School of Electrical and Information Engineering

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

Filter Design Part 1 & 2 - Worked Examples - 2022

Question 1
Consider two linear time invariant systems S1 and S2 connected in cascade to produce
a system S3 , where S1 is described by the frequency response function
10
H1 (ω) =
4 + jω
Using pole-zero cancellation, design the frequency response characteristic of S3 ,
denoted by H3 (ω), such that it satisfies the following constraints:

(a) The system has infinite d.c. gain.

(b) For 1 ≤ ω ≤ 10 rad/sec, 9 ≤ |H3 (ω)| ≤ 20 dB.

(c) For ω ≥ 40 rad/sec, |H3 (ω)| ≤ 0 dB.

(d) For ω ≥ 15 rad/sec, |H3 (ω)| has an attenuation of −20 dB/decade.

Question 2
Consider two linear time invariant systems S1 and S2 connected in cascade to produce
a system S3 , where S1 is described by the frequency response function
10
H1 (ω) =
4 + jω
Without using pole-zero cancellation, design the frequency response character-
istic of S3 , denoted by H3 (ω), such that it satisfies the following constraints:

(a) The system has infinite d.c. gain.

(b) For 1 ≤ ω ≤ 10 rad/sec, 9 ≤ |H3 (ω)| ≤ 20 dB.

(c) For ω ≥ 40 rad/sec, |H3 (ω)| ≤ 0 dB.

(d) For ω ≥ 15 rad/sec, |H3 (ω)| has an attenuation of −20 dB/decade.

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

Question 3
Design a Butterworth filter that meets the specifications:

ˆ Passband gain to lie between 1 and Gp = 0.794 for 0 ≤ ω < 10.

ˆ Stopband gain not to exceed Gs = 0.1 for ω ≥ 20.

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

Solutions:
Question 1

Figure 1: Cascade interconnection of systems S1 and S2 to form system S3

Sketch the constraints on a Bode

magnitude plot.

(a) The system has infinite

D.C. gain.

(b) For 1 ≤ ω ≤ 10 rad/sec,

9 ≤ |H3 (ω)| ≤ 20 dB.

(c) For ω ≥ 40 rad/sec,

|H3 (ω)| ≤ 0 dB.

(d) For ω ≥ 15 rad/sec,

|H3 (ω)| has an attenuation
of −20 dB/decade.

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

ˆ Frequency response of the

system S1 :
10
H1 (ω) =
4 + jω

ˆ The Bode magnitude is

given in the Figure on the
right.

ˆ Consider a candidate fre-

quency response of the sys-
tem S3 :
7(1 + jω)
H̃3 (ω) =
jω 1 + jω


5

ˆ The Bode magnitude is

given in the Figure on the
right

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

Question 2

Figure 2: Cascade interconnection of systems S1 and S2 to form system S3

ˆ Plotting the Bode magni-

tude response, we see that
the frequency response of S1
i.e.
10
H1 (ω) =
4 + jω
does not satisfy the infinite
DC gain requirement.

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

ˆ Therefore we add a pole at

the origin. We then obtain
1
H̃3 (ω) = H1 (ω)
jω

ˆ Plotting the Bode magni-

tude response, we see that
H̃3 does not satisfy the 9 ≤
|H(ω)| ≤ 20 constraint for
1 ≤ ω ≤ 10.

ˆ Therefore we adjust the gain

by K such that
 
K
20 log10 H1 (ω) = 20 dB
jω ω=1

ˆ Solving for K we find K ≈

4,
4
∴ H̃3 (ω) = H1 (ω)
jω

ˆ We see that H̃3 (ω) rolls-off

early over 1 ≤ ω ≤ 10,
hence the lower bound of
9 ≤ |H3 (ω)| ≤ 20 is not sat-
isfied.

ˆ Hence we add a zero at ω =

2 to the plant’s poles to cor-
rect this.

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

ˆ Thus we find

4 1 + jω


2
H̃3 (ω) = H1 (ω)
jω

ˆ The frequency response still

rolls-off early over 1 ≤ ω ≤
10.

