Signal Analysis in Nonlinear Systems Using Instrumental Measurement and Computer Simulation

This paper deals with a new laboratory exercise that should help students to deepen their basic knowledge of signals and systems. A special laboratory test module containing three simple nonlinear systems was developed and manufactured. Four tasks that need to be solved in the exercise are detailed. The nonlinear distortion of two relevant signal forms, i.e. harmonic and rectangular, was investigated. The spectra obtained by derivation, simulation and measurement were compared. Students can observe important differences between signal processing in the real world performed by an electronic devices and in the virtual world performed by simulation in MATLAB.