Waveform

A waveform is the shape of a wave or signal, represented by how its amplitude varies over time or position. Its form can reveal frequency, periodicity, and other signal properties.

Amplitude: The magnitude of a signal’s displacement or strength relative to a reference level. Waveform height represents amplitude, though the reference level determines how that height is measured.
Fourier analysis: A method that represents a signal as a combination of sinusoidal components. It decomposes complex waveform shapes into simpler frequencies and amplitudes.
Oscilloscope: An instrument that displays electrical signal voltage as a function of time. Its trace makes changing electrical waveforms visible for measurement.
Sine wave: A smooth periodic wave whose value follows the sine function. It is the simplest periodic waveform and the basis for frequency analysis.
Period: The time or distance required for a periodic phenomenon to complete one cycle. Repeating waveform patterns are separated by their period.
Sampling (signal processing): The process of measuring a continuous signal at discrete points in time or space. Digital waveform representations begin with samples taken from a changing signal.
Audio signal: A signal representing sound pressure variation or an encoded sound waveform. Audio waveforms encode the changing pressure patterns heard as sound.
Square wave: A periodic waveform that alternates between two levels with abrupt transitions. Its sharp edges distinguish it from smooth, sinusoidal shapes.
Frequency: The number of cycles of a repeating event per unit of time. A waveform’s repetition rate is expressed as its frequency.
Aliasing: An effect in which sampling makes different signal frequencies indistinguishable. Insufficient sampling can make a digital waveform appear to have the wrong shape or frequency.

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