Abs Block
Computes the absolute value (magnitude) of the input signal
Open Abs in BlockWerk →Description
The Absolute Value block computes the magnitude (absolute value) of the input signal. The output is always non-negative regardless of input sign. This is used for magnitude calculations, error metrics, and signal rectification in control systems and signal processing applications.
Mathematical Model
y(t) = |u(t)| = \begin{cases} u(t), & \text{if } u(t) \ge 0 \\ -u(t), & \text{if } u(t) < 0 \end{cases}Parameters
(No parameters - fixed absolute value function)
Examples
Sine wave input produces rectified output with doubled frequency component.
Remarks
- Output always ≥ 0 regardless of input sign
- Non-differentiable at u = 0 (infinite slope)
- Zero computational overhead
- Often cascaded with filters for magnitude tracking
- Commonly combined with Product or SquareRoot for norm calculations
See Also
- Product: Multiplication (useful for magnitude-squared)
- SquareRoot: n-th root (for RMS from magnitude-squared)
- Saturation: Output limiting