Analyze Signal Spectra in MATLAB

Compute, visualize, and extract measurements from signal spectra using Signal Processing Toolbox. Choose the right spectral estimator, avoid common FFT pitfalls, and use built-in measurement functions instead of reinventing them.

When to Use

• Computing frequency content of a signal (FFT, periodogram, PSD, power spectrum)
• Estimating power spectral density (Welch, periodogram, parametric)
• Comparing frequency content of two signals (cross-spectrum, coherence)
• Finding spectral peaks (dominant frequencies, harmonics)
• Measuring bandwidth, band power, or occupied bandwidth
• Visualizing frequency-domain data
• Streaming (real-time, frame-by-frame) spectral analysis with spectrumAnalyzer, dsp.SpectrumEstimator, dsp.CrossSpectrumEstimator

When NOT to Use