Introduction to Wave Filter

Wave filters can be considered artificial transmission lines with lumped components as shown in these basic
wave filter circuit examples:

Input o-----UUUUUU-----o-----UUUUUU-----o-----UUUUUU-----o Output

L1/2 ¦ L1 ¦ L1/2
¦ ¦
C2 === C2 ===
¦ ¦
¦ ¦
Ground o----------------o----------------o----------------o Ground

Input o-------||-------o-------||-------o-------||-------o Output

2C1 ¦ C1 ¦ 2C1
$ $
L2 $ L2 $
$ $
¦ ¦
Ground o----------------o----------------o----------------o Ground

Wave filter component values are chosen to efficiently transmit current from input to output in a desired band
of frequencies while more or less completely suppressing transmission of current at all other frequencies.
Boundary frequencies between the transmission and suppression frequency bands are called cutoff frequencies.

Wave filters are divided into major classes named low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-elimination
according to the frequency bands they are designed to transmit and suppress. (Those classes also are known as
lowpass, highpass & bandpass.)

Inductive and capacitive elements of ideal wave filters would be pure reactances, but practical reactive
components always have dissipation losses due to resistance, so reactances in practical wave filters are never
pure. Element dissipation losses must be kept as small as reasonably practical by constructing wave filters with
high-Q components if it is desired to approach ideal wave filter characteristics.

These pages contain technical information and software to assist in the design of band-pass, low-pass and high-
pass wave filters:

 Band-Pass Simple Coil & Capacitor Band-Pass (Bandpass) Filters

 Low-Pass & High-Pass Simple, Coil & Capacitor, Low-Pass (Lowpass) & High-Pass
(Highpass), T & Pi Filters

a.Band-Pass Simple Coil & Capacitor Band-Pass (Bandpass) Filters

The majority of L & C filters consist of one or more cascaded basic L-C sections used in applications where a
small loss in the pass-band is of no consequence and frequencies of 'infinite' attenuation in the stop-band are
not required. E.g., simple, switchable, bandpass filters at the input of radio receivers or at the output of radio
transmitters where power-handling components may be needed.

This program assists with design of such simple filters without the operating inconvenience encountered when
using programs intended for designing more complicated filters. The two possible basic filter sections, T & Pi,
are computed. Note: T and Pi sections should not be cascaded with each other.
Input data are the pair of filter cut-off frequencies, terminating resistances, and the variable frequency at which
overall filter insertion loss between its terminations is computed. For simplicity, internal filter loss is neglected.
Internal loss depends on coil Q. It results in an increase in attenuation in the pass-band and a decrease in
attenuation in the stop-bands. To approximate the computed filter response coil Q must exceed the computed
minimum Q value although a useful band-pass response can be obtained at lower values.

Values of L uH and C pF components are output. A tolerance of +/- 5 or 10 percent will be adequate in many
cases where the bandwidth/mean-frequency ratio exceeds 0.25 When the ratio is less than 0.25, bandwidth may
be widened to ensure low attenuation over the whole required pass-band. Or variable preset L and C
components can be used. Insertion loss at band-edges is always 3.01 dB.

When coil Q is low and approaches 1/ratio, greater loss must be accepted in the pass-band and filter design
must be changed to the case of two over-coupled tuned circuits as for a double-tuned IF transformer.

Insertion loss is defined as that when the filter is inserted between generator and a termination both of the same
resistance as specified by the input data.

In the case of a Pi network, to obtain more feasible L and C component values, the filter section can be based
on a high value of terminating resistance and input and output connections can be tapped down the input/output
coils. By the same means the filter can be designed to operate between different impedances.

The impedance transforming ratio is proportional to the square of tapping-turns turns ratio on the end coils of
the Pi-section.

NOTE: For frequencies out-of-program-range, multiply/divide L & C by the frequency ratio.

b.Low-Pass & High-Pass Simple, Coil & Capacitor, Low-Pass (Lowpass) & High-Pass (Highpass), T & Pi
Filters

The majority of L & C filters consist of one or more cascaded basic L-C sections used in applications where
pass-band ripple and frequencies of infinite attenuation in the stop-bands are of no interest. E.g., simple power
supply smoothing filters and harmonic suppression filters following RF power amplifiers This program assists
with design of such simple filters without the operating inconveniences inherent in programs intended for more
sophisticated designs.

The four possible basic sections are computed simultaneously: Low-pass Pi, Low pass T, High-pass Pi and
High-pass T. (T sections cannot be cascaded with Pi.)

Input data is filter cut-off frequency, terminating impedance Ro, the number of basic sections in cascade and a
multiplier which sets the frequency at which the overall filter insertion-loss is to be computed.

Output data is total LuH and CpF per section. As with other networks and lines, Ro = Sqrt(L/C). Actual L and
C component values for the required cut-off frequency are shown on the four circuit diagrams. Insertion loss is
defined as that when the filter is inserted between generator and load, both of resistance Ro.