Department of Computer Eng.
Sharif University of Technology
Discrete-time signal processing
Chapter 3:
THE Z-TRANSFORM
Content and Figures are from Discrete-Time Signal Processing, 2e by Oppenheim, Shafer and Buck, 1999-2000
3.1 The Z-Transform
Counterpart of the Laplace transform for discrete-time
signals
Generalization of the Fourier Transform
Fourier Transform does not exist for all signals
Definition:
X z x n z n
Compare to DTFT definition:
x n e
j jn
X e
n
z is a complex variable that can be represented as z=r ej
Substituting z=ej will reduce the z-transform to DTFT
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 2
3.1 The Z-Transform
x n x n z n
X ( z) z
n
x n
X ( z)
z
X ( z ) x n z n z
n 0
j
z re : :r
The z-transform and the DTFT
Convenient to describe on the complex z-plane
If we plot z=ej for =0 to 2 we get the unit circle
Im
X e j
Unit Circle
r=1
0
Re
2 0 2
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 4
Convergence of the z-Transform
X e x n e
DTFT does not always converge j j n
n
Example: x[n] = anu[n] for |a|>1 does not have a DTFT
Complex variable z can be written as r ej so the z-
transform
X re x n re x n r n e jn
j j n
n n
convert to the DTFT of x[n] multiplied with
exponential sequence r n
For certain choices of r the sum x n r
n
-n
maybe made finite
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 5
Region of Convergence (ROC)
ROC: The set of values of z for which the z-transform converges
The region of convergence is made of circles
Example: z-transform converges
Im
for values of 0.5<r<2
ROC is shown on the left
In this example the ROC includes the
unit circle, so DTFT exists
Re
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 6
Region of Convergence (ROC)
Example:
x n cos o n
Doesn't converge for any r.
DTFT exists.
It has finite energy.
DTFT converges in a mean square sense.
Example:
sin c n
Doesn't converge for any r. x n
It doesnt have even finite n
energy.
But we define a useful DTFT
with impulse function.
Example 1: Right-Sided Exponential
Sequence
Im
az
xn a un
n
X z a unz n n
1 n
n n0
For Convergence we require
n
n0
az 1
a 1
o x Re
Hence the ROC is defined as
n
az 1 1 z a
Inside the ROC series converges to
Region outside the
X z az
1 1 nz
n0 1 az
za
circle of radius a is the
1
ROC
Right-sided sequence
ROCs extend outside a
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 8
Example 2: Left-Sided Exponential
Sequence
x n a u n 1 n
()
X z n a n u n 1 z n n a n z n
1
n 1 a 1 z n
1 n 0 a 1 z
n
ROC :
n 0
1 n 1
a z a z 1 z a a
1 1 z
X z 1 1
1
1 a z 1 az za
Example 3: Two-Sided Exponential
Sequence
1 1
ROC : z 1
n n 3
1 1
xn un - u- n - 1 1
3 2 z
3
0
1 1 1 1 1 1
n z z ROC : z 1
1 3 3 1
z 1 2
3 1 1
n 0
1 z 1 1 z 1 1
3 3 z
2
0 Im
1 1 1
n z z 1
1 1
1
2 2 1
z
n 2
1
1
1 z 1 1 z 1
2 2 1 1
3x 2
1 oo x
2z z 1
1 1 12
X z 12
1 1 1 1 1 1
1 z 1 z z z
3 2 3 2
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 10
Example 4: Finite Length Sequence
x n a u n u n N
n
x n
an 0 n N 1
0 otherwise
N 1 N 1
X ( z ) a n z n az
1 n
1 az 1 N
n 0 n 0 1 az 1
1 zN aN
z N 1 za
ROC :
N 1
az
n 0
1 n
az 1 z 0 N=16
Pole-zero plot
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 11
Some common Z-transform pairs
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 12
Some common Z-transform pairs
SEQUENCE TRANSFORM ROC
n 1 ALL z
u n 1 z 1
1 z 1
1
u n 1 z 1
1 z 1
m All z except 0 if m 0
n m z or if m 0
Some common Z-transform pairs
