BMEN 3120.

105

Frequency Selective Circuit

The University of Texas at Dallas

Project 1
Experiment Title: Frequency Selective Circuit
Kazandra Gabriel
Jonathan Kurtz
Edward Rouseau
October 22, 2015

Introduction
10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

From the past laboratory experiments, it is evident that the response of an

electrical circuit solely depends on the types of electrical elements, and how
it is connected that varies with frequency. In this project, we focused on
frequency selective circuits. Frequency selective circuits select certain
frequencies to pass and other frequencies to stop and there are four primary
types of filters: Low-pass filter (pass low frequencies but stop high
frequencies), high-pass filter (pass high frequencies but stop low
frequencies), band-pass filter ("pass a range of frequencies between two
ranges of stopped frequencies " [4] and band-reject filter ("stop a range of
frequencies between two ranges of passed frequencies" [4]. In this
experiment, the frequency selective circuit heavily relies on low-pass and
high-pass filter.

Theory
As discussed in the introduction, the frequency selective circuit experiment
heavily relies on low pass and high pass filter. A low pass filter pass low
frequencies but stop at high frequencies and with high pass filter, it passes
high frequencies but stop at low frequencies which then creates a band-pass
filter in which frequencies that falls under a certain frequency setup between
two points to pass through while stopping both the lower and higher
frequencies. The ideal low-pass filter has a response shown in the figure
below.

Figure [5] http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/filter/filter_2.html

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

A simple RC circuit can be used to create a low pass filter by connecting a

capacitor and resistor together in series with certain values to meet the
expected frequency. An ideal high pass filter can then be connected with low
pass filter to create a band-pass filter.

Figure [6]: http://www.intechopen.com/books/computational-intelligence-inelectromyography-analysis-a-perspective-on-current-applications-and-futurechallenges/signal-acquisition-using-surface-emg-and-circuit-design-considerations-forrobotic-prosthesis

Then a Bode Plot would show the Frequency Response of the "filter to be
nearly flat for low frequencies and all of the input signal is passed directly to
the output, resulting in a gain of nearly |-3|, until it reaches its Cut-of
Frequency point ( c )" [4]. This is possible due to the fact that the way the
capacitor works is that, it is "high at low frequencies" which causes it to
create a blockage of current through the capacitor. We can figure out the cutof frequency using the equation:

With the equation, the values of the resistors and capacitor can be easily
identified with the desired cut-of frequency.

Practical application
10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

In general use, band pass filters have many applications. On the daily basis,
they are used for controlling telecommunications in transponders on
satellites or cell phone towers, to the simplest of daily uses, the radio.
Antenna

Bandpass

Figure 1 Radio diagram1

Radio stations are always broadcasting their signal and all that is required to
listen to their station is to tune your receiver to their broadcasting frequency.
Your antenna collects all frequencies in the area which requires a filtering
process to play the right channel. When tuned to a specific frequency a
receiver uses a bandpass filter to block all other stations so the only station
heard on the radio station is the station desired. The only diference is, since
the broadcast frequency is electromagnetic, there are inductors to induce
current flow to the capacitor.

Figure 2 Bandpass filter using inductors to induce current2

1 (luoman, 2010)
2 (Band-pass filter, 2003)

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

A variable capacitor dial is a capacitor designed to tune to a station by

changing the surface area as one twists the dial which changes the
capacitance of the circuit, allowing for the tuning of diferent stations.

Figure 3 Variable Capacitor Dial

Methods
1. Build a cascaded filter on Multisim consisting of a low pass filter
connecting to a high pass filter. This should be constructed using two
90 ohm resistors and two 0.22 micro farad capacitors.
2. Connect the output of the circuit to a bode analyzer, this should bring
the frequency near an amplitude of -3 dB and follow the standard
graphs of an original filter.
3. Connect the correct circuit on a soldering circuit and analyze the same
output, changes can be made to make a more accurate 10 kHz signal.
4. Once a proper 10 kHz signal has been filtered out of the system within
the -3 dB range, then connect the filtered response to a rectifier circuit,
this will create a DC signal from the previous circuit constructed.
5. Create a threshold switch that carries a frequency within the range

your circuit is peaked at, notified by switching an LED on or of.

