FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

LAB SHEET

CIRCUITS AND SIGNALS

EEL 2186
TRIMESTER 1 (2014/2015)

SIG2-Circuit analysis using ORCAD PSpice

EEL2186: Circuit and Signals SIG2

Experiment SIG2: Circuit analysis using ORCAD Pspice

PRECAUTIONARY STEPS:

1. Read this experiment sheet thoroughly and carefully before coming to your lab session.
2. Take precautions for safety. Also handle equipment carefully to prevent any damages.
3. Try to get as much of the analysis done during the lab session.
4. Close all running programs other than the OrCAD-PSpice program.
5. Seek the approval of your results for each part of the experiment from your lab supervisor
before moving to the next one.
6. The lab report should include the graphs, calculations of the resistance values of Part 4.0,
comments and analysis of the findings.
7. Appendix A on page 5 provides some guidelines and examples on how to solve Part 4.0.

1.0 Objectives:

(i) To understand the concept of electronic circuit simulation using a software like
OrCAD-Pspice
(ii) To design passive and active low pass filter circuits for various orders.
(iii) To apply the simulation conditions for passive and active low pass filter circuits for
AC sweep analysis.
(iv) To analyze the simulation results for passive and active low pass filter circuits.
(v) To evaluate the performances of active Butterworth and Chebyshev low pass filter
circuits from the simulation results
(vi) To prepare report from the simulation results of the design of active Butterworth and
Chebyshev low pass filter circuits

2.0 Introduction:

Methods of circuit analysis vary widely depending on the complexity of the problem.
Whereas some circuits require nothing more complicated than the writing of a single
equation for their solution, others may require several equations to be solved simultaneously.
When the response of a circuit is to be performed over a wide range of frequencies, the work
is often both tedious and time consuming. In many cases, the problem to be solved requires
that the students have an understanding of which basic laws and principles are involved in the
solution. In some cases, if the topology of a network is known, along with complete
descriptions of the circuit elements, computer programs can be used to perform the analysis.
Such programs have been under development for several decades. Dr.Spice and OrCAD-
PSpice are among the powerful programs that are capable of solving many types of electrical
networks under a variety of conditions.

2/7
EEL2186: Circuit and Signals SIG2

3.0 Procedure:
Start OrCAD-Pspice A/D
Click start  Programs  OrCAD demo  Capture CIS demo

Part I: Variable Component Sweep Analysis

Step 1: From the menu bar click: File  New  project
Step 2: Put name as “Project I”  select “Analog Mixed-signal circuit wizard” OK. (For
the circuit as in Figure 1)

PARAMETERS:
Resistance = 20
R1 L1
out
Resistance 10mH
IC = -90mA

C1
2u , IC = 10v
0
Figure 1
Step 3: Add these functions to your library:
(Analog ; Source ; Special ; Sourcstm & Eval) .
Step 4: Draw the circuit as shown in Figure 1: Components needed are as follows:
 Analog (R-var, L , C)
 Special (PARAM)
 Ground (0/source). {from the vertical menu}
 Output (Offpageleft-R). {from the vertical menu “<<C” }
Step 5: Key in values:
 Key in “Resistance” as value for R1
 Capacitor “2u”  double click capacitor  key in 10 V into IC block (10 V as initial
condition)  highlight IC  click display  click “Display name and value” 
close sub-window
 Inductor “10 mH”  double click inductor  key in –90 mA into IC block (-90 mA
as initial condition)  highlight IC  click display  click “Display name and
value”  close sub-window
 Change the text “Offpageleft-R” to “Out”
Step 6: Key in reference
 Double click “PARAMETERS” (A new window will be pop up)
 Click new  name “Resistance”  key in “20” into resistance block  Highlight
resistance block  click “display”  click “Display name and value”  close sub-
window
Step 7: Simulation
 Click “Pspice” from menu  new simulation profile  give any name  click
“create”  choose “Time domain”  Run to time “2 ms”  click the box parametric
sweep  choose global parameter  parameter name “Resistance”  start value
“20”  End value “100”  increment “20”  click “OK”
 Click the small triangular icon to run the simulation
 Click add trace Icon  click Vout

3/7
EEL2186: Circuit and Signals SIG2

Step 8: Results
 A simulation result shows the transient response with difference value of resistance R
Step 9: OPTIONS
 Click FFT icon to see the frequency domain picture
 Change the increment to a small value to see more patterns

Part II: Design of Passive Low Pass Filter

Step 1: Open a new project named project 2 for the circuit Figure 2.

