Discussion 4B @ 2019-10-05 18:12:48-07:00

EECS 16B Designing Information Devices and Systems II

Fall 2019 Discussion Worksheet Discussion 4B
1. Transfer function warmup
Now that you’ve seen how to derive a transfer function for a simple circuit, you’ll be deriving some transfer
e (ω)
functions on your own. To start off with, determine H(ω) = VVeout(ω) for the following circuits, and use the
in
transfer function you find to describe how the circuit responds to low and high frequencies.

Veout (ω)
(a) Determine H(ω) = Vein (ω)
. How does this circuit respond as ω → 0 (low frequencies)? as ω → ∞
(high frequencies)?

L
+

+
Vein (ω) − R Veout (ω)

Answer: The strategy is to use the voltage divider formula, i.e.,

ZR e
Veout = Vin .
ZR + ZL

Veout R 1
H(ω) = = = . (1)
Vein R + jωL 1 + jω RL
At low frequencies, we have
lim H(ω) = 1, (2)
ω→0
while at high frequencies, we have
lim H(ω) = 0. (3)
ω→∞
So this circuit is a low-pass filter.
(b) What happens if you replace the inductor above with a capacitor?
Answer: The strategy is to use the voltage divider formula, i.e.,
ZR e
Veout = Vin .
ZR + ZC

Veout R jωRC
H(ω) = = 1
= . (4)
Vein R + jωC 1 + jωRC

At low frequencies, we have

lim H(ω) = 0, (5)
ω→0

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 Discussion 4B @ 2019-10-05 18:12:48-07:00

while at high frequencies, we have

lim H(ω) = 1. (6)
ω→∞
So this circuit is a high-pass filter.

2. Band-pass filter
It is quite common to need to design a filter which selects only a narrow range of frequencies. One example
is in WiFi radios, it is desirable to select only the 2.4GHz frequency containing your data, and reject infor-
mation from other nearby cellular or bluetooth frequencies. This type of filter is called a band-pass filter;
we will explore the design of this type of filter in this problem.

C
L
+

+
Vein (ω) − R Veout (ω)

(a) Write down the impedance of the series RLC combination in the form ZRLC (ω) = A(ω) + jX(ω),
where X(ω) is a real valued function of ω.
Answer: Since the capacitor, resistor and inductor are in series, the equivalent impedance is given by,

ZRLC (ω) = R + ZL (ω) + ZC (ω)

1
=⇒ ZRLC (ω) = R + jωL +
jωC
Since,
1
= −j
j
1
ZRLC (ω) = R + j(ωL − )
ωC
Hence,
A(ω) = R
and
1
X(ω) = ωL −
ωC

(ω)
(b) Write down the transfer function H(ω) = VVeout(ω) for this circuit.
e
in

Answer: Using the same voltage divider rule we’ve used in the past, Vout is:

Vf
in R
Vout =
g
ZRLC

V
gout R
H(ω) = =
Vin
f ZRLC (ω)

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Discussion 4B @ 2019-10-05 18:12:48-07:00

R
H(ω) = 1
R + j(ωL − ωC )

(c) At what frequency ωn does X(ωn ) = 0? (i.e. at what frequency is the impedance of the series
combination of RLC purely real — meaning that the imaginary terms coming from the capacitor and
inductor completely cancel each other.)
What happens to the relative magnitude of the impedances of the capacitor and inductor as ω
moves above and below ωn ? What is the value of the transfer function at this frequency?
Answer:
1
X(ωn ) = 0 = ωn L −
ωnC
Multiplying both sides by ωn :
1
0 = ωn2 L −
C
1
ωn = √
LC
As the frequency increases above ωn , the magnitude of the impedance of the inductor gets higher while
the capacitor gets lower. Since the two components are in series, the impedance of the inductor will
dominate. As the frequency decreases below ωn , the magnitude of the impedance of the capacitor gets
higher while the inductor gets lower. In this case the impedance of the capacitor will dominate.
At ωn , ZRLC = R, since the imaginary components cancel out perfectly. As a result

