Experiment # 3

EE 312 Basic Electronic Instrument Laboratory

September 13, 2000
See Lecture 5 Filters on 1999 EE 312/352 Website
www.ee.buffalo.edu/~whalen/ee352

Objectives:
Design and assemble of ResistanceCapacitance (RC) and ResistanceInductance (RL) filters.
Measure the frequency response
(magnitude & phase) of RC and RL filters.
Examine the time-domain responses of
these filters to a square-wave voltage .

Background:
Impedance

R
j

C
j L

High-Pass RC Filter

R
Low-Pass RC Filter

High
Low

Low Pass RL Filter

High-Pass RL Filter

Low

jL

High

Example: Low-Pass RC Filter

Vin(t)

Vout(t)

j
C

time
0

time

Low-Pass RC Filter

Vin(t)

Vout(t)
R

j
C

time

Vout (t )
A( t )
Vin (t )

&

time

Phase shift

Calculation for a High Pass Filter

(Steady State Response)

1
XC
2 f C
Vout
R

Vin
R jX C

R jX C
R
(
)
R jX C
R jX C
R2

R
( R jXC )
2
XC

1
XC

(1 j
)
XC 2
R
1 (
)
R

R
-jXc

but

Xc
1

R 2fCR

Define crossover frequency, fx, as

1
fx
2RC
Then

fx, roughly speaking, is the

frequency that separate the
frequency range for which a
filter passes signals from the
range for which the filter
attenuates signals

Xc fx

R
f
so

Vout
1
fx

(1 j )
Vin 1 ( fx )2
f
f

First, look at this factor

fx
1 j ?
f
fx 2
fx 2
1 ( ) cos j 1 ( ) sin
f
f
fx 2
1 ( ) (cos j sin )
f
fx 2
j
1 ( ) e
f

fx
f

1
fx
tan
f

Phase shift

fx
tan ( )
f
1

fx 2
1 ( )
f

so:

or

Vout
1
fx 2 j

1 ( ) e
Vin 1 ( fx )2
f
f
Vout
1
j

e
fx 2
Vin
1 ( )
f
Amplitude

Phase

Vout

Vin

When f >> fx, Amplitude

e j

fx 2
1 ( )
f
1,

Thus, this is high pass

When f << fx, Amplitude

0,

90

Low frequencies are blocked

Step Response
Low-Pass

High-Pass
Vin

Vin

Vout

Vin

Vin

Vout

Vout

Voltage on capacitor cannot

change instantaneously. So
Vout = Vin initially.

Vout

Voltage on capacitor cannot

change instantaneously. So Vout
= 0 initially.

Fall Time & Time Constant

( )

Vout

1.0
0.9

100%
90%

1/e~37%

0.1

t
RC

RC

10%
time
Fall Time

Relationship Between Time Constant T & Rise-Time or Fall-Time

T = RC or L/R
Rise-Time (Fall-Time) = T X ln9 = 2.2T

Components:
Resistor Substitution Box
Capacitor Substitution Box
1 mH Inductor
100 Ohms Resistor

Comment:
Function
Generator

Oscillator

Filter

oscilloscope

Scope

FG has 50 ohm internal resistance- keep R high enough so that

crossover freq. has no more than a 10% dependence upon it. e. g. R >
500 ohm
CRO has 1 M input impedance - keep R low enough so that crossover
freq has no more than a 10% dependence upon it. R < 100k

Choose C so that crossover frequency fx = 1/(2RC) is well within

FG frequency range. E.G. fx ~ 3 kHz.

Procedures:
1- Determine internal impedance of the function
generator which is expected to be ~50 ohms
2- Measure low-pass RC filters characteristics
3- Measure low-pass RL filters characteristics
4- Simulate RC & RL low-pass filters (Bell 242)
5-Measure time constant and fall time in a highpass RC filter using a square wave
6- Measure time constant and rise time in a lowpass RL filter using a square wave

1- Internal Impedance of Function Generator

Rinternal
Function
Generator

RLoad

Filter impedance >> Generator impedance

Rload > 10 X Rinternal

Step 1- Set Vp-p=10V

Rinternal

Function
Generator

oscilloscope

1M

Step 2- Measure the decreased amplitude of

the output signal and Ix with 100 ohms
resistor
Rinternal
Function
Generator

Step 3- Determine Rinternal

100

Ix

oscilloscope

2- Low-Pass RC Filter
CRO CH1

CRO CH2

R
C

Assemble a low-pass RC filter having a Crossover

frequency of about 3 kHz

1
fx
2RC

CRO CH1

CRO CH2

Vout

Vp-p=10V

a)

Frequency Vout
.
.

fx
.
.

b)
Use Digital CRO to
readout directly phase
difference between input
and output

3- Low-Pass RL Filter
L=1 mH

Vin ~

Vout

Repeat the procedure in step 2 for

an appropriate crossover frequency
in the range 100 kHz to 150 kHz.

4- Simulation

(PSpice)

Simulate the RC and RL low-pass filters

in parts 2 and 3. Do so in Bell 242.
Perform an ac sweep between frequencies
of 1Hz and 1 MHz (or from fx/100 to 100
fx) with 20 to 50 data points per decade.
Display experimental and PSPICE values
for the magnitude (dB) and phase of the
output voltage on the same graph.

5- Time Constant and Fall Time in a High-Pass RC Filter

C
Vout
Vin

to oscilloscope

Measure the time constant and fall time.

Use Digital CRO to readout directly fall time.
Use Digital CRO Cursors to determine T =
RC

6- Time Constant & Rise Time in a Low-Pass RL Filter

L=1 mH

Vin

Vout

Measure the time constant and fall time.

Use Digital CRO to readout directly fall time.
Use Digital CRO Cursors to determine T = L/R