Tennessee State University

College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ENGR 2001
CIRCUITS I LAB
Section 01

Lab 1
Low Pass/High Pass Filters
Transient and AC Analysis

Beyonce Smith
Lab Partner: Will Knowles
Instructor: Dr. Carlotta A. Berry

Lab Performed: October 16, 2000

Report Submitted: October 23, 2000
 ABSTRACT

The purpose of this experiment was to design a high pass and low pass filter that
attenuates a 1 kHz signal by 20 db. Test and evaluate this circuit built in a laboratory to
determine how closely actual values correlate to theoretical values. Part of this analysis
will include observing the transient and AC characteristics by using an oscilloscope,
digital multimeter and function generator. The theory used to design this filter included
Ohm’s law, the voltage divider rule and Laplace transforms. The results were shown to
correlate closely with the theoretical values and therefore were assumed to be
significant.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

I. Objective

II. Theory

III. Equipment

IV. Apparatus

V. Circuits

VI. Procedure

VII. Graphs

VIII. Results, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Appendix A Data

Appendix B Formulas and Sample Calculations

Appendix C References and Laboratory Instruction Sheet

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I. Objective:
The purpose of this experiment was to explore the behavior of a low pass filter
and high pass filter over a range of frequencies with a given break frequency.

II. Theory:
A filter is a device that attenuates a range of frequencies and passes a range of
frequencies. There are several types of filters including low pass, high pass,
band pass and band reject. The range of frequencies that are passed by a filter
are called the pass band. The frequency where the relationship between input
and output is equal to .707 is called the break frequency or half power point. An
example of a high pass filter would be a tweeter on a speaker in a car. An
example of a low pass filter would be the bass from a speaker in a car. An
example of a band pass filter would be the selector for a radio station. In this
experiment the low pass and high pass filter will be explored. Equation (1) is the
transfer function relationship for the high pass filter. Equation (2) is the low pass
transfer function for the low pass filter.

Vo ( s ) sRC
H(S) =  (1)
Vi ( s ) 1  sRC
Vo ( s ) 1
H(s) =  (2)
Vi ( s ) 1  sRC

III. Equipment:
Breadboard
Wire leads
Digital Oscilloscope
Digital Multimeter
Function Generator
Power Supply
Resistors (1 k, 5 k)
Capacitors (.01 F, 1 F)
741 Op-amp

IV. Apparatus:
The apparatus used to measure the transient and AC response of a circuit
includes the breadboard with the resistor and capacitor positioned for a low pass
or high pass filter, oscilloscope, function generator, power supply, and
multimeter. The input will be a square wave from the Techtronix function
generator. The output will be measured using the Hewlett-Packard digital
multimeter across the resistor or capacitor. The characteristics will also be
measured across the same component using the Virtual Bench digital
oscilloscope. Figure 1 shows the connection of the function generator,
oscilloscope, multimeter, and power supply to the circuit on the breadboard.

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 VirtualBench
Techtronix Digital
Function Generator Oscilloscope
TAG #54 TAG #52
Serial #3 Serial #3

Techtronix BREADBOARD Hewlett-Packard

Power Supply (resistors, capacitors) DMM
TAG #54 TAG # A54
Serial #3 Serial #4

Figure 1: Lab 1 Apparatus

V. Circuits
Figure 2 is the circuit for the Low Pass Filter and Figure 3 is the figure for the High Pass
Filter.

Figure 2: Low Pass Filter

Figure 3: High Pass Filter

VI. Procedure

1. The circuit shown in Figure 2 was built on the breadboard and connected as
shown on the apparatus.
2. The function generator was set to a 1 V p-p sinusoid with a frequency of 100 Hz.
3. The frequency was varied between100 Hz and 1 MHz and ten readings were
taken for the output voltage and phase angle.
4. For the transient analysis, the input wave form was change to a 1 V p-p square
wave with a frequency of 100 Hz.

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5. The output signal was measured to find the time constant and the first four
multiples of this value.
6. The frequency of the ringing was also measured for the output waveform.
7. Finally, the measured data was compared to the theoretical value and an error
analysis was performed.

