INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANIPUR

Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering

EC111: Basic Electronics Lab
Dr Nagesh Ch, Kanchana Katta & Ranita Khumukcham

Experiment 7: First Order Filters

Objective: Designing a Active Low Pass Filter, Active High Pass Filter and Active Band Pass
Filter.

Materials Required
1. Breadboard.

2. Equipment: Multi-output DC Power Supply, Function Generator, Oscilloscope.

3. Components:

• Op-Amp: Two - LM741 (2 nos).

• Resistor: Four - 470 Ω (1 no), 1 kΩ (2 nos), 10 kΩ (1 no).
• Capacitor: Two - 0.1 µF, 10 µF.

I General Guidelines/Prequations:
1. The op-amp generally works on split power supply (e.g. ± 12 V). Both positive and negative
power supplies must be present whenever op-amp is powered. The range of power supply is
from ± 5 V to ± 15 V. Do not forget to connect the common terminal of the power supply
to the ground on the breadboard.

2. Connecting only one side of power supply or interchanging positive and negative power
supplies damages the op-amp.

3. For connecting power supply, you have to follow the procedure as given below.

(a) Disconnect the power supply to op-amps.

(b) Switch on the power supply.
(c) Set the output voltage as required (e.g. ± 12 V).
(d) Switch off the power supply.
(e) Connect the power supply to op-amps.
(f) Switch on the power supply.

4. For any IC, never exceed the input voltage beyond the power supply limits.
 5. Keep ground terminals of the oscilloscope probes and function generator output, and power
supply common connected together throughout the experiment.

6. Make sure that the power lines in the breadboard given on the top and bottom for the power
supply must be used and from their you connect to the other parts of the circuit.

7. Switch off the supply to all the equipments before you make any changes in the circuit.

II Active RC Filters
A filter is a circuit that has designed to pass a specified band of frequencies while attenuating all
signals outside the band.
Active filters employ transistors or op-amps in addition to resistors, capacitors and inductors.
Active filters offer several advantages over passive filters. The high input and low output resistance
of the op-amp, the active filter does not cause loading of the source or load.
A low pass filter has a pass band from 0 Hz to a high cut of f frequency fH . This cut off
frequency is defined as the frequency where the voltage gain is reduced to 0.707, that is at fH the
gain is down by 3 dB; after that (f > fH ) it decreases as f increases. The frequencies between 0
Hz and fH are called pass band frequencies, whereas the frequencies beyond fH are the so-called
stop band frequencies. A common use of a low pass filter is to remove noise or other unwanted
high frequency components in a signal for which you are only interested in the dc or low frequency
components.
Correspondingly, a high pass filter has a stop band for 0 < f < fL and where fL is the low cut
off frequency. A common use for a high pass filter is to remove the dc component of a signal for
which you are only interested in the ac components (such as an audio signal).
A bandpass filter has a pass band between two cut off frequencies fH and fL (fH > fL ), and two
stop bands 0 < f < fL and f > fH . The bandwidth of a bandpass filter is equal to fH - fL .

II.I Active Low Pass Filter

RF = 10 K

+12 Offset Null 1 8 NC

R=1K
− 7 Inverting I/P 2 7 V+
2 V+ Non-inverting
I/P 3 6 Output
6 Vo
+
3 V-
4 V- 4 5 Offset Null
-12
R2 = 470 Ω
Vi C2 = 0.1 µF

Fig. 1: Active Low Pass Filter

Observations:
 1. Measure the power supply ± 12 V from the bread board power lines with respect to ground
using multimeter.

2. Fig. 1 shows a high pass filter. Connect the circuit and make sure the power supply (± 12
V) ground is connected to circuit to circuit ground.

3. Apply a sinusoidal signal of 150 mVp as a input to the circuit from a function generator,
and vary the input signal frequency (f) from 10 Hz to 30 KHz. Observe the output voltage
corresponding to the input voltage at different frequencies like 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 KHz, 5 KHz,
10 KHz, 15 KHz, 17 KHz, 18 KHz, 19 KHz, 20 KHz, 21 KHz, 22 KHz, 23 KHz, 25 KHz and
30 KHz.

4. Observe the input voltage Vi and output voltage Vo together on the oscilloscope.

5. Draw the frequency response curve (Gain in dB vs f).

6. Calculate the higher cut of f frequency fH and compare with the theoretical value.
Note:

(a) What is the output voltage for DC input voltage of 300 mV.
(b) Gain in dB Av = 20log VVoi

II.II Active High Pass Filter

RF = 10 K

+12
R=1K
− 7
2 V+
6 Vo
+
3 V-
4
-12
C1 = 10 µF
Vi R1 = 1 K

Fig. 2: Active High Pass Filter

Observations:

1. Assemble the circuit as shown in Fig. 2. Make sure the power supply (± 12 V) ground is
connected to circuit to circuit ground.

2. Apply a sinusoidal signal of 150 mVp as a input to the circuit from a function generator, and
vary the input signal frequency (f) from 10 Hz Hz to 30 KHz. Observe the output voltage
corresponding to the input voltage at different frequencies like 10 Hz, 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 500 Hz,
1 KHz, 5 KHz, 10 KHz, 15 KHz, 20 Khz, 25 KHz and 30 KHz.
 3. Observe the input voltage Vi and output voltage Vo together on the oscilloscope.

4. Draw the frequency response curve (Gain in dB vs f).

5. Calculate the lower cut of f frequency fL and compare with the theoretical value.
Note:

(a) What could be the maximum closed loop gain so that the bandwidth of the op-amp will
be at least 20 KHz (GB = 1.5 MHz).

II.III Active Band Pass Filter

RF = 10 K
+12
− 7
2 V+
+12
R=1K
− 7 3 6 Vo
2 V+ Vo1 + V-
4
6 -12
R2 = 470 Ω
+
3 V-
4 C2 = 0.1 µF
-12
C1 = 10 µF
Vi R1 = 1 K

Fig. 3: Active Band Pass Filter

Observations:

1. Assemble the circuit as shown in Fig. 2. Make sure the power supply (± 12 V) ground is
connected to circuit to circuit ground.

2. Apply a sinusoidal signal of 150 mVp as a input to the circuit from a function generator,
and vary the input signal frequency (f) from 10 Hz to 30 KHz. Observe the output voltage
corresponding to the input voltage at different frequencies like 10 Hz, 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 500
Hz, 1 KHz, 5 KHz, 10 KHz, 15 KHz, 17 KHz, 18 KHz, 19 KHz, 20 KHz, 21 KHz, 22 KHz,
23 KHz, 25 KHz and 30 KHz.

3. Observe the input voltage Vi and output voltage Vo together on the oscilloscope.

4. Draw the frequency response curve (Gain in dB vs f).

5. Calculate the pass band frequency range fL ≤f≤fH and compare with the theoretical value.

Important Note: Pre observation reading - Determine the appropriate theoretical values and
draw the expected waveforms.