How a square or sawtooth wave can have a certain frequency?

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SUMMARY

A square or sawtooth wave is composed of an infinite series of sine waves, each with varying frequencies and amplitudes. The frequency or period of these waves is primarily determined by the fundamental harmonic, which is the lowest frequency component in the Fourier series representation. While ideal square and sawtooth waves can be mathematically analyzed using Fourier analysis, real-world signals will always deviate from these ideal forms. Understanding this distinction is crucial for accurate frequency calculations and signal analysis.

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  • Fourier series analysis
  • Fundamental harmonic concepts
  • Signal processing fundamentals
  • Waveform characteristics
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  • Study the mathematical principles of Fourier series
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Electrical engineers, signal processing specialists, and anyone involved in waveform analysis and synthesis will benefit from this discussion.

MrMuscle
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Hello!

I know that a square or saw tooth wave consists of infinite amount of sinousoids each having different frequency and amplitude. But when I look at their plot they seem to have a well defined frequency or period. Which term in the Fourier series determines their frequency? Does a saw tooth or square wave have an uncertainty in its frequency? How can I calculate the frequency of such a wave?

Thanks for all the answers in advance!
 
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You've got this somewhat backwards. The square or sawtooth wave is something we generate in the real world. It has amplitude, frequency, and so forth. The Fourier analysis gives us a mathematical way to analyze it. The map is not the territory.

An IDEAL square wave, for example, is in fact the same as its Fourier analysis says it is ... a sum of an infinite sequence of sine waves. No ACTUAL square wave is like that but we can pretend they are for the purpose of analysis.
 
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What is called the frequency or period is usually that of the fundamental (lowest) harmonic.
 
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