Results and Analysis: Theory, explanation, inference

With the free-reign to construct this circuit, the initial approach was simple,
design the circuit in a virtual environment, replicate the circuit in real life,
test it for accuracy and record our findings. This is a good test of the skills
learned through the past few weeks about new systems and components and
how to use them advantageously. Initially, we employed a virtual

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

environment to test the accuracy of mathematical calculations in

correspondence with the desired outcome as illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 1 - Multisim diagram of band-pass filter and full-wave rectifier

Interference #1: An initial roadblock was apparent when the mathematical

calculations we made had the desired frequency for the low-pass and highpass filter reversed. We learned that we would need to make the cutof
frequency for the low-pass filter higher than the target frequency while
making the high-pass frequency component lower than the target frequency.
In our haste, we reversed their position values and received an incredible dB
loss. Once we adjusted our calculations, we observed a beautiful signal!
Example calculation for a low-pass filter:
RC=

1
1
=
=14.5 s
2 f 2 11000

To further polish this value we played with the resistor values and ratios until
we were able to approximate that we would need about one-third of the
current on the high pass filter and two-thirds on the low pass filter to reduce
the dB to acceptable levels.
The bode plot in figure 2 confirmed the filter was able to stay under -3 dB of
loss.

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

Figure 2: Bode plot of band-pass filter

The full wave rectifier was pretty straightforward to design and had the
desired output of about 2 volts DC as seen in figure 3. 2 volts brought the
circuit extremely close to the forward operating voltage of 1.8v to 2.2v as
indicated in the datasheet in figure 4.

Figure 3: Oscilloscope reading of Full-wave rectifier voltage output

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

Figure 4: Datasheet for Red LED forward voltage

The first version of the circuit was initially built for just the band-pass filter
and the rectifier since the initial assumption supported the red LED lighting
without the need of a transistor amplifier. After running the circuit, we had a
bode plot (figure 5) and voltage reading (figure 6) to further support the
lighting of the LED without the use of a basic threshold switch. The LED did
light but according to the specifications of the performance criteria it would
not give the appropriate voltage without a threshold switch.

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

Figure 5: Actual bode plot of band-pass circuit

10/22/15

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

Figure 6: Voltage output @ 12Vp-p input, 2VDC output.

Interference #2: We had to use the external frequency generator for a more
accurate and reliable waveform input. With the NI Elvis board, there were too
many issues present to attain the values we needed to complete the project.
Figure 7 displays the settings of the external frequency generator and figure
8 is our finished product.

Figure 7: External frequency generator settings

10/22/15

10

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

Figure 8: The finished band-pass, rectifier, amplifier circuit.

Once we corrected the circuit and the values, we were able to complete the
performance criteria as follows:
Upper frequency threshold at which the LED switches of @ 8 Vpp (sinusoidal
input):12.8 kHz
Lower frequency threshold at which the LED switches of @ 8 Vpp (sinusoidal
input):4kHz
Voltage threshold at which the LED switches of @ (sinusoidal input): 1.66V
Upper frequency threshold at which the LED switches of @ 10 Vpp (triangle
input): 14kHz
Lower frequency threshold at which the LED switches of @ 10 Vpp (triangle
input): 3.5 kHz

10/22/15

11

BMEN 3120.105

Frequency Selective Circuit

A few notes that must be mentioned are we had to use 8 Vpp for the
sinusoidal input just to get a nice full glow on the LED even after the
implementation of the transistor amplifier. Also, for the triangle input, we had
to increase to 10 Vpp since the slope is not a smooth, continuous slope and
has a steeper incline and decline, the amount of voltage that can be stored
in the capacitor for the full-wave rectifier cannot maintain as high a voltage
level as the sinusoidal wave.

Conclusion
Our project well defined a signal within the range of the 10 kHz signal but
was not as accurate due to the miscalculations of the necessary RC values.
The cascaded filter returned amplitude near -3 dB but was reached after the
10 kHz signal has passed and showed some delay. Ways we could have
improved the outcome of the signal response was by understanding the
concept of cascaded filters better and knowing the calculations better rather
than just guess and checking for the first values. Rectifier circuit was
constructed correctly, producing an output well within our defined range
shown by the LED indicator in each scenario.

References
1. Electric Circuits, 9/E, James W. Nilsson, Susan Riedel
2. luoman. (2010, July 1). LC RF Filter Circuits. Retrieved October
20, 2015, from rf-filter-circuits.blogspot.com: http://rf-filtercircuits.blogspot.com/
3. Band-pass filter. (2003, Jan 3). Retrieved from www.wikipedia.org:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandpass_filterBand-pass_filter
4. https://www.digilentinc.com/Classroom/RealAnalog/text/Chapter_
2p8p2.pdf

10/22/15

12