1 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II

Filter Circuits
Passive filters with a single resistor and capacitor are called one-pole filters.
The high-pass filter selects frequencies above a breakpoint frequency
B
. = 1/RC.
For small , A goes as or 6 dB/octave; = tan
-1
(1/RC); for small , approaches +90 .
The low-pass filter selects frequencies below a breakpoint frequency
B
. = 1/RC.
For large , A goes as 1/ or 6 dB/octave; = tan
-1
(RC); for large , approaches 90 .
v
in
R
C
v
out
v
out
R
R 1 jC +
---------------------------v
in
jRC
jRC 1 +
-----------------------v
in
= =
A
v
out
v
in
----------

2
R
2
C
2
1
2
R
2
C
2
+
---------------------------------- = =

v
in
C
R
v
out
v
out
1 jC
R 1 jC +
---------------------------v
in
1
jRC 1 +
-----------------------v
in
= =
A
v
out
v
in
----------
1
1
2
R
2
C
2
+
----------------------------------
= =

2 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Transfer Function
The complex gain for a filter is the transfer function.
For a high-pass filter it is,
with the breakpoint frequency
B
= 1/RC.
The transfer function describes behavior as a function of frequency.
Again for the high-pass filter, the real gain G() = |H(j)|
falls off below
B
at 20 dB/decade or 6 dB/octave.
v
out
v
in
----------
R
R 1 jC +
---------------------------
j
B

1 j
B
+
---------------------------
H j ( ) = =
G ( )

B

1
B
( )
2
+
------------------------------------ =
3 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Speed-up Capacitor
Consider that a capacitor looks like an open connection to low f and like a short circuit at high f .
The circuit is a resistor divider with R
1
replaced with Z
1
which includes a capacitor.
The expectation is that at high f, the divider has Z
1
= 0.
For << 1/R
1
C, A = R
2
/(R
1
+ R
2
); >> 1/R
1
C, A = 1.
High frequencies are enhanced, so a pulse edge becomes sharper
C
R
1
v
in
R
2
v
out
v
out
R
2
R
2
Z
1
+
-------------------v
in
=
Z
1
R jC
R 1 jC +
---------------------------
R
jRC 1 +
----------------------- = =
v
out
R
2
R
2
R
1
jR
1
C 1 + ( ) +
------------------------------------------------------v
in
jR
1
R
2
C R
2
+
jR
1
R
2
C R
2
R
1
+ +
-------------------------------------------------v
in
= =
A
R
1
R
2
C ( )
2
R
2
( )
2
+
R
1
R
2
C ( )
2
R
2
R
1
+ ( )
2
+
--------------------------------------------------------------- =
4 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Two-Pole Filters
Two RC high-pass filters can be placed in series.
The gain varies as
2
.
This is a second-order filter.
More poles further increase the rapidity of fall off and add phase shifts.
R
C
v
in
R
C
v
out
H j ( ) R
R
2R 1 jC +
------------------------------


1
1 jC
R R 1 jC + ( )
2R 1 jC +
------------------------------------ +
------------------------------------------------------------




=
H j ( )

2
R
2
C
2

1 3jRC
2
R
2
C
2
+
------------------------------------------------------

B
( )
2

1 3j
B
( )
B
( )
2
+
---------------------------------------------------------------- = =
G ( )

B
( )
2
1 7
B
( )
2

B
( )
4
+ +
---------------------------------------------------------------------
=
5 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
RLC Filter
A second-order low-pass filter can be made with a resistor and capacitor.
where
0
2
= 1/LC and Q =
0
L/R.
The circuit is equivalent to a damped driven harmonic oscillator.
There is a damping factor d
0
= 1/Q = R/
0
L.
As a second-order filter, the gain varies as
2
above
0
.
R L
v
in
C
v
out
H j ( )
1 jC
jL R 1 jC + +
-------------------------------------------
1
1 j Q
0

0
( )
2
+
----------------------------------------------------------- = =
H j ( )
1
1 jd
0

0
( )
0
( )
2
+
------------------------------------------------------------------
=
G ( )
1
d
0
2

0
( )
2
1
0
( )
2
[ ]
2
+
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=
6 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Series RLC Circuit
An RLC circuit can form a notch filter that only negates a narrow band of frequency.
The series impedance can be calculated and inserted to find the gain.
The width of the filtered region is the Q value.
A graph of the behavior shows the notch.
R
L
v
out
Z
LC
R Z
LC
+
--------------------v
in
=
v
out
v
in
C
Z
LC
1 j C jL +
1
2
LC
jC
----------------------- = =
A
v
out
v
in
----------
1
2
LC
jRC 1
2
LC +
-------------------------------------------- = =
Q

