Passive Electronic Components and Circuits

Laboratory 9

Low-pass (LPF) and High-pass (HPF) filters

Objective:

o Study the characteristics of passive filters by obtaining the frequency response of Low-
Pass RC and RL filters and High-Pass RC and RL filters,
o Implement a Low-Pass RC filter and an High-Pass RC filter.

Equipment:

o Digilent Electronics Explorer Board,

o Digital Multimeter,
o Resistors,
o Capacitors,
o Inductors.

Theoretical support:
o Laboratory 3;
o Lecture 3 (Microsoft Power Point Support):
 Logarithmic representation of electrical quantities,
 Using logarithms in techniques,
 Characterization of electrical quantities by a logarithmic ratio,
 Double logarithmic representations,
 Bode logarithmic representations,
 Signals levels.
o Lecture 6 (Microsoft Power Point Support):
 Capacitance as a circuit element,
 DC behavior,
 AC behavior,
 RC low-pass filter,
 RC high-pass filter.
o Lecture 8 (Microsoft Power Point Support):
 Inductance as a circuit element,
 DC behavior,

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 AC behavior,
 RC low-pass filter,
 RC high-pass filter,

Prelab:

1. Characterize the Low-pass RC and RL filters:

a. Determine the transfer function,
b. Determine the cut-off frequency,
c. Draw the equivalent circuit,
d. Determine the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic
scale of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.
2. Characterize the High-pass RC and RL filters:
a. Determine the transfer function,
b. Determine the cut-off frequency,
c. Draw the equivalent circuit,
d. Determine the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic
scale of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.
3. Characterize the behavior of a capacitor at high frequency and DC.
4. Characterize the behavior of an inductor at high frequency and DC.

Problems:

1. The following circuit is given:

vo

Fig.1. Low-pass RC filter.

For R=1.6kΩ, C=1nF:

a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

For R=1kΩ, C=320µF:

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a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

2. The following circuit is given:

vo

Fig.2. High-pass RC filter.

For R=1.6kΩ, C=1nF:

a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

For R=1kΩ, C=320µF:

a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.
3. The following circuit is given:

vo

Fig.3. Low-pass RC filter.

For R=1.6kΩ, L=320mH:

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a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

For R=1kΩ, L=160µH:

a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

4. The following circuit is given:

vo

Fig.4. High-pass RC filter.

For R=1.6kΩ, L=320mH:

a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

For R=1kΩ, L=160µH:

a. Compute the cut-off frequency,

b. Compute the transfer function,
c. Compute the frequency characteristics: representation at double logarithmic scale
of the amplitude module and single logarithmic representation of the phase.

Procedure:

A. Low-pass RC Filter
a. Set up the circuit shown in the Figure 1 with the component values R=1kΩ and
C=1µF. Switch on the Digilent Electronics Board Power Supply.

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b. Select the application “Arbitrary Waveform Generator” from the Waveform

Generator Menu and apply a 5V peak-to-peak sinusoidal wave as input voltage to
the circuit.
c. Select the application “Scope” from the Waveform Generator menu. Make sure
the input signal is read on channel 1 of the Scope module, the output signal on
channel 2, and the “Base” Time and “Range” are properly set. Also, using
Kirchhoff’s laws, determine the mathematical equation that describe the signal
vR(t). Using this relationship, plot on the Mathematical channel this signal.
d. Start with a low frequency i.e. 50Hz and measure the output voltage peak to peak
from the Oscilloscope screen. It should be same as the input signal. Vary the
frequency until the peak to peak amplitude is 0.7Vinput. Adjust the time base of the
Oscilloscope accordingly to observe this.
e. Compute the 70% of the peak to peak amplitude and obtain the frequency at
which this occurs on the Oscilloscope. This gives the cut-off frequency of the
constructed Low-pass RC filter.
B. High-pass RC filter.
a. Set up the circuit shown in the Figure 1 with the component values R=1kΩ and
C=1µF. Switch on the Digilent Electronics Board Power Supply.
b. Select the application “Arbitrary Waveform Generator” from the Waveform
Generator Menu and apply a 5V peak-to-peak sinusoidal wave as input voltage to
the circuit.
c. Select the application “Scope” from the Waveform Generator menu. Make sure
the input signal is read on channel 1 of the Scope module, the output signal on
channel 2, and the “Base” Time and “Range” are properly set. Also, using
Kirchhoff’s laws, determine the mathematical equation that describe the signal
vR(t). Using this relationship, plot on the Mathematical channel this signal.
d. Start with a high frequency i.e. 50kHz and measure the output voltage peak to
peak from the Oscilloscope screen. It should be same as the input signal. Adjust
the time base of the Oscilloscope accordingly to observe this.
e. Compute the 70% of the peak to peak amplitude and obtain the frequency at
which this occurs on the Oscilloscope. This gives the cut-off frequency of the
constructed High-pass RC filter.

Questions for Lab Report:

1. Represent the Bode diagrams for the circuit represented at Section A, “Procedure”.
2. Represent the Bode diagrams for the circuit represented at Section B, “Procedure”.
3. Identify the circuit with inductance that performs the same function as the circuit
represented at Section A, “Procedure”.
4. Identify the circuit with inductance that performs the same function as the circuit
represented at Section B, “Procedure”.

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