Step/impulse response plotter
This free online step and impulse response tool shows the time-domain reaction of a transfer function H(s) = N(s) / D(s) to a unit step, or a unit impulse. Enter your system and read off the overshoot, settling time, and steady-state value.
What is the step response?
The step response is the output y(t) when the input jumps from 0 to 1 at time zero. It is the most intuitive way to see how a control system behaves: how fast it responds, whether it overshoots and rings, and what value it settles to. The impulse response is the reaction to a brief unit impulse instead, and the step response is its running integral.
How to plot a step response from a transfer function
- Enter the numerator and denominator of H(s) as coefficients or typed polynomials.
- Choose Step or Impulse.
- Read the curve: the rise, any overshoot and oscillation, and the final steady-state value.
- Download the plot as a PNG, or copy the shareable link to send the exact system to someone else.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the step response of a transfer function?
- The step response is the output of a system when its input jumps from 0 to 1 at t = 0. It shows how the system reacts over time — its rise time, overshoot, oscillation, and final steady-state value.
- How do you find the step response from a transfer function?
- Enter the numerator and denominator of H(s). The tool realises it in state-space form and integrates it in time, then plots the output y(t) for a unit step (or a unit impulse).
- What is the difference between step and impulse response?
- The step response is the reaction to a sustained input of 1; the impulse response is the reaction to a brief unit impulse (a Dirac delta). The step response is the running integral of the impulse response.
- Is this step response tool free?
- Yes, it runs entirely in your browser with no signup or cost.