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Mathematica Filter Design

This document describes a software package called MathFilters that is used to design analog filters. MathFilters uses Mathematica to perform the numerical computations required for filter design. It allows users to design filters through approximation techniques like Butterworth, Chebyshev, etc. or synthesis of passive ladder circuits or active cascaded biquad stages. Examples are provided to demonstrate the input/output windows and design of filters like lowpass, bandpass, and bandreject. The package provides a tool for teaching analog filter design through handling calculations and allowing users to focus on the design process.

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kemo_750252831
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63 views

Mathematica Filter Design

This document describes a software package called MathFilters that is used to design analog filters. MathFilters uses Mathematica to perform the numerical computations required for filter design. It allows users to design filters through approximation techniques like Butterworth, Chebyshev, etc. or synthesis of passive ladder circuits or active cascaded biquad stages. Examples are provided to demonstrate the input/output windows and design of filters like lowpass, bandpass, and bandreject. The package provides a tool for teaching analog filter design through handling calculations and allowing users to focus on the design process.

Uploaded by

kemo_750252831
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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An Analog Filter Design Software

Package Using Mathematica


DAVID BÁEZ-VILLEGAS and DAVID BÁEZ-LÓPEZ

Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, Universidad de las Américas-Puebla,


Cholula, Puebla, México
[email protected]

ABSTRACT video needs digital filters to reduce noise due


to coding and transmission through a noisy
In this paper a software package used to channel.
design analog filters is described. This filter Filter design is an intensive
design tool uses Mathematica from Wolfram computational task requiring a significant
Research as the numerical engine. This is amount of numerical calculations to obtain
called MathFilters. With this package, either the parameters of a filter transfer
students or practicing engineers should be function or the element values for a filter
able to do an analog filter design in a few circuit realization.
seconds, giving more attention to what it can On the other hand, computer usage
be done with a filter instead of getting lost in has reached every corner in everyday life.
endless cumbersome numerical calculations. Thus, computer software development has
Several examples showing how MathFilters become an important part of technological
works are included. This package runs on an development. An area that has been most
IBM-compatible PC under Windows 95 influenced by this development is education.
with Mathematica 3.0. Nowadays, there exists a large number of
software packages especially dedicated to
INTRODUCTION filter design, but they have several
drawbacks. One of the most important is
Electric filters have a relevant importance in that those packages have a very high price.
electronic systems because they are present This article describes a software
in almost any system [1]. For example, package whose purpose is to provide a tool
communicating systems make intensive use to be used as a teaching aid in analog filter
of filtering to separate unwanted noise from design courses. The feature of this package
the desired signal. Power supplies use filters is that it uses Mathematica [2] for the
to reject ripple and improve the dc signal numerical computations.
quality. Audio equalizers use filters to There are several advantages in
amplify or attenuate bands in the audio having a tool similar to the one described in
range to improve audio quality depending this article. First, it takes care of all the
upon room acoustical characteristics. Digital cumbersome calculations which do not
provide insight into the solution of the Mathematica 3.0
problem. Second, it allows students to Mathematica is a relatively new software
design a complete filter from specifications designed for technical computations.
by only giving the input data required and Produced by Wolfram Research, it first
selecting the desired output data. appeared in 1988. Since then, it has become
an important tool for engineers, scientists,
etc. [2,3].
MATHFILTERS

Fig. 2 MathFilters main menu


Fig. 1 MathFilters main window
Approximation Techniques
The approximation techniques used in
MathFilters is capable of handling MathFilters are the ones available almost in
the two fundamental problems of filter any filter design course, that is,
design: aproximation and synthesis. The Butterworth, Chebyshev, Inverse
available magnitude approximation include Chebyshev, Elliptic and Thomson. These
Butterworth, Chebyshev, Inverse approximation characteristics were chosen
Chebyshev, Elliptic and Thomson. For because they are some of the most
synthesis of the network, MathFilters has commonly used in textbooks dedicated to
the capability of obtaining either the passive analog filter design and also in applications
ladder circuit or a cascade of second order in industry. Figure 2 shows the main
stages (for an odd order there is a first-order window for MathFIlters. Figure 3 shows
stage) where the user has freedom to choose the input window to enter data for a
from a number of different configurations lowpass Butterworth filter.
such as Sallen-Key, multiple feedback, state
variable KHN, Tow-Thomas and the GIC Spectral Transformations
based biquad. Figure 1 is the presentation Calculations are first done for lowpass
window. filters. Spectral transformations are used to
obtain the desired parameters for highpass,
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND bandpass, and bandreject filters.
Thomson filters. The topology obtained is
the ladder one.

Fig. 3 Input window for a lowpass butterworth filter

Fig. 6 Passive realization window.

Active Filters
The cascade approach is used for active
filter design. There are several available
Fig. 4 Here the poles, zeroes and quadratic factors
can be obtained. topologies for the biquad stages: Sallen-Key,
multiple feedback and state variable KHN
and Tow-Thomas stages as well as the GIC-
based biquad.

Fig. 5 Output windows for the poles of a lowpass


butterworth filter.
Fig. 7 Input window for an active design Sallen-Key
Passive Filters design 1.
Passive Filter design is available for
Butterworth, Chebyshev, Elliptic and Transfer Function Data
It is possible to obtain poles, zeroes and
quadratic factors, and the numerator and
denominator polynomials for the transfer
function. Magnitude, phase, and group
delay plots, as well as a pole and zero plots
can be obtained.Figs. 8, 9, and 10 show
typical windows. Figs. 11 and 12 show an
example for a 10th order Chebyshev
bandreject filter.

Fig. 10 Magnitude plot window.

Fig. 8 Transfer function window.

Fig. 11. Example showing the magnitude for a 10th


order bandreject Chebyshev filter.

Fig. 9 Pole & Zero Plot window.

(a)
(b)
Fig. 12. Pole and zero plots for the bandreject
Chebyshev filter.
CONCLUSIONS

In this article we presented a description of


a software package that can be used to
design analog filters that is named
MathFilters. This package can be used in
the classroom or by practicing engineers. It
is user friendly and can be used with any
IBM-compatible computer with Windows
95 and Mathematica 3.0. Examples showed
the main characteristics of MathFilters.

REFERENCES

[1] L. P. Huelsman; Active and Passive


Analog Filter Design; Mc Graw Hill; 1993.
[2] S. Wolfram, The Mathematica Book;
Cambridge Press; 1996.
[3] J. Gray, Mastering Mathematica; AP
Professional; 1994.

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