ABSTRACT
Analog signals are continuously refined in both amplitude and time. Sampled-data signals begin as analog signals and are passed through an electronic sampler. Digital signals are produced by digital electronics located somewhere in the signal stream. Digital signals are discretely resolved in both amplitude and time. Sampled-data or discrete-time signals can be produced by presenting a continuous-time signal x(t) to an ideal sampler which is assumed to be operating above the Nyquist rate. Architecture corresponds to the method by which the fundamental building blocks of a sampled-data system are connected together. The states of the system reside at the shift-register locations and contain sufficient information to completely characterize both the solution and the system architecture. The basic building blocks of a sampled-data system would include samplers, multipliers, adders, and delays.
