Lecture 9 RC Filters

9-1

Outlines of Filter Design

input

Filter

output

Filtering:

Certain desirable features are retained Other undesirable features are suppressed
9-2

Filters
Filters have the property of removing unwanted frequencies from our signal.

Classes:

Passive (made of capacitors, resistors, inductors) Active (involving an amplifier)

Types:

Low-Pass (remove high frequencies) High-Pass (remove low frequencies or DC) Band-Pass (remove a range of frequencies on two sides) Notch (removes frequencies in the middle)
9-3

Classification of Filters
Signal Filter Analog Filter
Element Type

Digital Filter

Frequency Band

Active

Passive

Low-Pass High-Pass

Band-Pass Band-Reject

All-Pass

9-4

Filters Type of filters

Passive filters

9-5
http://www.ece.eps.hw.ac.uk/~pmr/teaching/ae/lectures/circuits1.htm

Terminology in Filter Design

Signal-To-Noise Ratio (S/N)
S WS = 10 log W N N dB

Bandwidth
the range of frequencies of |G(jw)|>0.707

Cutoff Frequency
the end of pass-band frequency

Break-point of a filter
the point with a gain of -3dB
9-6

RC Filters
In combination with a resistor, a capacitors variation in reactance with frequency can be used to construct a simple low-pass or high-pass filter: Vin C Vout Vin R Vout

High-pass filter

Low-pass filter

Vout = Vin

R Z

Vout = Vin

XC Z

2 Z = R2 + X C

2 Z = R2 + X C

XC =

1 2fC

XC =

1 2fC
9-7

Passive Low-Pass Filter

H( j)
Vout Vin

R Vin C Vout RL

The pass-band is from 0 to some frequency wp. Its stop-band extends form some frequency ws, to infinity. In practical circuit design, engineers often choose amplitude gain of 0.95 for passive RC filters:
9-8

Passive High-Pass Filter

H( j)
Vout Vin

Its stop-band is form 0 to some frequency ws The pass-band is from some frequency wp to infinity.
s p

C Vin R Vout

In practical circuit design, engineers choose amplitude gain of 0.95 for passive CR filters: 9-9

Design of Passive Filters

R Vin C Vout RL The amplitude response:
V out = V in 1 1 + ( RC )
2

The amplitude gain: Transfer Function

H ( j ) = 1 jRC + 1

G=

ZL ZF + Z L

The 3dB break-point is at:

f3dB = 1 1 = 2RC 2
9-10

1 H (s ) = RCs + 1

Guideline of Pass Filter Design

R Vin C Vout RL Select resistor based on amplitude gain:
G= ZL = 0.95 ZF + ZL

ZF R =
Transfer Function 1 H (s ) = s + 1 Time Constant

0.05 Z L = 0.053 RL 0.95

Select capacitor based on cut-off freq:

C=

1 2Rf3dB

= RC
9-11

Higher Order Filters

R Vin C Vout Vin R1 C1 R2 C2 Vout

First Order RC Low Pass

Second Order RC Low Pass

The higher the order of the filter, the closer it approaches ideal characteristics.

9-12

Active Filters
Active filters employ Op-Amps to attenuate select frequencies and amplify signal during filtering process. Q factor of a filter is defined as the ratio of the center frequency fc to the bandwidth fH fL :

Q=

fC

( fH fL )
9-13

Active filters- cascading low pass filters

First order Second order

3rd order

5th order
9-14
Op Amp for everyone, Ron Mancini, Ed, Texas instrument, 2001.

Low-Pass Active Filter

Passive filters take up lots of space in a circuit and cause signal to be lost. Combining a passive RC filter with an op amp for amplification creates what is known as an active filter. By active we mean that the filter requires power R1 to operate.
C1 RF

Here is an example of an R2 active low-pass filter. The signal + is provided to the noninverted C2 input through an RC low-pass filter made up of R2 and C2. Feedback to limit gain comes through C1 and RF. The parallel combination of C1 and RF presents an impedance which decreases with increasing frequency, meaning that more negative feedback is provided to the inverting input at higher frequencies, reducing gain at those frequencies.

9-15

Design of Low Pass Active Filters

C2

The -3 dB cut-off frequency:

fH = 1

(2RF C2 )
RF

RF R1 Vin
A

The DC gain:
K LP =
Vout

R1

Transfer Function:

T .F . = K LP

0 s + 0

Example: Design a low pass filter with cut-off frequency of 5 kHz, and DC gain of 10: Two equations, three unknowns
9-16

High-Pass Active Filter

R1 RF

C1 C2

+
R2

Here is an example of an active high-pass filter. C2 and R2 make up an RC high-pass filter at the input of the op amp. R3 provides a path for the input when the frequency is R3 too low for C2 to freely conduct. When the input signal passes through R3 instead of into the amplifier, the output is tied directly to the input and the gain is reduced. So, this amplifier has low gain at low frequencies and higher gain at high frequencies. C1 prevent any DC at the input from being coupled to the output.

9-17

Design of High Pass Active Filters

The -3 dB cut-off frequency: fH = 1 (2R1C1 )
RF C1 Vin R1
A

+
Vout

The DC gain: R K HP = F

R1 Two equations, unknowns

three

Transfer Function:

T .F . = K HP

s s + 0

Select one component based on other conditions, and determine the values of the other two components.
9-18

Filter Class
A filter of a given order can be made to approximate to ideal characteristics in a number of ways, depending on the values of the filter components (or say: depending on the filter class. Two useful classes are Butterworth (maximally flat) and Chebyshev (equal-ripple) filters (n is the filter order) Vout 1 Butterworth Filter = 2n Vin f 1+ fC
Chebyshev Filter

Vout = Vin

1
2 f 1 + E 2Cn f C
9-19

Higher Order Active Filters

Filter Class Buterworth 3.01 dB at H R1 R2 C1 C2 K 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.59 1.00 1.00 0.94 0.97 2.00

Vin R1

C1

+
R2 C2 Rb Ra Gain=K

Chebyshev 1 dB ripple Vout

The above list gives the gain and component valves for one of the many choices for H=1. You may find more combinations from filter design handbook(s).

9-20

Active Filters High Pass Filters

Low pass

High pass

9-21
Op Amp for everyone, Ron Mancini, Ed, Texas instrument, 2001.

Active Filters Band Pass Filter

9-22
Op Amp for everyone, Ron Mancini, Ed, Texas instrument, 2001.

Active Filters Band Reject Filter

Passive band reject filter

Active band reject filter

9-23

Op Amp for everyone, Ron Mancini, Ed, Texas instrument, 2001.

References
Op Amp for everyone, Ron Mancini, Ed, Texas instrument, 2001.

9-24