Computing Unit Impulse Response Curves in MATLAB

Computing unit impulse response curves in MATLAB requires a multi-step process. First, define the system transfer function using the tf function to specify numerator and denominator coefficients. Then calculate the unit step response curve using the step function with the defined transfer function. The unit impulse response is obtained by convolving the calculated step response with a unit step function, which can be implemented using MATLAB's conv function for discrete systems or analytical methods for continuous systems.

During computation, note that there are five distinct impulse types: positive single impulse, negative single impulse, bidirectional single impulse, positive double impulse, and negative double impulse. The appropriate impulse type should be selected based on the specific application requirements, and can be generated using MATLAB's signal generation functions like impulse with customized amplitude parameters.

Finally, before performing calculations, ensure all initial conditions are set to zero using commands like initial(ss_model,0) for state-space models or zero initial vector assignments to guarantee accurate computation results. This is particularly important when using functions like lsim for simulating system responses.