ˆ Therefore we add another

zero at ω = 5 after the
plant’s pole i.e.

4 1 + jω jω



2
1 + 5
H̃3 (ω) = H1 (ω)
jω

ˆ Finally, the −20 dB/decade

roll-off requirement for ω ≥
15 is attained by adding a
pole at ω = 10.

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

ˆ Therefore
jω
1 + jω



4 1+ 2
H̃3 (ω) = jω

5 H1 (ω)
jω 1 + 10

ˆ Finally, the −20 dB/decade

roll-off requirement for ω ≥
15 is attained by adding a
pole at ω = 10.

ˆ All the design specifications

have been satisfied approxi-
mately! Separating terms

4 1 + jω jω



2
1 +
H3 (ω) =
5 H1 (ω)
jω 1 + jω
| {z 10 }
H2 (ω)

= H2 (ω)H1 (ω)

ˆ Finally, the −20 dB/decade

roll-off requirement for ω ≥
15 is attained by adding a
pole at ω = 10.

ˆ Hence, the frequency response of S2 is given by

4 1 + jω 1 + jω



2 5
H2 (ω) =
jω 1 + jω


10

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

Question 3
ˆ Convert constraints into
dB’s:

Ĝp = 20 log10 (0.794) = −2 dB

Ĝs = 20 log10 (0.1) = −20 dB

ˆ Sketch the specifica-

tions: see the figure.

ˆ Step 1: Determine the

filter order
h −Ĝ /10 i
log10 10−Ĝp /10−1
s

10 −1
n=  
2 log10 Ĝs /10
h −(−20)/10 i
−1
log10 1010−(−2)/10 −1
=
2 log10 (20/10)
= 3.701

ˆ n is an integer, hence, n = 4

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

ˆ Step 2: Determine the

cutoff frequency
10
ωc = h i1/8
10−Ĝs /10 − 1
10
= 1/8
= 10.693
[10−(−2)/10 − 1]
10
ωc = h i1/8
10−Ĝs /10 − 1
20
= 1/8
= 11.261
[10−(−20)/10 − 1]

ˆ Both values of ωc satisfy the

requirements to different de-
grees.

ˆ We select ωc = 10.693

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

ˆ Step 3: Determine H(s)

and sketch the poles
1
|H(ω)| = √
1 + ω 2n

ˆ Since n = 4,
1
|H(ω)| = √
1 + ω8

ˆ Substitute ω = s/j into

|H(ω)|2 = H(ω)H∗ (ω)
1
H(s)H(−s) =  8
s
1+ j

ˆ The poles are located at

 8
s
1+ =0
j
⇒ s8 = −(j)8

ˆ The poles are given by

jπ
sk = e 8 (2k+4−1) for
k = 1, . . . , 8

s1 = −0.382683 + j0.923879
Locations of the poles of H(s) and H(−s)

s2 = −0.923879 + j0.382683
Stable
s3 = −0.923879 − j0.382683

s4 = −0.382683 − j0.923879


s5 = 0.382683 − j0.923879


s6 = 0.923879 − j0.382683
Unstable
s7 = 0.923879 + j0.382683


s8 = 0.382683 + j0.923879


ˆ From the figure, the poles s1 to s4 lie on the left hand plane (stable poles),

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 School of Electrical and Information Engineering
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
ELEN3026A – Signals and Systems IIA (PT)

therefore
1
H(s) =
(s − s1 )(s − s2 )(s − s3 )(s − s4 )
1
=
(s + 0.383 − j0.924)(s + 0.924 − j0.383)(s + 0.924 + j0.383)(s + 0.383 + j0.924)
1
= 4
s + 2.613s + 3.414s2 + 2.613s + 1
3

ˆ Step 4: Determine the final filter transfer function H(s)

ˆ Since ωc = 10.693, by frequency scaling substitute s = s/10.693 into H(s)

ˆ Therefore H(s) is given by

1
H(s) =
4
3
2
s s s s


10.693
+ 2.613 10.693
+ 3.414 10.693
+ 2.613 10.693
+1

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