function x=binavg(x,n);

%  function x=binavg(x,n);
%
% from Gene Terrey's MATLAB course

if (n<2), return; end
[nr, nc] = size(x);

% vector case
if (nr==1 | nc==1),
	nx = fix(max([nr,nc])/n);  % dimension of x after decimation
	y = zeros(n,nx);	   % columns of y hold points to average
	y(:) = x(1:n*nx);	   % truncate leftover points in x
	x = mean (y);		   % perform the average
	if (nc==1) x = x(:); end   % make x a column if initially so
else  % array case
	nx = fix(nr/n);
	y = zeros(n,nx*nc);	 % columns of y hold points to average
	x = x(1:n*nx,:);	 % truncate x to an integer # of avg's
	y(:) = x(:);		 % resize x into y
	x = zeros(nx,nc);	 % make a template for the new size of x
	x(:) = mean(y).';	 % perform the average
end