EECE 340 Signals and Systems Feb.

4, 2024
American University of Beirut, Spring 2023–2024 Handout #5
Due: Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024

Problem Set 2

Reminder on Collaboration Policy

The following is an acceptable form of collaboration: discuss with your classmates possible
approaches to solving the problems, and then have each one fill in the details and hand-
write her/his own solutions independently.
An unacceptable form of dealing with homework is to copy a solution that someone else
has written.
At the top of each homework you turn in, list all sources of information you used, apart
of course from the text, books on reserve for this course or discussions with the Prof. A
brief note such as “did problem 7 with May Berite in study group” would be sufficient.
In general, we expect students to adhere to basic, common sense concepts of academic
honesty. Presenting another’s work as if it were your own, or cheating in exams will not
be tolerated.

Problem 2.1

For each of the three systems below specify whether or not the system is (1) linear, (2)
time-invariant. The system input is x[n] and the system output is y[n].

(a) y[n] = x[2n]

Problem 2.2

Consider the system defined by the following block diagram

1
2
✛ Delay ✛

3
2
✛ Delay ✛

X ✲+
–
❄
✲ Delay ✲+
–
❄
✲Y

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 (a) Derive a difference equation describing the input/output relationship.

(b) Determine the system function.

(c) Determine the poles of the system.

(d) Determine the impulse response of the system.

Problem 2.3

Consider the following system where the inputs x[n] and e[n] relate to the output y[n] as
shown below:

Figure 1: Pole-Zero Diagram

Part I: In this part, we consider x[n] as the input (and effectively assume that e[n] = 0.)

(a) Determine the system function from x[n] to y[n].

(b) Write the difference equation of the system.

(c) What is the impulse response?

(d) Draw a direct form II representation of this system.

Part II: Now we consider e[n] as the input (and effectively assume that x[n] = 0.)

(e) Determine the system function from e[n] to y[n].

(f) What is the impulse response?

Part III: Finally, we consider both x[n] and e[n] as inputs and the signal y[n] as output.

(g) How would you represent this multi-input (single-output) system?

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Problem 2.4

Having spent most of your time in college studying, and with prom night (a.k.a. Gala)
approaching, you realize that you have not mastered the art of dancing; something many
people claim to be very important especially during the prom.
Being well versed in the art of Signals and Systems instead, you decide to develop dancing
routines guided by well thought-of dynamics. More precisely, the position of your left leg
(say y[n]) is after all nothing but a signal! The same holds for the right one of course,
but the subject of this exercise is the left leg only.

Part I:
Let x[n] be the position of the right leg of your partner, and you figure that dancing (the
ballroom-type at least) is nothing but moving your left leg according to the following
equation:
y[n] = x[n] + 10,
where positions are measured in centimeters.

(a) Find the system function of your system.

(b) Find the impulse response of your system.

Hint: Feel free to redefine the “input” if you’d like to.

Part II:
The drawback of your dancing moves in Part I, is that if your partner stops moving
for some reason, you will abruptly stop as well. To make your dancing smooth(er), you
decide now to move (your left leg) as follows:

y[n] = x[n] + 10 + ay[n − 1],

for some constant non-zero scalar a to be determined.

(c) Draw a block diagram of your system, where x[.] and y[.] are the input and output
respectively.

(d) Would you choose a complex value for a? Explain.

(e) You decide to use a real value for a, and say you really like the guy. Would you
rather choose a positive or negative? Explain.

(f) What is the range of values of a that you may want to choose from? Explain.

Part III:

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Odds are, your partner is not a good dancer either. You decide to take the lead. Your
movement will therefore depend on the music and not his steps. For every “beat” (hits
on derbakke or drums), you want to generate a “wavy” movement of frequency ωo . More
precisely a movement resembling cos(ωo n). Also naturally, you want your wavy move-
ments to gracefully die out after the party ends: The amplitude of your “waves” should
be cut in half in roughly 5 steps.

(g) Write an appropriate difference equation for your new dance. Make sure to specify
all the parameters in order to meet the conditions above.