Diskreetsignaale

Diskreetsignaale, often translated as discrete signals, are fundamental concepts in signal processing and digital systems. A discrete signal is a sequence of values that are defined only at specific, distinct points in time or space. This is in contrast to continuous signals, which are defined for every instant within a given interval. The values themselves of a discrete signal can be either discrete or continuous.

The process of converting a continuous signal into a discrete signal is called sampling. Sampling involves taking measurements of the continuous signal at regular intervals. The rate at which these samples are taken is known as the sampling frequency. If the sampling frequency is sufficiently high, specifically at least twice the highest frequency present in the continuous signal (according to the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem), it is possible to perfectly reconstruct the original continuous signal from its discrete samples.

Discrete signals are the basis for digital signal processing (DSP). In digital systems, all information is represented as discrete signals. This allows for efficient storage, transmission, and manipulation of data using digital hardware and algorithms. Examples of discrete signals include digital audio, digital images, and the output of sensors that take measurements at fixed intervals. The values of a discrete signal can be further quantized into a finite number of levels, resulting in a digital signal, which is a discrete signal with both discrete time and discrete amplitude.