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Discrete Fourier transform: Basics

Venkata R. Sonti
Facility for Research in Technical Acoustics Department of Mechanical Engineering Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, INDIA

2002 Academic Press

Discrete Time Periodic Signal (N=4)

n=0

n=4 same as n=0

T The time period

Figure 1. A discrete periodic time signal with N=4. Note the time period of the signal: T = N t

1. INTRODUCTION The Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) pair is given by 1 Ck = N

N 1

x(n)e[
n=0 N 1

j2kn ] N

x(n) =
k=0

Ck e[

j2kn ] N

x(n) is the sampled signal. N is the total number of acquired data points. n is the time index. k is the frequency index. Ck is the transform (amplitude of the kth frequency). Note that the time signal time-period is T = N t which is the period which repeats. The acquired signal consists of n=0,1,2,3. n=4 is the same as n=0. c 2002 Academic Press

FFT

T is time period of the sampled signal. T = N t. f is the frequency resolution. f = 1/T = 1/(N t) Fs is the sampling frequency. F s = N f = 1/(t) Guideline to choose parameters: Choose an appropriate Fs which is 2.5-4 times the highest frequency of interest. Then choose N to suit the f , the frequency resolution you want. Then automatically all other parameters are decided. 2. EXAMPLE 1 Suppose we have a sine wave of 100 hz frequency, x(t) = sin(2100t) and we choose a sampling frequency of 800 Hz. and choose N=16 because i want a f = 50Hz. F = 100hz, F s = 800Hz, N = 16, x(nt) = sin(2100nt) or 100 n) or x(n) = sin(2 800 2 x(n) = sin(2 n) or 16 Since N=16 points it can be already seen that the k=2 and k=14 (counting from k=0) will be nonzero. In Matlab we write the following lines: N=16;Fs=800; nn=(0:N-1); x=sin(2*pi*2*nn/N); fx=t(x)/N; plot(nn,abs(fx),ko-,MarkerSize,6,LineWidth,2) 3. EXAMPLE 2 Suppose we have a sine wave fo 125 hz frequency, x(t) = sin(2125t) and we choose a sampling frequency of 800 Hz. and choose N=16 because i want a f = 50Hz. F = 125hz, F s = 800Hz, N = 16, x(nt) = sin(2125nt) or 125 n) or x(n) = sin(2 800 2.5 x(n) = sin(2 n) or 16 Since N=16 points it can be already seen that the there is no k=2.5. So the 125 Hz is between 2,3 and 13,14. f = 800/16 = 50Hz. f = 800/16 = 50Hz.

FFT
0.7

0.6

k=2
0.5

k=14

fft amplitude

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

10

15

Discrete frequency

Figure 2. DFT of the signal in example 1. Since amplitude of signal is 1 it is shared as 0.5 by 2 bins left and right of the Nyquist frequency.
0.7

0.6

0.5

fft amplitude

0.4

k=2 and k=3

k=13 and k=14

0.3

0.2

0.1

10

15

Discrete frequency

Figure 3. DFT of the signal in example 2. Since there is no bin for k=2.5 the energy gets shared across all the points. And the values at k=2 and k=14 are less than 0.5.

In Matlab we write the following lines: N=16;Fs=800;nn=(0:N-1); x=sin(2*pi*2.5*nn/N); fx=t(x)/N; plot(nn,abs(fx),ko-,MarkerSize,6,LineWidth,2) The DFT looks complicated. The energy is now shared across all the points.