Visualization of signal processing concepts

One of the key difficulties in a Signals and Systems course is visualization of the mathematically complex concepts presented. Thus, there is a need for graphical tools which enhance the students' comprehension of these difficult concepts by allowing interactive learning. In this paper we present a software package to assist in the explanation and visualization of signal processing concepts for an educational environment. We provide a set of Java-based tools for understanding the concepts of convolution, spectral analysis, and pole/zero system response. The wide availability and platform-independence provided by Java make this tool highly portable and easily accessible to a broader audience of students than comparable systems based on Matlab or other commercial software. The software described in this paper is available in the public domain at our website: http://isip.msstate.edu/.