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TYPES OF DISCRETE - TIME SYSTEMS
Dicrete-time (digital) systems comprise of serveral basic types with dierent characteristics. The catego-
rization gives us a deeper understanding of systems and the choice of appropriate analysis method.
A memoryless (or static) system does not need memory. It processes the input and output signals taking
place at the same instant. For example
y (n) = 2x (n)
In causal system the result comes after the cause, or, at the same time (simultaneously). This is to say
that the output at index n only depends on the input at n, n 1, n 2,. . ., and not on n + 1, n + 2,. . . In
noncausal systems, on the other hand the output also depends on future inputs. Following is a few examples.
(a) y (n) = 2x (n) − 3x2 (n) : noncausal
(b) y (n) = 1
[x (n − 1) + x (n) + x (n + 1)]
3 : noncausal due to the last term
P∞
(c) y (n) = k=0 x (n − k) : causal
P∞
(d) y (n) = n=−∞ x (n) : noncausal
P∞
(e) y (n) = k=−∞ x (n − k) : noncausal
(f ) y (n) = x (−n) : noncausal
∗ Version 1.1: Jul 9, 2009 5:01 am GMT-5
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For example, the unit step u(n) is causal, u(-n-1) is anticausal, a|n| is two-sided. We can plot out these
signals to really see the dierence.
The characteristics of a system may change with time so that the output depends on the input as well as
the instant the input is applied. This is a time-variant system. On the other hand, many systems can be
assumed to be time-invariant, i.e. the output does not depend on the time the input is applied. The terms
shift-variant and shift- invariant can be used instead of time-variant and time-invariant respectively.
The time (shift) invariance is judged as follows.
If x (n) → y (n)
then x (n − k) → y (n − k)
This criterion is illustrated in Figure 1
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Example 1
Are the following systems time-invariant?
(a) y (n) = 13 [x (n − 1) + x (n) + x (n + 1)]
(b) y (n) = nx (n)
(c) y (n) = x (−n)
Solution
(a) For the system
y (n) = 13 [x (n − 1) + x (n) + x (n + 1)]
If the present input is delayed by k (i.e. by replacing x(n) by x(n k). . .) then the output is
y (n − k) = 13 [x (n − 1 − k) + x (n − k) + x (n + 1 + k)]
and if the present output is delayed by k (i.e. by replacing n by n k)
y ' (n − k) = 31 [x (n − 1 − k) + x (n − k) + x (n + 1 + k)]
Since
y ' (n − k) = y (n − k)
the system is time-invariant.
(b) For the system
y (n) = nx (n)
if the present input is delayed by k then the output is
y (n − k) = nx (n − k)
and if the present output is delayed by k then the output is
y ' (n − k) = (n − k) x (n − k)
Since
y ' (n − k) 6= y (n − k)
the system is time-variant.
(c) For the system
y (n) = x (−n)
we have
y (n − k) = x (−n − k)
y ' (n − k) = x [− (n − k)] = x (−n + k) 6= y (n − k)
So the system is time-variant.
The signicance of linearity and nonlinearity for discrete-time systems is about the same as for analog
systems. Suppose two input signals x1 (n) and x2 (n) when applied separately to a system give corresponding
outputs y1 (n) and y2 (n) . Now if a linear combination of the two inputs give the same linear combination
of the outputs then the system is linear, otherwise the system is nonlinear. Thus linearity implies both
scalability (proportionality) and superposition. The denition of linearity is illustrated in Figure 2.
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Example 2
Consider the linearity of the following systems:
(a) y (n) = n2 x (n)
y (n) = nx n2
(b)
(c) y (n) = nx2 (n)
(d) y (n) = Ax (n) + B, A, B constants
Solution
(a) The system is
y (n) = n2 x (n)
The two separate inputs and corresponding outputs are
y1 (n) = n2 x1 (n)
y2 (n) = n2 x2 (n)
Now for the combined input
y (n) = n2 [a1 x1 (n) + a2 x2 (n)] = a1 n21 (n) + a2 n22 (n) = a1 y1 (n) + a2 y2 (n)
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y (n) = nx n2
y (n) = x2 (n)
The reasoning is
y (n) = Ax (n) + B, A, B
The reasoning is
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Due to the presence of the last term the system is nonlinear. When B = 0 (the system is said relaxed)
the system becomes linear.
Hereafter, all systems are assumed to be linear and time (shift) invariant (LTI or LSI), otherwise
stated.
Still, there is an important characteristic of systems, i.e. the stability. Systems are either stable or
nonstable (astable). Stability will be discussed in next chapter (Section 2.4).
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