Filter Approximation Concepts

How do you translate filter specifications into a mathematical

expression which can be synthesized ?
- Approximation Techniques

Why an ideal Brick Wall Filter can not be implemented ?

Amplitude Amplitude

Time
Frequency

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 Filter Approximation Concepts
Practical Implementations are given via window specs.

Amax

Amin

T1 T2
Amin is the minimum attenuation in the stopband
Amax is the maximum attenuation in the passband
T1-T2 is the Transition Width 2
 Conventional Filter Approximations
H( jω) Im

Re
ω
Butterworth A Circle
(Maximum Flat)

Im
H( jω)
Re

ω An ellipse
Chebychev
(Equal Ripple Pass Band) 3
 Im

H( jω)

Re

ω Ellipse

Elliptic (Equal ripple passband and stopband)

Remarks
• Filter approximation meeting the same specifications yield
Order (Butterworth) > Order (Chebyshev) > Order (Elliptic)

• Phase and group delay also play important roles in many applications

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Summary
• Magnitude Approximations:
-- Butterworth
-- Chebyshev (Direct or Inverse)
-- Elliptic

• The group delay of the different magnitude approximations meeting the

same (magnitude) specifications vary significantly. The most (least)
non-linear phase is associated with the Elliptic (Butterworth)
approximation

• Linear Phase and Constant Group Delay Approximation:

Bessel (Thompson)

• Many Filter Approximations well documented in software programs are

available, among them:
FILSYN, Analog-Artist (Cadence), Math Lab
Fiesta-II (At TAMU) 5
 Examples of different filter approximations using
FIESTA2
• The specifications of a low pass filter are the same
for all the approximations. We have fix the order
to 5.
• From all the approximations observe the impulse
responses, and how fast (or slow) it settles down
• Also observe the Q factor of each of the complex
poles of the different approximations. To do this
you need to run FIESTA2 in the eesun computer
• Compare the different group delays and phases for
the different approximations
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Impulse Response 5-th-Order Butterworth

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Butterworth 5th-Order Group Delay

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Butterworth 5th-Order Frequency Response

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5th-Order Elliptic Filter

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Elliptic Filter Transfer Function Coefficients

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Elliptic 5th-Order Filter Approximation: Impulse Response

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Fifth-Order Elliptic Filter Group Delay

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Fifth-Order Low Pass Elliptic Filter Frequency Response

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Frequency Response Inverse Chebyshev (5th- Order)

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Frequency Response Inverse Chebyshev (5th- Order) Impulse Response

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Phase Response 5th-Order Inverse Chebyshev

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• There is a number of conventional filter magnitude approximations

• The choice of a particular approximation is application dependent

• Besides the magnitude specifications, there exists also a phase

(group delay) specification. For this the Thompson (Bessel)
approximation is used

• There are a host of Filter approximation software programs, including

Matlab, Filsyn, and Fiesta2 developed at TAMU

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