ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with concepts of Fourier Waveform Analysis in many fields of science, mathematics, and engineering. The techniques of Fourier analysis are perhaps best appreciated initially by an example. The discrete-time waveform counterparts of the Fourier series and Fourier transform provide viable alternatives for estimating the frequency content of signals if discrete measurements of the desired waveforms are available. The applications of Fourier analysis are extensive in the electronics and instrumentation industry. One typical application, the computation of total harmonic distortion (THD), is described in this chapter. This application provides a measure of the nonlinear distortion, which is introduced to a pure sinusoidal signal when it passes through a system of interest, perhaps an amplifier. The root-mean-square (rms) total harmonic distortion is defined as the ratio of the rms value of the sum of the harmonics, not including the fundamental, to the rms value of the fundamental. The chapter explains the clipped sinusoidal waveform for total harmonic distortion example.
