Chebyshev filter

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The frequency response of a fourth-order type I Chebyshev low-pass filter

Chebyshev filters, are analog or digital filters having a steeper roll-off and more passband ripple
than Butterworth filters. Chebyshev filters have the property that they minimise the error
between the idealised filter characteristic and the actual over the range of the filter, but with
ripples in the passband. This type of filters is named in honor of Pafnuty Chebyshev because
their mathematical characteristics are derived from Chebyshev polynomials.

Contents
 1 Description
o 1.1 Type I Chebyshev Filters
o 1.2 Type II Chebyshev Filters
 2 Applicability
 3 Comparison with other linear filters

 4 See also

Description
Type I Chebyshev Filters

These are the most common Chebyshev filters. The frequency (amplitude) characteristic of the
nth order filter can be described mathematically by:
where | ε | < 1 and is the amplification at the cutoff frequency ω0 (note:
the common definition of the cutoff frequency to −3 dB does not hold for Chebyshev filters!),

and is a Chebyshev polynomial of the nth order, e.g.:

alternatively:

The order of a Chebyshev filter is equal to the number of reactive components (for example,
inductors) needed to realize the filter using analog electronics.

The ripple is often given in dB:

Ripple in dB =

A ripple of 3 dB thus equals a value of ε = 1.

An even steeper roll-off can be obtained if we allow for ripple in the pass band, by allowing
zeroes on the jω-axis in the complex plane. This will however result in less suppression in the
stop band. The result is called an elliptic filter, also known as Cauer filters.

Type II Chebyshev Filters

Also known as inverse Chebyshev, this type is less common because it does not roll off as fast as
type I, and requires more components. It has no ripple in the passband, but does have ripple in
the stopband. The transfer function is:

The parameter ε is related to the stopband attenuation γ in decibels by:

For a stopband attenuation of 5dB, ε = 0.6801; for an attenuation of 10dB, ε = 0.3333. The
frequency fC = ωC/2 π is the cutoff frequency. The 3dB frequency fH is related to fC by:

Applicability
Because of the passband ripple inherent in Chebyshev filters, filters which have a smoother
response in the passband but a more irregular response in the stopband are preferred for some
applications.

Comparison with other linear filters

Here is an image showing the Chebyshev filters next to other common kind of filters obtained
with the same number of coefficients:

As is clear from the image, Chebyshev filters are sharper than the Butterworth filter; they are not
as sharp as the elliptic one, but they show fewer ripples over the bandwidth.