A New Method for Recording the Impulse Response of Linear Systems by Correlation Measurement

Abstract

A new method similar to the stroboscopic observation for measuring the correlation functions and the impulse responses of linear systems is described. The method essentially makes use of a peculiar periodic property of the autocorrelation function of a signal derived from a maximal-length binary shift register sequence which is applied to the input. A quick impulse response can thus be recorded directly on a rather slow pen writing oscillograph with the scale of time magnified by a factor of several thousands. An example of oscillogram showing the response of a sonic system is presented.