditioning, usually amplification, so that the voltage of the
signal is within the voltage sensitivity range of the converter.
2. An analog filter (known as pre-filter or anti-aliasing filter) used to smooth the input signal
before sampling to avoid a serious sampling artifact known as aliasing distortion.
3. An A/D converter that converts the analog signal to a digital signal. After the samples of a
discrete-time signal have been stored in memory, time-scale information is lost. The sampling
rate and the number of bits used by the ADC determine the accuracy of the system.
4. A digital signal processor (DSP) that executes the signal processing algorithms. The DSP is a
computer chip that is similar in many ways to the microprocessor used in personal
computers. A DSP is, however, designed to perform certain numerical computations
6
extremely fast. Discrete-time systems can be implemented in real-time or off-line, but ADC
and DAC always operate in real-time. Real-time means completing the processing within the
allowable or available time between samples.
5. A DAC that converts the digital signal to an analog signal. The DAC, which reintroduces the
lost time-scale information, is usually followed by a sample-and-hold circuit. Usually the A/D
and D/A converters operate at the same sampling rate.
6. An analog filter (known as reconstruction or anti-imaging filter) used to smooth the staircase
output of the DAC to provide a more faithful analog reproduction of the digital signal.
Limitations:
1. System Complexity: System complexity increased in the digital processing of an analog
signal because of the devices such as ADC and DAC and their associated filters.
2. Bandwidth Limited by Sampling Rate: Band limited signals can be sampled without
information loss if the sampling rate is more than twice the bandwidth. Therefore, the
signals having extremely wide bandwidths require fast sampling rate ADC and fast
digital signal processors. But there is a practical limitation in the speed of operation of
ADC and digital signal processors.
3. Power Consumptions: A variety of analog processing algorithms can be implemented
using passive circuit employing inductors, capacitors and resistors that do not need any
power, where as a DSP chip containing over 4 lack resistors dissipates more power.
References:
1. John G. Proakis and Dimitris G. Manalakis, Digital Signal Processing, principles,
algorithms and applications, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011.
2. Dimitris G. Manalakis and Vinay Ingle, Applied Digital Signal Processing, theory and
practice, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2011.