Reduction of Electromyogram (EMG) noise in with
Lowpass Chebyshev Type II Filter Simulated
using GNU Octave
Sophia Louise F. Almendra, Justine Clare T. Badajos, King Matthew P. Ochoa and Rex Albert P. Tejadilla
Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
Abstract: Electromyograph is an instrument that converts the
electrical activity associated with functioning skeletal muscle
into a visual record or into sound. Electromyography can be
used to determine the sound present in a certain muscle and
diagnose neuromuscular disorder and biofeedback training.
One of the factor that affects the internal sound measurement
and analysis system in an electromyograph is equipment
noise. This research proposes to simulate the removal of
equipment noise in an electromyograph using Digital
Lowpass Chebyshev type II filter. EMG signal was procured
from the internet for the reason that sample EMG signals
were unavailable from the hospitals. The saved file will be
filter using GNU Octave software. Then, the processed sound
signals are amplified for higher power. Overall, the whole
process is the digital filter design and then amplified for more
power. This research aims to design and develop Finite
Impulse Response (FIR) that can filter high frequency to
reduce noise present in the signal and make a digital signal
processing. This filter aids doctor in monitoring patient
details accurately. Using this designed filter, patient can save
his diagnosis and send to doctor for analysis.
Keywords—Chebyshev Type II filter; electromyogram; noise
reduction; GNU Octave; lowpass filter
I. INTRODUCTION
Signal processing is one of the most popular
subfields in Electronics Engineering that deals with the
analysis and manipulation of signals. For analog signals,
signal processing may involve the amplification and
filtering of audio signals for audio equipment or the
modulation and demodulation of signals for
telecommunications. For digital signals, signal processing
may involve the compression, error checking and error
detection of digital signals.
Filter is a device or process that removes some
unwanted components or features from a signal. Within a
filters frequency range, there are passband and stopband.
The passband is referred as the frequency region in which
the filter lets a signal pass. It is the frequency range
between the cutoff frequencies, the cutoff frequency and
zero, the cutoff frequency and infinity. Stop band is
referred to as the range of frequencies outside the
passband. It is also the range of frequencies that is greatly
attenuated by the filter. Frequencies in this range are
rejected or frequencies higher than the cut off frequency.
There are 4 types of active filters. They are Butterworth,
Chebyshev, Bessel and Elliptic filters.
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The Chebyshev characteristic or filters with
Chebyshev response characteristic are useful when a rapid
roll-off is required because it provides a roll-off rate
greater than -20 dB/decade/pole. Filters can be
implemented with Chebyshev response with fewer poles
and less complex circuitry for a given roll-off rate. This
type of filter response is characterized by overshoot or
ripples in the passband. Chebyshev Type II filters that is a
kind of stopband ripple, which results in a smaller error
and faster execution speed than over Butterworth filter.
Biomedical signal is a collective electrical signal
which is acquired from any organ that represents a
physical variable of interest. This is normally a function
of time and is describable in terms of its amplitude,
frequency and phase. The EMG (Electromyography)
signal is one of the biomedical signal that measures
electrical currents generated in muscles during its
contraction or relaxation, which is always controlled by
the nervous system, representing neuromuscular
activities. Hence, the EMG signal is a complicated signal,
which is dependent on the anatomical and physiological
properties of muscles. While traveling through different
tissues the EMG signal obtain noise. With the use of a
Chebyshev type II filter for EMG signal processing,
certain noise within the range of frequency of an EMG
signal would be reduced.
Filters not only have applications in the field of
Electronics Engineering but also from other fields of study
such as in biomedical areas or technology especially
applied for EMG signal processing. The researchers will
be conducting activities related to Chebyshev type II filter
that can be used in removing noise detected in the EMG
equipment to obtain information about the nerves and
have proper diagnosis to prevent future problems.
Moreover, in denoising EMG signal to have a better and
more accurate signal. It has a standard sampling frequency
of 1kHz, but the researchers will be using much lower
sampling frequency to obtain a closer look at the filtered
signal.
 II. METHODOLOGY
1. Process:
Figure 1: Block Diagram of the design of Digital Filter
Figure 1 shows how the EMG signal is going to be filtered
using the designed digital filter.
To reduce the equipment noise present, the 5 order th
lowpass Chebyshev Type II filter is used as shown in Figure
2 representing the: (a) pole/zero plot, (b) magnitude and phase
response. The sampling rate is set at 1000 Hz. Hence, the
Chebyshev Type II lowpass filter to eliminate the equipment
noise.
Figure 2(a): Pole/Zero Plot
Figure 2(b): Magnitude and Phase Response
2. Algorithm:
1. Initialization of the input EMG signals
a. Preparation of the input EMG signals
b. Input of the EMG signals in GNU Octave
2. Designing of digital lowpass Chebyshev Type II
filter in GNU Octave
a. Identifying the parameters
b. Solving for the poles
c. Solving for the zeros
d. Solving for the transfer function of analog
lowpass filter
e. Converting lowpass analog filter to digital
3. Implementing of digital lowpass Chebyshev Type II
filter
a. Input specification of the designed filter
b. Filtering the input EMG signals using GNU
Octave function “filter”
3. Signal Characterization and Flowchart:
The EMG signals are presented with sampling
frequency saved in a .wav form. The signals have a sample
rate of 1000 Hz with a 5-second duration and a bit rate of 16
bits per sample.
Figure 3: Flow Chart of EMG Signals Filtering
 Figure 4: Flow Chart of Design of Digital Lowpass Chebyshev
Type II Filter

4. Filter Design
In designing the filter, there must be a transfer
function with the specifications:

(Equation 1)

(Equation 2)

(Equation 3)

(Equation 4)

(Equation 6)

(Equation 7)

(Equation 8)
Where:
Ωs is the normalized stopband edge
Ωp is the normalized passband edge
𝛿𝑃 is the passband attenuation
𝛿𝑠 is the stopband attenuation

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Using the Chebyshev Type II Lowpass Filter

simulation in GNU Octave, the EMG signal is still at the same
frequency while the frequency of the equipment noise is
attenuated. If the waveform is to be shown, the “freqz”
function in GNU Octave is used to show the magnitude and
phase responses.

Figure 6(a): The EMG Signal before filtering

Input signal 2

Figure 5(a): The EMG Signal before filtering

(Input Signal 1)

Figure 6(b): The EMG Signal after filtering

Output signal 2

IV. CONCLUSIONS
Findings and Recommendation
Figure 5(b): The EMG Signal after filtering
Output Signal 1 The basis for designing the lowpass Chebyshev type
II filter are the sampling rate and frequency range of the input
signal which is the actual EMG signal in .wav format. EMG
signal has a sampling rate, 1kHz and has a frequency range
of 1 to 500Hz. Since all the signal came from single raw
source thus they all have the same sampling frequency. The
design provides a simulation using GNU Octave software for
the filtering process of the EMG signal, using the Chebyshev
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Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This case study was all out of hard work, research and
dedication. Still, implementation would not have been
possible if we didn’t have the support of many individuals.
Therefore, we would like to extend our gratitude to all of
them.

First of all, we would like to give our praise and

adoration to the Almighty for everything that He has
bestowed upon us. We would like to claim that this study
would not be possible if it was not because of His grace and
guidance.

Second, we would like to express our special thanks of

gratitude to our instructor, Engr. Reynaldo Ted Peñas II, who
was with us along the process of making and was there to give
guidance on how we could finish this case study successfully.
Last, we express our gratitude to our families and
friends for their support and encouragement which helped us
toward the completion of this case study.