INSTRUMENTATION AND

CONTROL
(MCT 3224)

SIGNAL CONDITIONING :
PASSIVE FILTERS
Nadzril Sulaiman
Department of Mechatronics Engineering,
International Islamic University Malaysia

Content
Concept of filters
Low-pass filter
High-pass filter
Band-pass filter
Band-reject filter

Objectives of topic

Explain terms related to filter

Identify the circuit of different types
of filters
Explain the characteristics of each
type of filters
Design different types of filters
based on the design requirements

Soil sieving analogy

Introduction to filters

Filters pass, reject, and attenuate signals

at various frequencies

Characteristics of filters

Common types of filters:

Low-pass
- Allow low frequency signal; eliminate high frequency
signal

High-pass
- Allow high frequencies; eliminate low frequencies

Band-pass
- Allow/Pass some particular range of frequencies;
eliminate other frequencies outside that band

Band-rejection (Band-Stop)
- Stop a range of frequencies; pass all other
frequencies

Characteristics of filters
Ideal filters

Characteristics of filters
Practical filters

Important terms

fc

fc

Pass band frequencies passed

Stop band frequencies eliminated / attenuated
Cutoff Frequency, fc (critical @ corner frequency)
point in the stop band where frequencies have been
attenuated by 3 dB (or frequency at which gain =
0.707)

Important terms

Band width distance (in Hz) between 2 fc in

Band-pass and Band-reject (Band-stop) filters

Passive filter circuits

Low-pass filter

High-pass filte

Band-pass filter
Twin-T filter

Low-pass filter

Characteristics:
It blocks high frequencies and passes low
frequencies
All signals with frequency above some critical
value are simply
rejected

Design low-pass filter

Design Methods:
1) Find the cutoff frequency that will satisfy the
design
criteria
2) Select a standard value of C in F or pF
3) Calculate the value of R using equation of cutoff
frequency
* Choose another value of capacitor if the resistance
value is below 1k or above 1M

Design low-pass filter

Response of the low-pass

filter as a function of the
frequency ratio ( f/fc ).

fc 1

2RC

Vout
1

Vin
1 ( f / fc )2

Cutoff / critical frequencyVoltage ratio / Magnitude of TF

* f is the frequency of the signal under consideratio

Design low-pass filter

Example 1:
A

student measures signal from a

microphone. The
measured signal contains noise at 0.5MHz.
The desired information signal is at 400Hz.
Develop a low-pass RC filter to attenuate
the
noise by 97%.

High-pass filter

Characteristics:
It blocks low frequencies and passes high
frequencies
All signals with frequency below some critical value
are simply

Design high-pass filter

Design Methods:
1) Find the cutoff frequency that will satisfy the design
criteria
2) Select a standard value of C in F or pF
3) Calculate the value of R using equation of cutoff
frequency
* Choose another value of capacitor if the resistance
value is below 1k or above 1M

Design high-pass filter

Response of the high-pass

filter as a function of the
frequency ratio ( f/fc ).

fc 1

2RC

Vout
( f / fc )

Vin
1 ( f / fc )2

Cutoff / critical frequency Voltage ratio / Magnitude of T

* f is the frequency of the signal under considera

Design high-pass filter

Example 2:
Pulses for a stepping motor are being
transmitted at
2000 Hz, in which at this frequency the
output is
attenuated by 3dB . Design a filter to
reduce the
noise that present at 60Hz.

Band-pass filter

Characteristics:
A low-pass filter followed by a high-pass filter
Blocks frequency below low limit and above high
limit
Frequencies between limits are passed

Design band-pass filter

Design Methods:
1) Find fL and fH that will satisfy the design criteria
2) Select a standard value of R that will satisfy the
limit
(RH / RL < 0.01)
3) Calculate the value of C using equation of cutoff
frequency
* Choose another value of resistor if the capacitor value
is
not in the F or F range

Design band-pass filter

1
fL
2RH C H
1
fH
2RL C L

Vout

Vin

fH f

f H f L f L (1 RH / RL ) f H f 2
2

* Resistor ratio, RH / RL must be kept belo

Design band-pass filter

Example 3:
A signal conditioning system use a frequency
variation
from 6 kHz to 60 kHz to carry measurement
information.
There is considerable noise at 120 Hz and at 1 MHz.
Design a band-pass filter to reduce the noise by 90%.

Design band-reject filter

(Twin-T)
Design Method:

1) Find cutoff frequency that will satisfy the

design
criteria.
2) Select a standard value of C in F or pF
3) Calculate the value of R using equation of
cutoff
frequency

fc 1

2RC

Design band-reject filter

(Twin-T)
Design Method:

4) Calculate the value of grounding

components, R1 and C1 using the
respective equation

R1 R / 10
C1 10C /

Design band-reject filter

(Twin-T)
Example 4 :
A single line is multiplexed to carry sensor
signal in a
frequency range below 1kHz and
communication signals
ranging from 10kHz to 50kHz. There is a large
noise
component at 4.5kHz from a turbine in the
plant.
Design a twin-T notch filter to attenuate the
4.5kHz noise.

Filter-end