H(ωn ) = 1

(d) In most filters, we are interested in the cutoff frequency, since that helps define the frequency range
over which the filter operates. Remember √ that this is the frequency at which the magnitude of the
transfer function drops by a factor of 2 from its maximum value. Notice that the real part of the
impedance ZRLC is not changing with frequency and stays at R. What we care about is the frequencies
where the imaginary part of the impedance equals − jR to + jR.
To do this, we want to see what happens in the neighborhood of ωn and so express the combined effect
of the capacitor and inductor in terms of ω = ωn + ∆ω, where ∆ω is (presumably) a relatively small
number compared to ωn .
Write an expression for X(ωn + ∆ω), where ∆ω is a variable shift from ωn . Find the values of ∆ω1
and ∆ω2 which give X(ωn + ∆ω1 ) = −R, and X(ωn + ∆ω2 ) = +R. You may use the approximation
1
that 1+x ≈ 1 − x if x  1.
Answer: From the first part we know that,
1
X(ω) = ωL −
ωC
So we get,
1
X(ωn + ∆ω) = (ωn + ∆ω)L −
(ωn + ∆ω)C
1
X(ωn + ∆ω) = ωn L + ∆ωL −
ωnC(1 + ∆ω
ωn )

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Discussion 4B @ 2019-10-05 18:12:48-07:00

1
Using, 1+x ≈ 1 − x for x << 1 we get,

1 ∆ω
X(ωn + ∆ω) ≈ ωn L + ∆ωL − (1 − )
ωnC ωn
1
At the resonance condition, ωn L = ωn C . As a result we get,

∆ω
X(ωn + ∆ω) ≈ ∆ωL +
ωn2C
1
From part (c) ωn2
= LC we get,
X(ωn + ∆ω) ≈ 2∆ωL
Hence, if X(ωn + ∆ω2 ) = R, then we get,
R
∆ω2 =
2L
Similarly, when X(ωn + ∆ω1 ) = −R, we get,
−R
∆ω1 =
2L

(e) Simplify X(ω) in two cases, when ω → ∞ and when ω → 0. Plug this simplified X(ω) into your
previously solved expressions to find the transfer function at high and low frequencies.
Answer: At low frequencies,
1
X(ω) ≈ −
ωC
Plugging this back in to the original transfer function we get a CR high-pass filter.
R
H(ω) ≈ 1
R − j ωC

At high frequencies,
X(ω) ≈ ωL
Plugging this back in to the original transfer function we get a LR low-pass filter.
R
H(ω) ≈
R + jωL

(f) Draw a bode plot for a CR high pass filter, a LR low pass filter, and this LCR band-pass filter.
Assume the L = 9nH, R = .18Ω, and C = 18.7pF values are the same in all three filters. Com-
pare the locations of the cutoff frequencies, and the behavior of the filters at very high and low
frequencies.
Answer: As shown in the previous question, our band-pass filter looks like an LR low-pass filter
at high frequencies and a CR high-pass filter at low frequencies. Note that in this case, the cutoff
frequencies for the LR and CR filters are not the same as LCR cutoff frequencies or the resonance
frequency. In the vicinity of the resonance frequency, notice that the filter is much sharper than any
first-order LR or RC filter.

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Discussion 4B @ 2019-10-05 18:12:48-07:00

Comparison of CR, LR, and LRC Filters

101

100

10−1

|H( jω)|
10−2

10−3

10−4 6
10 107 108 109 1010 1011 1012
ω

Contributors:

• Alex Devonport.

• Nathan Lambert.

• Pavan Bhargava.

• Sanjit Batra.

• Kris Pister.

• Anant Sahai.

© UCB EECS 16B, Fall 2019. All Rights Reserved. This may not be publicly shared without explicit permission. 5