Continuous-Time Signals and Systems (Version 2013-09-11)

Michael D. Adams

Sept 2013 · Michael Adams

About this eBook

This book is intended for use in teaching undergraduate courses on continuous-time signals and systems in engineering (and related) disciplines.  It has been used for several years for teaching purposes in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Victoria and has been very well received by students.

This book provides a detailed introduction to continuous-time signals and systems, with a focus on both theory and applications.  The mathematics underlying signals and systems is presented, including topics such as: properties of signals, properties of systems, convolution, Fourier series, the Fourier transform, frequency spectra, and the bilateral and unilateral Laplace transforms.  Applications of the theory are also explored, including: filtering, equalization, amplitude modulation, sampling, feedback control systems, circuit analysis, and Laplace-domain techniques for solving differential equations.  Other supplemental material is also included, such as: a detailed introduction to MATLAB, a review of complex analysis, and an exploration of time-domain techniques for solving differential equations.  Throughout the book, many worked-through examples are provided.  Problem sets are also provided for each major topic covered.

Ratings and reviews

This is by far one of the most helpful and best written textbooks I have used so far in my degree. The explanations of concepts are thorough, logically laid out and ordered, and make good use of relevant examples. I used the book while taking ELEC 260, and it was extremely useful when reviewing and learning the course content. There are plenty of fully worked examples which follow along well with your expected ability as you work through the book, and are instrumental in aiding understanding. It would be very easy for a book on signal processing to be full of unfamiliar terminology and intimidating to someone new to the subject, but this textbook manages to present the content in a clear and manageable way which grows in complexity as your understanding does. As a result, the book is approachable, and a great resource for students learning the material. Not only is this hands down one of the best textbooks I have used so far, but it is also available for free. It is hard to overstate how helpful free textbooks are to students who are stressed enough about finances as it is.

This resource was by far the most intuitive and useful printed material for studying a continue-time signal processing course. Examples are clear, problems are well defined, and I have definitely built a high level of confidence in the material by studying with this resource. Moreover, I've found that since this textbook follows the professor's order in which the material is taught in class, it is easy to keep track of where to focus my studying when covering a particular chapter. Using this textbook as opposed to one by a large publisher allows me to focus my attention on the material itself, and not on the ambiguity of which material to study to reach the course's outcomes. Time and time again with my courses at UVic, I've found that resources such as textbooks and problems developed by the course's coordinators help immensely in determining what is important to study. The only suggestion I would make is to keep adding more problems and solutions for practice, and keep this textbook free for students.

If this textbook and Dr. Michael D. Adams' pride in and resulting attention to it were a model for the rest of the education industry, the world of post-secondary education would be a much better (and less expensive) place. The textbook is sublimely formatted, extremely well-written, and has never once "lost" me, leaving me feeling as though some connection between two concepts or a concept and an application was not fully explained. Dr. Michael D. Adams is an amazing teacher, and that carries over fully into his ability as the author of an educational textbook. Cannot praise this book and its format enough -- this is what textbooks should be.