1
a u n
n
Z
ROC : z a
1 az 1
1
a n u n 1 Z ROC : z a
1 az 1
az 1
na n u n Z ROC : z a
1 az
1 2
az 1
na u n 1
n Z
ROC : z a
1 az
1 2
cos 0 n u n Z
1 cos 0 z 1
ROC : z 1
1 2 cos 0 z 1 z 2
Some common Z-transform pairs
sin 0 n u n Z
sin 0 z 1 ROC : z 1
1 2 cos 0 z 1 z 2
r n
cos 0 n u n Z
1 r cos 0 z 1
ROC : z r
1 2r cos 0 z 1 r 2 z 2
r n
sin 0 n u n
Z r sin 0 z 1 ROC : z r
1 2r cos 0 z 1 r 2 z 2
an 0 n N 1 1 a N z N
Z ROC : z 0
0 otherwise 1 az 1
3.2 Properties of The ROC of Z-
Transform
The ROC is a ring or disk centered at the origin
DTFT exists if and only if the ROC includes the unit circle
The ROC cannot contain any poles
The ROC for finite-length sequence is the entire z-plane
except possibly z=0 and z=
The ROC for a right-handed sequence extends outward from
the outermost pole possibly including z=
The ROC for a left-handed sequence extends inward from
the innermost pole possibly including z=0
The ROC of a two-sided sequence is a ring bounded by poles
The ROC must be a connected region
A z-transform does not uniquely determine a sequence
without specifying the ROC
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 16
Stability, Causality, and the ROC
Consider a system with impulse response h[n]
The z-transform H(z) and the pole-zero plot shown
below
Without any other information h[n] is not uniquely
determined
|z|>2 or |z|< or <|z|<2
If system stable ROC must include unit-circle: <|z|<2
If system is causal must be right sided: |z|>2
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 17
3.4 Z-Transform Properties: Linearity
Notation
xn Z X z ROC R x
Linearity
ax1 n bx2 n Z aX1 z bX2 z ROC R x1 R x2
Note that the ROC of combined sequence may be larger than either
ROC
This would happen if some pole/zero cancellation occurs
xn anun - anun - N
Example:
Both sequences are right-sided
Both sequences have a pole z=a
Both have a ROC defined as |z|>|a|
In the combined sequence the pole at z=a cancels with a zero at
z=a
The combined ROC is the entire z plane except z=0
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 18
Z-Transform Properties: Time Shifting
xn no Z z no X z ROC R x
Here no is an integer
If positive the sequence is shifted right
If negative the sequence is shifted left
The ROC can change
The new term may add or remove poles at z=0 or z=
Example
1 1
X z z
1
z
1 1 4
1 z
4
n-1
1
xn un - 1
4
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 19
Z-Transform Properties: Multiplication by
Exponential
zno xn Z X z / zo ROC zo R x
ROC is scaled by |zo|
All pole/zero locations are scaled
If zo is a positive real number: z-plane shrinks or
expands
If zo is a complex number with unit magnitude it
1
rotates un Z
ROC : z 1
-1
1- z
Example: We know the z-transform pair
xn r n cos onun
1
2
1
re jo un re jo un
n
2
n
Lets find the z-transform
1/2 of 1/2
X z z r
1 re jo z 1 1 re jo z 1
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 20
Z-Transform Properties: Differentiation
dX z
nxn Z z ROC R x
dz
Example: We want the inverse z-transform of
X z log1 az 1
z a
Lets differentiate to obtain rational expression
dX z az 2 dX z 1 1
z az
dz 1 az 1 dz 1 az 1
Making use of z-transform properties and ROC
nxn a a un 1
n 1
an
xn 1 un 1
n 1
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 21
Z-Transform Properties: Conjugation
x* n Z X* z* ROC R x
X z x n z n
n
n
X z x n z x n z n
n n
z x n z x n
X n
z n Z x n
n n
