Filters

Low Pass High Pass Band Pass Band Stop

What is a filter?
A filter allows certain frequencies to pass or be blocked. The two components that can change their properties with frequency are : Capacitors
Xc
=

1 2

Inductors
XL = 2FL

Passive Filters
A passive filter contains the passive components only

An active filter contains an op amp to amplify/attenuate the output signals

Low Pass Filter (using a CR Circuit)

A low pass filter allows lower frequencies to pass to the output and stops higher frequencies from passing to the output.

Low Pass Filter Design

The LP circuit can be studied as a potential divider circuit, but with one component being sensitive to frequency.
Output across R2 If both were resistors

Output across C for filter

Low Pass Filter Design

A Low Pass Filter circuit consisting of a resistor of 4k7 in series with a capacitor of 47nF is connected across a 10v sinusoidal supply. Calculate the output voltage ( Vout ) at a frequency of 100Hz and again at frequency of 10kHz.

Low Pass Filter Design

Low Pass Filter Design -3dB Point

The acceptable region that signals can pass are determined around the half power point. This occurs at the -3dB point (0.707 of the max output) and is known as the Corner Frequency or Cut-Off Frequency(Fc) . The acceptable range of frequencies are know as the filters Bandwidth.

For previous example

Low Pass Filter Design -3dB Point

As capacitors introduce a greater phase shift the more they conduct the phase shift response will appears as follows. The amount phase shift introduced at the -3dB point can be determined using the formula given.

Low Pass Filter Design 2nd Order Design

If the fall off rate is not steep enough the filters can be strung in series. If two are added together a second order filter is created.

where c is the calculated cutoff frequency, n is the filter order and -3dB is the new 3dB pass band frequency as a result in the increase of the filters order.

High Pass Filter (using a CR Circuit)

A high pass filter allows higher frequencies to pass to the output and stops lower frequencies from passing to the output.

High Pass Filter

The HP is the opposite in design to the LP with the output being taken across the resistor. All calculations can be carried in a similar method to that used with LP.

High Pass Filter Design 2nd Order Design

As with the LP a HP filter can be made steeper using a more than one filter strung in series.

Band Pass Filter

A band pass filter will allow a region of frequencies to pass. It is created by mixing a high and low pass filter together and setting each filters cut off frequency to a position that create the pass only region.

High Pass

Low Pass

Note: the high pass is first, followed by the high pass.

Band Pass Filter

A typical band pass filter is shown as follows

The term "bandwidth", (BW) can be expressed as the difference between the lower cut-off frequency ( cLOWER ) and the higher cut-off frequency ( cHIGHER ) points. In other words, BW = H - L.

Band Pass Filter

Band Pass Filter

The equation below can be used to find the two respective cut-off frequencies for both the high and low pass sections of the band pass filter.

Band Pass Filter

Example No1. A second-order band pass filter is to be constructed using RC components that will only allow a range of frequencies to pass above 1kHz (1,000Hz) and below 30kHz (30,000Hz). Assuming that both the resistors have values of 10ks, calculate the values of the two capacitors required.

Band Pass Filter

The High Pass Filter Stage. The value of the capacitor C1 required to give a cut-off frequency L of 1kHz with a resistor value of 10k is calculated as:

Then, the values of R1 and C1 required for the high pass stage to give a cut-off frequency of 1.0kHz are, R1 = 10ks and C1 = 15nF.

Band Pass Filter

The Low Pass Filter Stage. The value of the capacitor C2 required to give a cut-off frequency H of 30kHz with a resistor value of 10k is calculated as:

Then, the values of R2 and C2 required for the low pass stage to give a cut-off frequency of 30kHz are, R = 10ks and C = 510pF. However, the nearest preferred value of the calculated capacitor value of 510pF is 560pF so this is used instead.

Band Pass Filter

Completed circuit

Band Pass Filter

Centre Frequency Equation

Where, r is the resonant or centre frequency

L is the lower -3dB cut-off frequency point H is the upper -3db cut-off frequency point

and in our simple example above, the calculated cut-off frequencies were found to be L = 1,060 Hz and H = 28,420 Hz using the exact filter values.

Band STOP Filter

A band stop filter is identical to the band pass, except for the circuit types being reversed. This means the low pass filter precedes the high pass filter. This filter is often called a notch filter.

Active Filter
An active filter is a filter system with amplification added, often by the use of an operational amplifier.

Active Filter

Active Filter

Active Filters