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Sampling (signal processing) facts for kids

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Signal Sampling
Signal sampling representation. The continuous signal S(t) is represented with a green colored line while the discrete samples are indicated by the blue vertical lines.

In signal processing, sampling is the reduction of a continuous-time signal to a discrete-time signal. A common example is the conversion of a sound wave to a sequence of "samples". A sample is a value of the signal at a point in time and/or space; this definition differs from the term's usage in statistics, which refers to a set of such values.

A sampler is a subsystem or operation that extracts samples from a continuous signal. A theoretical ideal sampler produces samples equivalent to the instantaneous value of the continuous signal at the desired points.

The original signal can be reconstructed from a sequence of samples, up to the Nyquist limit, by passing the sequence of samples through a type of low-pass filter called a reconstruction filter.

See also

  • Crystal oscillator frequencies
  • Downsampling
  • Upsampling
  • Multidimensional sampling
  • In-phase and quadrature components and I/Q data
  • Sample rate conversion
  • Digitizing
  • Sample and hold
  • Beta encoder
  • Kell factor
  • Bit rate
  • Normalized frequency
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