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 22
Z-Transform Properties: Time Reversal
1
x n Z
X1 / z ROC
Rx
ROC is inverted
Example: xn anu n
un
Time reversed version aof
n
1 - a-1z 1
X z z a1
1 az 1 - a-1z 1
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 23
Z-Transform Properties: Convolution
x1 n x2 n Z X1 z X2 z ROC : R x1 R x2
Convolution in time domain is multiplication in z-
domain
Example: Lets calculate thex convolution
x n a un and n un
1
of n
2
1 1
X1 z ROC : z a X2 z ROC : z 1
1 az 1 1 z 1
Multiplications Yof
z z-transforms
X zX z
1is
1 2
1 az 1 z
1 1
ROC: if |a|<1 ROC is |z|>1 if |a|>1 ROC is |z|>|a|
Partial 1
1
Y z fractional
a
expansion
1 assume ROC :of
z 1Y(z)
1
yn
1
1
a
un a un
n1
1 a 1 z 1 az
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 24
Some Z-transform properties
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 25
3.3 The Inverse Z-Transform
Formal inverse z-transform is based on a Cauchy
integral
Less formal ways sufficient most of the time
Inspection method
Partial fraction expansion
Power series expansion
Inspection Method
Make use of known z-transform1 pairs such as
a un n
z aZ
1 az 1
Example: The inverse
1 z-transform
1 of n
1
X z z xn un
1 2 2
1 z 1
2
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 26
Inverse Z-Transform by Partial Fraction
Expansion
Assume that a given z-transform M can be expressed as
bk z k
X z k N 0
k 0
ak z k
Apply partial fractional expansion
M N N
Ak s
Cm
X z Br z
r
r 0 k 1,k i
1
1 dk z 1 m
m 1 1 d z
i
First term exist only if M>N
Br is obtained by long division
Second term represents all first order poles
Third term represents an order s pole
There will be a similar term for every high-order pole
Each term can be inverse transformed by inspection
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 27
Inverse Z-Transform by Partial Fraction
Expansion
M N N
Ak s
Cm
X z B z r
r 0
r
k 1,k i 1 dk z 1
m 1 1 d z
i
1
m
Coefficients are given as
Ak 1 dk z 1 X z z d
k
Cm
1
s m! di s m
ds m
dw s m
1 diw s
X w 1
w di1
Easier to understand with examples
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 28
Example 5: 2nd Order Z-Transform
1 1
X z ROC : z
1 1 1 1 2
1 z 1 z
4 2
A1 A2
X z
1 1 1 1
1 z 1 z
4 2
1 1
A 1 1 z 1 X z 1
4 1
1 1 1
1
z
4
2 4
1 1
A 2 1 z 1 X z 2
2 1
1 1 1
1
z
2
4 2
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 29
Example 5 Continued
1 2 1
X z z
1 1 1 1 2
1 z 1 z
4 2
ROC extends to infinity
Indicates right sided sequence
n n
1 1
xn 2 un - un
2 4
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 30
Example 6
X z
1 2z 1 z 2
1 z 1 2
z 1
3 1 1 2
1 z z
2 2
1 1
1 z 1z
2
1
Long division to obtain Bo
2 A1 A2
1 2 3 1 X z 2
1 1
1 z 1 1 z
2 1
z z 1 z 2z 1
2 2 2
z 2 3z 1 2
5z 1 1 1
A 1 1 z 1 X z 9
2 z
1
2
1 5z 1
X z 2
1
2
1 z 1 1 z 1
A 2 1 z 1 X z 8
z 1
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 31
Example 5 Continued
9 8
X z 2 z 1
1 1 1 z 1
1 z
2
ROC extends to infinity
Indicates right-sided sequence
n
1
xn 2n 9 un - 8un
2
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 32
Inverse Z-Transform by Power Series
Expansion
The z-transform is power series
X z x n z
n
n
In expanded form
X z x 2 z 2 x 1 z 1 x 0 x1 z 1 x 2 z 2
Z-transforms of this form can generally be inversed
easily
Especially useful for finite-length series
Chapter 3: The Z-Transform 33
Example 6
1
X z z2 1 z 1 1 z 1 1 z 1
2
1 1
z2 z 1 z 1
2 2
1 1
xn n 2 n 1 n n 1
2 2
1 n 2
1
2 n 1
xn 1 n 0
1
2 n1
0 n2