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Zero Locations of Linear-Phase FIR

*
Filters

Ivan Selesnick

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1 Zero Locations of Linear-Phase Filters

The zeros of the transfer function H (z) of a linear-phase lter lie in specic congurations.
We can write the symmetry condition
h (n) = h (N − (1 − n))

in the Z domain. Taking the Z -transform of both sides gives

(1)
 
1
H (z) = z −(N −1) H
z

Recall that we are assuming that h (n) is real-valued. If z is a zero of H (z),0

H (z0 ) = 0

then
H (z ) = 0 0

(Because the roots of a polynomial with real coecients exist in complex-conjugate pairs.)
Using the symmetry condition, (1), it follows that
 
1
H (z0 ) = z −(N −1) H =0
z0

and 
1

−(N −1)
H (z0 ) = z H =0
z0
or 
1
 
1

H =H =0
z0 z0

note: If z is a zero of a (real-valued) linear-phase lter, then so are z , , and .

0 0
1
z0
1
z0

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2 ZEROS LOCATIONS

It follows that
1. generic zeros of a linear-phase lter exist in sets of 4.
2. zeros on the unit circle ( z = e ) exist in sets of 2. ( z 6= ± (1))
iω0

3. zeros on the real line ( z = a) exist in sets of 2. ( z 6= ± (1))

0 0

4. zeros at 1 and -1 do not imply the existence of zeros at other specic points.
0 0

(a)

(b)

Figure 1: Examples of zero sets

3 ZERO LOCATIONS: AUTOMATIC ZEROS

The frequency response H f

(ω) of a Type II FIR lter always has a zero at ω = π:
h (n) = [h0 , h1 , h2 , h2 , h1 , h0 ]

H (z) = h0 + h1 z −1 + h2 z −2 + h2 z −3 + h1 z −4 + h0 z −5

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H (−1) = h0 − h1 + h2 − h2 + h1 − h0 = 0

H f (π) = H eiπ = H (−1) = 0

Rule: H f (π) = 0always for Type II lters.

Similarly, we can derive the following rules for Type III and Type IV FIR lters.
Rule: H (0) = H (π) = 0 always for Type III lters.
f f

Rule: always for Type IV lters.

H f (0) = 0

The automatic zeros can also be derived using the characteristics of the amplitude response A (ω) seen earlier.
Type automatic zeros
I 
II ω=π
III ω=0 ∨ π
IV ω=0

Table 1

4 ZERO LOCATIONS: EXAMPLES

The Matlab command zplane can be used to plot the zero locations of FIR lters.

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Figure 1

Note that the zero locations satisfy the properties noted previously.

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