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blog:2019:0225_fft_scaling_factor [2022/10/19 04:00] davekblog:2019:0225_fft_scaling_factor [2022/10/20 16:17] (current) davek
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 What's often confusing about the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Fourier_transform#Definition|FFT]] is that the transform seems to have numbers that are too big. Let's call this the "FFT scale factor" problem (it's a reasonable [[https://www.google.com/search?q=fft+scale+factor|google search]]). The frequency domain seems to have much more energy (much higher values) than one might expect from the time-domain waveform from which it originated. What's often confusing about the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Fourier_transform#Definition|FFT]] is that the transform seems to have numbers that are too big. Let's call this the "FFT scale factor" problem (it's a reasonable [[https://www.google.com/search?q=fft+scale+factor|google search]]). The frequency domain seems to have much more energy (much higher values) than one might expect from the time-domain waveform from which it originated.
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 When trying to understand this, the uninitiated user will google something like "FFT scale factor" and get lots of really good explanations about **how** the math produces values that are N times larger than one might expect, N being the size of the FFT. When trying to understand this, the uninitiated user will google something like "FFT scale factor" and get lots of really good explanations about **how** the math produces values that are N times larger than one might expect, N being the size of the FFT.
  
 But really, these users are trying to figure out **why**, not how. I'm mean, isn't that wrong? **Why** is it N times larger? Shouldn't someone be dividing by N? But really, these users are trying to figure out **why**, not how. I'm mean, isn't that wrong? **Why** is it N times larger? Shouldn't someone be dividing by N?
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blog/2019/0225_fft_scaling_factor.txt · Last modified: 2022/10/20 16:17 by davek