Applications of the Z-transform

March 19, 2006

1. Inverse Z-transform

• Power series method.

• Partial fraction expansion method.
• Residue method.
2. Convolution Property and System Functions

x(n) h(n) y(n) = x(n)*h(n)

Y (z) = H(z)X(z), ROC at least the intersection of the ROCs of H(z)

and X(z). Can be larger if there are pole/zero
cancellation. e.g.
1
H(z) = , z>a
z−a
x(z) = z − a, z 6= ∞
⇒ Y (z) = 1, ROC : all z
∞
X
H(z) = h(n)z −n – System Function
n=−∞
3. Causality

When h(n) right-sided, then ROC is the exterior of a circle:

∞
X
H(z) = h(n)z −n.
n=N1

If N1 < 0, then h(N1)z −N1 → ∞ at z = ∞. ROC outside a circle, but

does not include ∞.

Causal ⇔ N1 ≥ 0

.........................................................................
A discrete-time linear time-invariant system function H(z) is causal when,
and only when the ROC of H(z) is the exterior of a circle and includes
z=∞
.........................................................................
4. Structure of a Digital System
4.1. Symbols for Digital Operations

Delay x(n) ∆T x(n−1)

Multiplication x(n) x(n)y(n)

y(n)

Addition x(n) x(n)+y(n)

y(n)

Branch x(n) x(n)

x(n)
4.2. Example - Cumulative Averaging System

We want a system that calculates:

n
1 X
y(n) = x(k)
n + 1 k=0

x(n) y(n)

1
n+1

z−1

n 1
y(n) = y(n − 1) + x(n)
n+1 n+1
5. DT LTI systems described by LCCDE’s
N
X M
X
ak y(n − k) = bk x(n − k)
k=0 k=0
Using the time-shift property:
N
X M
X
ak z −k Y (z) = bk z −k X(z)
k=0 k=0
⇓
Y (z) = H(z)X(z)
PM −k
k=0 bk z
H(z) = PN
−k
k=0 ak z

ROC: Depends on boundary conditions, left-, right-, or two-sided. For

causal systems - ROC is outside the outermost pole.
6. Rational Z-Transform
N (z) b0 + b1z −1 + · · · + bM z −M
X(z) = =
D(z) a0 + a1z −1 + · · · + aN z −N
b0 N −M (z − z1)(z − z2) · · · (z − zM )
X(z) = z
a0 (z − p1)(z − p2) · · · (z − pN )

The transform has M finite zeros at z = z1, . . . zM , N infinite poles at

z = p1 . . . zN and N-M zeros (if N > M ) or poles (if N < M ) at the
origin z = 0.

A DT LTI system is causal if the ROC is the exterior of a circle outside

outermost pole include ∞. Thus
N ≥ M, for a causal system
7. Poles - Zero Description of Discrete-Time Systems

3.5

2.5
|X(z)|

1.5

0.5

−1 −1
0 0
1 1
Re
Im
7.1. Time-domain behavior - Single real-pole causal signal

z−plane x(n) z−plane x(n)

0 1 0 1

z−plane x(n) z−plane x(n)

0 1 0 1

z−plane x(n) z−plane x(n)

0 1 0 1
7.2. Time-domain behavior - Complex-conjugate poles

z−plane x(n)

ω
0 1

z−plane x(n)

ω
0 1

z−plane x(n)

ω
0 1
8. Stability
• LTI is stable when ∞
P
n=−∞ | h(t) |< ∞. ROC of H(z) includes
the unit circle | z |= 1. The frequency response exists.
• A causal LTI system with rational system function is stable when
all poles are inside the unit circle, i.e. have a magnitude < 1
 Geometric Evaluation of a Rational z-Transform

Example #1:

Example #2:

Example #3:

All same as
in s-plane
 Geometric Evaluation of DT Frequency Responses

First-Order System
— one real pole
 Second-Order System
Two poles that are a complex conjugate pair (z1= rejθ =z2*)

Clearly, |H| peaks near ω = ±θ

9. The one-sided z-transform
9.1. Definition and characteristics

Definition: ∞
X
X(z) = x(n)z −n
n=0
Characteristics:
1. No information about x(n) for n < 0.
2. Unique only for causal signals.
3. Identical to the two-sided z-transform of the signal x(n)u(n).
9.2. Properties

All properties are like for the two-sided Z-transform except for:
• Shifting property:
" k
#
z
X
x(n − k) ↔ z −k X(z) + x(−n)z n , k>0
n=1
" k−1
#
z
X
x(n + k) ↔ z −k X(z) − x(n)z n , k>0
n=0

• Final value theorem

lim x(n) = lim (z − 1)X(z)
n→∞ n→1
10. Solution of Difference Equations

Example
The well known Fibonacci sequence of integer numbers is obtained by com-
puting each term as a sum of the two previous ones. The first few terms of
the sequence are:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, . . .
Determine a closed-form expression for the nth term of the Fibonacci se-
quence.

Example taken from ”Digital Signal Processing, Principles, Algorithms and Applications” by Proakis
and Manolakis