Program Example for Computing Circular Convolution Using Overlap-Save Method

In a classroom setting, I developed a MATLAB program demonstrating the overlap-save method for computing circular convolution. This program implements the overlap-save technique, a widely-used signal processing approach for efficient convolution calculations. The implementation involves several key steps: first determining the convolution kernel size and segmenting the input signal into multiple overlapping subsequences. Each subsequence undergoes zero-padding to ensure the convolution output matches the original input signal length. The core computation utilizes Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms to process each padded subsequence, where circular convolution is achieved through frequency-domain multiplication. The individual results are then strategically combined using the overlap-save approach to generate the final output sequence. This implementation demonstrates practical MATLAB programming techniques including signal segmentation, zero-padding operations, FFT-based convolution using fft() and ifft() functions, and proper result merging. The program serves as a valuable reference for various signal processing applications such as audio processing, image filtering, and digital communications systems.