Principles of Communication - Part 1

Professor Aditya K. Jagannatham

Department of Electrical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Module 1
Lecture No 1
Basics - Definition of Energy and Power of Signals

Keywords: Energy of a Signal, Power of a Signal, Periodic Signal

(Refer Slide Time: 0:33)

Hello, welcome to another module in this massive open online course. Let us start the
discussion with the energy and power of a signal, alright. Let us start first by considering the
energy of a signal and consider for this purpose a signal x(t) okay, so let us start by
considering a signal x(t) and naturally this signal that we are considering is a function of
time, correct. This is a function of time that is t denotes time. The energy Ex of this signal x(t)

can be defined as Ex  
2
x(t ) dt .


 t
For example, consider x(t )  e t 0 . This is also termed as x(t )  e t u (t ) where u(t) is the
0 t p 0

unit step function that is u(t )  1 t 0 . This is known as the unit step function and
0 otherwise
these you should be familiar from a basic course on signal and system.
(Refer Slide Time: 3:33)

This is the unit step function, since this signal is non-zero only for
 
1  1
Ex   et dt   e2t dt   e2t
2
that is equal to .
0 0
2 0 2

(Refer Slide Time: 3:31)

1
So we obtain a total signal energy that is Ex  for x(t )  e t u (t ) , so that is energy of this
2
signal. Now, if E x for a signal is finite that is, Ex p  , then x(t) is termed as energy signal,

that is, if the energy is finite, for instance, similar to what we have seen above that is energy
of the signal is half which is a finite quantity, the signal x(t) is termed as an energy signal.
(Refer Slide Time: 6:29)

Now let us define the power of a signal x(t), the power of a signal x(t) is
~
T
2
1
Px  lim 
2
~ ~
x(t ) dt which is basically the energy. If you look at this integral here, this is
T 
T ~
T

2

~ ~
the energy in a window of size T . That is you take the energy in the window size T normalize
~ ~
it, divide it by T and take the limit of this quantity as T tends to infinity that is the definition
of the power of any signal x(t).
(Refer Slide Time: 7:43)

Now, if Px is finite similar to the energy signal then x(t) is termed as a power signal. If x(t) is
~
T
2
1
power Px  lim 
2
an energy signal then the ~ ~
x(t ) dt . Now this integral
T 
T ~
T

2

~
T
2  ~
1 1
 x(t ) dt  lim 
2 2
lim
~ ~ ~ ~
x(t ) dt because this is simply an energy in a window of size T
T  T  
T ~
T T

2

that is less than or equal to energy in the window of size, that is the energy in a window from
minus infinity to infinity.
(Refer Slide Time: 9:57)

Now observe that this quantity is simply the energy of a signal which is finite because this is
~
Ex
an energy signal, therefore this is equal to lim
~ ~
. Ex is a constant divided by T which is
T 
T
Ex
tending to infinity therefore, ~
 0 , so this is equal to zero. Therefore, it means that the
T
power of an energy signal Px  0 from the above argument. We also know that Px is a positive
~
T
2
1
quantity, so Px  0 . Px is nonnegative because it is 
2
~
x(t ) dt . Everything is positive so this
T ~
T

2

is a nonnegative quantity, so the only possibility is that Px  0 for energy signal that is the
power of an energy signal is equal to zero.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:05)

So this implies that the power of the energy signal x(t) with finite energy Ex is zero. Now, let
us look at the energy of a power signal if x(t) is a power signal, on the other hand, then the
~ ~
energy in a window of size T , is approximately equal to the power Px times T because we
~
Energy in window of sizeT
have the power that is Px  lim
~ ~
which means the energy in a
T 
T
~ ~
window of size T is approximately T times the power Px. The total energy equals
~ ~ ~
li
~
m Energy in window of size T that is equal to lim
~
Px T . Px is a constant, T   , which
T  T 

means that this is equal to infinity.

~
Therefore, we have considered the energy in a window of size T and we have said that it is
~ ~
equal to Px times T . Therefore, as the window tends to infinity T tends to infinity and
~
naturally P x times T tends to infinity because the power is a constant. This implies that the
energy of a power signal is infinity.

