P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Filter Circuits
Filter Circuits Impedances act like resistances in circuits and obey Kirchoffs laws. A voltage divider with resistors has the relationship
R1 R2 ------------------ v in v out = R1 + R2

vin

R2

vout

High Pass Filter If R1 is repaced by a capacitor the divider can be calculated with impedances:
Z1 = 1/jC

vin

Z2 = R

vout Z2 R v out = ----------------- v in = -------------------------- v in Z1 + Z2 1 j C + R

1 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

This can be rewritten in terms of the gain A:

2 2 2 v out jRC jRC + R C A = --------- = ----------------------- = ----------------------------------------2 2 2 v in 1 + jRC 1+ R C

Using the following formula:

A = B + jC = B +C
2 2

The magnitude of the gain is

A = R C + ( R C ) ------------------------------------------------------- = 2 2 2 2 (1 + R C )
2 2 2 2 2 2 2

R C ----------------------------2 2 2 1+ R C

2 2 2

For much less than 1/RC, A is very small. A RC For much greater than 1/RC, A is nearly 1. This is called a high-pass filter with a break frequency b = 1/RC. High pass filter graph (Bode plot)
v out --------v in 0 dB -3 dB -6 dB/octave b

2 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Phase Changes The phase of the current compared to the voltage can be determined from the complex impedances: the angle in the complex plane is the phase shift
tan = C B

For the high pass filter:

B +C

R C B = ----------------------------2 2 2 1+ R C
2 2 2

jRC jC = ----------------------------2 2 2 1+ R C

RC 1 = atan -------------------- = atan ----------2 2 2 RC R C

The phase depends on the frequency At low frequency, -> 90 At = 1/RC, = 45 At high frequency, -> 0

3 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Low Pass Filter If the capacitor replaces R2 in a voltage divider:

Z1 = R

vin Z2 = 1/jC

vout Z2 1 jC ----------------- v in = -------------------------- v in v out = 1 j C + R Z1 + Z2

Again this can be rewritten in terms of the gain A:

v out 1 1 jRC A = --------- = ----------------------- = ----------------------------2 2 2 v in 1 + j RC 1+ R C

For much less than 1/RC, A is nearly 1. For much greater than 1/RC, A is very small. This is called a low-pass filter with a break frequency b = 1/RC. Low pass graph
v out --------v in 0 dB -3 dB -6 dB/octave b

4 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Resonance
Series RLC Circuits A voltage divider with one impedance due to an inductor and capacitor in series
R vin L vout Z LC v out = ------------------- v in R + Z LC

The series impedance can be calculated and inserted to find the gain:
1 LC Z LC = 1 j C + jL = ----------------------jC
2 v out 1 LC --------- = -------------------------------------------2 v in jRC + 1 LC 2

Graphically

v out --------v in
1 LC

5 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Parallel RLC Circuits A voltage divider with one impedance due to an inductor and capacitor in parallel
R vin L C vout Z LC ------------------- v in v out = R + Z LC

The impedance can be calculated and inserted to find the gain:

jL jC jL Z LC = -------------------------------- = ----------------------2 1 j C + jL 1 LC
2 2 v out jL L --------- = ------------------------------------------------ = --------------------------------------------------------2 2 v in 2 2 2 2 R ( 1 LC ) + jL R ( 1 LC ) + L

Graphically

v out --------v in
1 LC

6 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Phase Changes Through a Resonance Use tan = C B For the series RLC circuit:
1 LC Z LC = 1 j C + jL = ----------------------jC
2

B +C

B = R

LC 1 jC = j ----------------------C LC 1 = atan ----------------------RC

2

The phase depends on the frequency At low frequency, -> -90 At 2 = 1/LC, = 0 At high frequency, -> +90

7 of 8

P H Y S

3 7 5

L A B O R A T O R Y

E L E C T R O N I C S

1 . 2 . 3

F O R T N E R

Quality Factor
Ideal RLC Circuit A voltage divider with one impedance due to an inductor and capacitor in parallel, but let the resistance be nearly 0
R vin L C vout Z LC ------------------- v in v out = R + Z LC

The gain in power for the circuit is:

2 2 v out 2 L --------- = --------------------------------------------------------2 2 2 2 2 v in R ( 1 LC ) + L

At resonance the gain is 1. The frequency where the power is halved:

1 L -- = --------------------------------------------------------2 2 2 2 2 2 R ( 1 LC ) + L
2 2 1 2 2 1 2 -- R ( 1 LC ) = -- L 2 2 2 L 1 LC = ------R 2 2

This has solutions at roughly:

0 R 1 R = ----------- ----- = 0 0 ------------- = 0 -----2Q 2 0 L LC 2L

8 of 8