VII. Graphs
Figure 4 is the transient analysis graph for the high pass filter it shows the theoretical
and measured values on the curve. Figure 5 is the ac analysis graph for the high pass
filter and it also shows the measured and theoretical values.
High Pass Filter

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006
time (s)

vo(t) [theor] vo(t) [meas]

Figure 4: High Pass Filter – Transient Analysis

High Pass Filter

Actual Theoretical

1.2
1
0.8
Gain (Vo/Vi)

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
100 1000 fo 10000 100000
Frequency (Hz)

Figure 5: High Pass Filter – AC Analysis

VIII. Results, Conclusions and Recommendations

The implementation of the high pass filter with real world components worked rather
well. The highest error in the evaluation was 21 % and this occurred at 5 kHz. A

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possible source of error could be the inaccuracy in reading frequencies and gains off of
an oscilloscope at very high and very low frequencies. Another source of error could be
the accuracy of the input voltage from the function generator. Finally, all real world
components have accuracy and sensitivity ratings and this would attribute to the values
not correlating exactly with the theoretical hand calculations. In order to improve this
experiment it may be necessary to account for the internal resistance of the leads of the
function generator. The PSpice simulations for the low pass filter are given below.
These were found by performing an AC sweep on the low pass filter from 100 to 10000
Hz. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the PSpice output for the low pass and high pass filters,
respectively. These results were found to correlate closely with those found in the
laboratory.

Figure 6: Low Pass Filter – PSpice Results

Figure 7: High Pass Filter – PSpice Results

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 APPENDIX A
Data

Table 1: Part 1 Data – Transient Analysis

Frequency Vin Vout Gain

(Hz) (Vp-p) (Vp-p)
100 1 .050 .05
1000 1 .201 .201
5000 1 .670 .670
10000 1 .981 .981
15000 1 .992 .992
25000 1 .992 .992
50000 1 .995 .995
75000 1 .9998 .9998
100000 1 .9999 .9999

Table 2: Part 1 Data – AC Analysis

Vin (Vp-p) time (s) vo(t), V

1 0.0005 0.606531
1 0.001 0.367879
1 0.0015 0.22313
1 0.002 0.135335
1 0.0025 0.082085
1 0.003 0.049787
1 0.0035 0.030197
1 0.004 0.018316
1 0.0045 0.011109
1 0.005 0.006738
1 0.0055 0.004087

Table 3: Part 1 Data – AC Analysis, cont.

Frequency Vin Vout Gain Theoretical Error

(Hz) (Vp-p) (Vp-p) (V) (%)
100 1 .050 .05 .05 0
1000 1 .201 .201 .1 10
5000 1 .670 .670 .85 21
10000 1 .981 .981 .996 1.5
15000 1 .992 .992 .995 .3
25000 1 .992 .992 .995 .3
50000 1 .995 .995 1 .5
75000 1 .9998 .9998 1 .02
100000 1 .9999 .9999 1 .01

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 APPENDIX B
Formulas, Sample Calculations and Error Analysis

Formulas:
theor  actual
%error: * 100
theor
Vo ( s) 1 1
gain for high pass filter:  
Vi ( s) 1  sRC 1  jRC
f
Vo fc
magnitude of gain for a high pass filter : 
Vi 1  ( f f c )2
time constant:  = RC

critical frequency (rad/s): c=1/

critical frequency (Hz): fc = /(2)

Calculations:
To determine the critical frequency:
1. -20 = 20 log10(Vo/Vi)
2. (Vout/Vin) = 10-1 = 0.1
f
Vo fc
3. 
Vi 1  ( f f c )2
Vo 1000
fc
4.  01. 
Vi 1  (1000 f c ) 2
5. fc = 480 Hz critical frequency

To determine the component values:

1. Let C = .01 F
2. R = 1/(2(.01 )(480)) = 33.157 k

To determine the effect on a 10 kHz signal:

Vo 10000
480
1. 
Vi 1  (10000 480) 2
2. |Vo/Vi| = .9988
3. .11% attenuation of 10 kHz signal
4. 20 log10(.9988) = .01 dB

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 . 99  .9988
% error = * 100  .88%
.99

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 APPENDIX C
References

Alexander, Charles K. and Matthew Sadiku, Fundamentals of Electric Circuits, 2nd Edition,
McGraw Hill, 2004.

Irwin, J.David, Basic Engineering Circuit Analysis, 7th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2001. ISBN:
0471407402

Johnson, David, E., Johnson, J.R., Hilburn, J.L. and Peter Scott, Basic Electric Circuit Analysis,
5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1999. IBSN: 0471365831

Laboratory Instruction Sheet

Nahvi, Mahmood and Joseph Edminster, Schaums’s Outline of Electric Circuits, 4th Edition,
McGraw-Hill, 2002. ISBN: 0071393072

Nilsson, James W. and Susan A. Riedel, Electric Circuits, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2000. ISBN:
0130321206

Smith, Ralph J. and Richard C. Dorf, Circuits, Devices and Systems: A First Course in Electrical
Engineering, 5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1992. ISBN: 0471839442.

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