Now we have a special kind of a power signal that is a periodic signal. So a periodic signal is
a good example of a power signal. Periodic signals are very important in the context of
communication and signal processing and several other applications in electrical engineering,
so let us start this discussion about periodic signals.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:27)

So let us consider a periodic signal, x(t). A periodic signal x(t) is periodic with period T if
x(t )  x(t  kT )T , where T is the period for all times t and for all integers k. So basically it
means that if you take x(t) and shift it if you consider x(t) at any multiple of capital T, then
the signal x(t) remains unchanged, that is x(t) is a periodic signal.
(Refer Slide Time: 18:25)

For instance some of the classic and very popular examples of a periodic signal are sinusoidal
signals. If you have sin 2 Ft , this is a periodic signal. We know that F is the frequency of the
1 1 1
sinusoidal signal and the period T  . So this is basically T  , this point is , this point
F 2F F
3 2
is T  , this point is T  and so on. So this is basically the sinusoidal signal and this is
2F F
periodic with period T and this is also termed as the fundamental period of the sinusoidal
signal.

(Refer Slide Time: 20:16)

We can see that it is periodic with T because sin 2 Ft equals sin 2 F (t  kT ) some multiple
1
of the period T, which is equal to sin(2 Ft  k 2 FT ) . But we know that T   FT  1 . So
F
this is basically sin(2 Ft  k 2 ) . We know that, sin( x  k 2 ) is simply sin( x) . So this is
sin(2 Ft ) and is basically periodic.

1
So the sinusoidal signal is periodic with period T  . Similarly, when we say a sinusoidal
F
signal it does not necessarily mean a sin signal, it can also be a cosine signal. Hence it can
also be cos(2 Ft ) , a sinusoidal signal. In general one can consider any A sin(2 Ft   ) that
is  is the phase and A is the amplitude.

So the sinusoidal signal A sin(2 Ft   ) has phase  and amplitude A. So this is a general
1
sinusoidal signal with frequency F and a fundamental period T  . Now what is the power
F
of a periodic signal? How to find the power of a periodic signal?

(Refer Slide Time: 23:26)

Now the power of a periodic signal can be found as follows. Let T be the period of the
~
T
2
1
periodic signal. Then we have from the definition of the power, Px  lim 
2
~ ~
x(t ) dt . Now
T 
T ~
T

2

~ ~
what we are going to do is choose T  mT . So naturally as m tends to infinity T tends to
infinity. T is the period of the signal. So if m tends to infinity, this implies mT tends to
~
infinity, this implies T tends to infinity.

(Refer Slide Time: 26:05)

mT
2
1
we can equivalently represent this as Px  lim 
2
So instead of lim x(t ) dt , okay. Now
~
m  mT
T  mT

2

this integral contains m periods, right. The total duration is m times T, so it contains m
periods of the signal, that is this is the energy in m periods. Now this signal is periodic. So
energy in m periods is m times the energy in a single period because this is a periodic signal,
okay.

This is basically energy in m periods equals m times the energy in a single period. So this is
T
2
1
Px  lim m  x(t ) dt . Now you can see the ‘m’s cancel.
2

m  mT
T

2
(Refer Slide Time: 27:40)

T
2
1
Therefore Px  
2
x(t ) dt is the power Px of the periodic signal. What is this? The power of
T T

2

Energy in window of sizeT

a periodic signal x(t) is Px  . Realize that this T is the period of
T
the signal, so you simply take the energy of the periodic signal in one period divided by the
period that is T and you get the power of the periodic signal that is P x, okay.
(Refer Slide Time: 29:46)

So let us take again a simple example. Let us again go back to our standard periodic signal
that is, x(t )  A cos(2 Ft ) . We said that the cosine signal with amplitude A and phase   0
1
is also a sinusoid with period T  . Therefore the power of this signal power is
F
T T

1 2 2 2
A 1  cos(4 Ft ) 1
A cos 2 (2 Ft )dt   dt , where T  .
2

T T T T 2 F
 
2 2

(Refer Slide Time: 31:04)

  T

A2 1 1 sin(4 Ft ) 2 
 T
2
A is constant. So this is now  which is
T  2 2 4 F  T 
2

A2 A2 1 A2
 1sin(2  ) sin(2 )   .
2 T 8 F 4 4 4 2 4 4 43 2
0

(Refer Slide Time: 33:13)

So this is the power of the sinusoidal signal of amplitude A. In general you can show that the
power of any sinusoidal signal A cos(2 Ft   ) with amplitude A and phase  is equal to

A2
where A is the amplitude and it does not depend on the phase.
2

So this is a simple module where we have started with the definition of energy, defined the
energy of a signal, defined what is an energy signal, the power of a signal what is the power
signal, also looked at the periodic signal and defined the power of a periodic signal and
illustrated how to compute the power of a simple or a very common and frequently used
periodic signal in signal processing and communication, that is the sinusoidal signal, whose
A2
power is where A is the amplitude of the sinusoidal. So we will stop here and look at the
2
other aspects in the subsequent modules, thank you.