DISCRETE-SIGNAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN- P4:Electronic circuit analysis and design projects often involve time-domain and frequency-domain characteristics that are difÞcult to work with using the traditional and laborious mathematical pencil-and-paper methods of former eras. This is especially true of certain nonlinear circuits and sys- tems that engineering students and experimenters may not yet be com- fortable with. | Introduction Joseph Fourier 1768-1830 Electronic circuit analysis and design projects often involve time-domain and frequency-domain characteristics that are difficult to work with using the traditional and laborious mathematical pencil-and-paper methods of former eras. This is especially true of certain nonlinear circuits and systems that engineering students and experimenters may not yet be comfortable with. These difficulties limit the extent to which many kinds of problems can be explored in the depth and as quantitatively as we would like. Specific programs for specific purposes often do not provide a good tie-in with basic principles. In other words the very important mathematical background and understanding are unclear. Before we can design something we have to look beyond the diagrams parts lists and formula handbooks. The reliance on intuitive methods especially is becoming increasingly error prone and wasteful. We can never become too well educated about fundamentals and about our ability to view them from a mathematical perspective. The modern emphasis on math literacy is right on target. Discrete-Signal Analysis and Design By William E. Sabin Copyright 2008 John Wiley Sons Inc. 1 2 DISCRETE-SIGNAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN In this book we will get a better understanding of discrete-time and discrete-frequency signal processing which is rapidly becoming an important modern way to design and analyze electronics projects of just about every kind. If we understand the basic mathematics of discrete-signal processing sequences we are off to a good start. We will do all of this at an introductory level. The limited goal is to set the stage for the more advanced literature and software which provide much greater depth. One outstanding example of this is Oppenheim and Schafer . What is needed is an easy way to set up a complex problem on a personal computer screen that is a straightforward method that provides visual output that is easy to understand and appreciate .
