This innovative textbook provides a solid foundation in both signal processing and systems modeling using a building block approach. The authors show how to construct signals from fundamental building blocks (or basis functions), and demonstrate a range of powerful design and simulation techniques in Matlab, recognizing that signal data are usually received in discrete samples, regardless of whether the underlying system is discrete or continuous in nature. The design of finite impulse response filters is also described in detail and many worked examples, homework exercises, and Matlab laboratory exercises are included.