Phase

Phase refers to periodic changes in waveform magnitude relative to a standard position or instant of starting. For example, the phase of a wave of period T with its starting point at t₀ can be defined in radians:

or in degrees:

Any vector can be represented either in polar coordinates by M , where M is the magnitude and is the phase angle, or in Cartesian coordinates, specifically, an Argand diagram, as (a + jb), where a is a real component and b is an imaginary component such that tan = (b /a), where is the phase angle, and the magnitude, M, is (a ²+ b ²)^½.

Refer to the NI Developer Zone at ni.com/zone for more information about phase.