--------
L
0
R
---------- R
L
C
---- = = =
v
out
v
in
----------

R = L

0
1 = LC
7 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Twin-T Filter
A notch filter can be built with Combines two 2-pole passive filters. One is low pass, and one is
high pass.
The combined effect of the two filters is:
At = 1/RC, the gain is 0.
Low frequencies are shifted by 90
High frequencies are shifted by +90
C
R
v
in
R/2
v
out
v
out LP
1 jC
R 1 jC +
---------------------------


2
v
in
=
C
2C
R
v
out HP
R
R 1 jC +
---------------------------


2
v
in
=
v
out
1
1 jRC +
-----------------------


2
jRC
1 jRC +
-----------------------


2
+ v
in
=
v
out
1 RC ( )
2

1 jRC + ( )
2
------------------------------- v
in
=

8 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Parallel RLC Circuit
If the inductor and capacitor are in parallel there is a positive resonance.
The impedance can be calculated and inserted to find the gain.
The filter selects only a narrow range of frequencies.
R
L
v
out
Z
LC
R Z
LC
+
--------------------
v
in
=
v
out
v
in
C
Z
LC
jL jC
1 j C jL +
---------------------------------
jL
1
2
LC
-----------------------
= =
v
out
v
in
----------
jL
R 1
2
LC ( ) jL +
-------------------------------------------------

2
L
2
R
2
1
2
LC ( )
2

2
L
2
+
---------------------------------------------------------- = =
v
out
v
in
----------
1 LC

9 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Filter Jargon - Time Domain
There are a number of terms used to describe the
behavior of signals as a function of time.
Risetime: time to get to 90% of the signal value.
Overshoot: percent signal passes signal value.
Settling time: time to stay within of signal value.
The effect of filter damping in the time domain is like a damped harmonic oscillator.
Overdamped ( ) rises slowly.
Underdamped ( ) rises quickly, but there is a ringing overshoot.
V
t
90%
10%
risetime
overshoot
settling time
V
t
underdamped
overdamped
d
0
2 >
d
0
2 <
10 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Filter Jargon - Frequency Domain
Filter bahaior is also studied as a function of
frequency.
Passband: Unattenuated region 0 to -3 dB.
Cutoff frequency: edge of passband.
Ripple band: passband that is not flat in frequency.
Skirt: transistion region from -3 to -40 dB.
Stopband: frequencies with attenuation greater than -40 dB.
Steeper skirts require more poles - higher order filter
Damping has an effect in frequency as well as time.
High frequency ringing shows up as extra gain at resonant frequency.
Overdamped circuits have extra non-uniform gain in the passband.
A ln
f ln
-3 dB
-40 dB
passband
skirt
stopband
A ln
f ln
underdamped
overdamped
11 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Butterworth Filter
Certain transfer functions give special properties to the behavior and have special names.
A Butterworth filter is designed to give maximum flattness in the passband, so there is a critically
damped response (d
0
2
= 2) in the frequency domain.
This creates ringing in time domain in exchange for uniform frequency response.
The gain of a Butterworth filter is an approximation in terms of a cutoff frequency
C
:
A butterworth filter can be made as a passive 3-pole circuit.
For (L
2
/R)
2
= 2L
1
C,
C
= R
2
/L
1
2
L
2
2
C
2
.
G j ( )
2
H j ( )
2 A
2
1
2

C
2
( )
n
+
-------------------------------------- = =
R
L
1
v
in
C
v
out
L
2
H j ( )
2 1 jC
jL
1
1 jC +
------------------------------------


R
jL
2
R +
----------------------


2
1
1
2

C
2
( )
3
+
-------------------------------------- = =
12 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Chebyshev Filter
A Chebyshev fileter is designed to maximize the
sharpness at the edge of the passband.
The transfer function takes the following form.
C
n
is an n-th order Chebyshev polynomial:
This gives an underdamped response (d
0
= 0.767)
There is substantial ringing in the time domain.
A ln
f ln
H j ( )
2 A
2
1
2
C
n
2

0
( ) +
---------------------------------------------
=
C
n
x ( ) n x acos [ ] cos =
V
t
13 of 13 LABORATORY ELECTRONICS II
Bessel Filter
The Bessel filter gives an equal rise time independent
of pulse height.
The transfer function is as follows.
where B
n
is an n-th order Bessel function.
This gives an overdamped response (d
0
= 1.736)
There is the softer rise in the frequency domain.
V
t
H j ( )
2 A
2
1
2
B
n
2

0
( ) +
--------------------------------------------
=
A ln
f ln