Sampling (signal processing)

In <a href="/facts/Signal_processing/Npaja6zb">signal processing</a>, sampling is the reduction of a <a href="/facts/Continuous-time_signal/RR8wpS9e">continuous-time signal</a> to a <a href="/facts/Discrete-time_signal/RR8wpS9e">discrete-time signal</a>. A common example is the conversion of a <a href="/facts/Sound_wave/DlKXlPuF">sound wave</a> to a sequence of "samples".
A sample is a value of the <a href="/facts/Signal/41YqUJ8c">signal</a> at a point in time and/or space; this definition differs from <a href="/facts/Sampling_(statistics)/kIb01xdL">the term's usage in statistics</a>, which refers to a set of such values.
A sampler is a subsystem or operation that extracts samples from a <a href="/facts/Continuous_signal/RR8wpS9e">continuous signal</a>. 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 <a href="/facts/Nyquist_limit/zwFUKdVR">Nyquist limit</a>, by passing the sequence of samples through a <a href="/facts/Reconstruction_filter/AB9SQoeR">reconstruction filter</a>.

Sampling (signal processing) open-in-new

Sampling (signal processing)