BeginnerTopic 1 of 101Signals, Control & Comms
Signals
Functions that carry information over time or space, such as voltage, sound or images.
In depth
A signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon, such as voltage over time, pressure in a sound wave, or brightness across an image. Signals are carriers of information that systems sense, transform, transmit or store. They can depend on one variable (time) or several (x, y, t).
Key points
- Analog and digital signals
- One-dimensional vs multidimensional
- Deterministic vs random
ExampleAn ECG is a time-varying voltage signal carrying heart-rhythm information.
Signals are how engineers represent everything that varies, so the same tools analyse voltages, sounds, images and sensor readings.
What is Signals?
Functions that carry information over time or space, such as voltage, sound or images.
Why is it important to understand signals?
Signals are how engineers represent everything that varies, so the same tools analyse voltages, sounds, images and sensor readings.
What is the difference between a signal and a system?
A signal is the quantity that varies, while a system is the process that transforms one signal into another.
Are signals always electrical?
No. Any measurable quantity that varies with time or space is a signal, including pressure, displacement and light intensity.
How is Signals used in practice?
Typical applications include recording the voltage from a microphone for analysis, logging the temperature from a sensor over a day and processing an image as a two-dimensional signal.
What should I learn before Signals?
It is the first topic in Signals, Control & Comms, so no earlier topic in this course is required.
What are the key points of Signals?
Analog and digital signals. One-dimensional vs multidimensional. Deterministic vs random.
Can you give an example of Signals?
An ECG is a time-varying voltage signal carrying heart-rhythm information.
What comes after Signals?
The next topic is "Continuous and discrete signals", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Signals?
It is classed as Beginner in Signals, Control & Comms (topic 1 of 101). It is an entry-level topic. It relies only on basic school mathematics and the ideas introduced earlier in this discipline.