R1 L1
Out
10 10mH

V1 10Vac C1
1000u
0
Figure 2
Step 2: Instruct OrCAD to perform AC Sweep analysis with a frequency sweep variable that
is to be varied from 1Hz to 1 KHz at 100 points.
Step 3: Run simulation.
Step 4: Click trace  click Vout.
Step 5: A result of low pass filter is displayed.

Part III: Design of 1st Order Butterworth Low Pass Filter

Step 1: Open a new project named project 3 for the circuit in Figure 3.
VCC+

R1

820
1Vac V1 7 V+ 5
+ VCC+ VCC-
3
A741 6
0 out
2 1
- 4 V-
15Vdc V2 15Vdc V3

C1 0.01u
0 0
VCC-
0
Figure 3

Step 2: Instruct OrCAD to perform AC Sweep analysis with a frequency sweep variable that
is to be varied from 500 Hz to 500 KHz at 1000 points.
Step 3: Run simulation.
Step 4: Click trace  click Vout.
Step 5: A result of low pass filter is displayed.
*μA741 can be selected from the Eval library.

4/7
EEL2186: Circuit and Signals SIG2

4.0 Laboratory Assignment

Second order low pass filter

Table 1: Higher order low pass filter parameters.

1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage Overall pass-
Order
RB/RA f’ RB/RA f’ RB/RA f’ band gain (dB)
Butterworth 00
3 - 1 1.000 1 - - 6.0
4 0.152 1 1.235 1 - - 8.2
5 - 1 0.382 1 1.382 1 10.3
6 0.068 1 0.586 1 1.482 1 12.5
2dB Chebyshev
3 - 0.322 1.608 0.913 - - 8.3
4 0.924 0.466 1.782 0.946 - - 14.6
5 - 0.223 1.437 0.624 1.862 0.964 16.9
6 0.879 0.321 1.637 0.727 1.901 0.976 23.2
Note: Normalized cut-off frequency, f’ = 1/[2RC  desired cut-off frequency]

(i) Design a 1st, 3rd and 5th order Butterworth low pass filter using Table 1. The cut-off
frequency is 20 kHz. All calculations must be shown. The schematic of all three filters
together with their frequency responses must be attached in the report.

(ii) Design a 1st, 3rd and 5th order 2db roll-off Chebyshev low pass filter using Table 1. The
cut-off frequency is 20 kHz. All calculations must be shown. The schematic of all three
filters together with their frequency responses must be attached in the report.

(iii) Analyze the Butterworth and Chebyshev filter responses. Describe the characteristics of
each filter. Write your conclusion.

5/7
EEL2186: Circuit and Signals SIG2

Appendix A

Guidelines for Part 4.0:

 Higher-order filters may be constructed by cascading a combination of 1st and 2nd order
filter sections (stages). The basic structure of 1st order and 2nd order low pass filter
sections is shown in Figure A1:

RA RB
Vo
Vo Vi
Vi

Figure A1a: 1st order low pass filter network. Figure A1b: 2nd order low pass filter network

 The block diagrams in Figure A2 illustrate the schemes for a higher-order low pass filter.
Odd-order filters are obtained by cascading a 1 st order section with one or more 2nd order
sections. For example, a 5th order low pass filter can be built by cascading a 1 st order
section with two 2nd order sections.

1st order 2nd order

3rd Order Filter

1st order 2nd order 2nd order

5th Order Filter
Figure A2: Block diagram illustrating the higher-order low pass filters

 The values and parameters in Table 1 can be used to design the required filters in your
assignment. Apply the following relationship:
1
f
2RC  f c
where, fc, is the given cut-off frequency.

 Design examples:

1) Third order Butterworth filter:

To design a third order Butterworth low pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 19.4
kHz.
Set C = 0.01F for all the calculations.

6/7
EEL2186: Circuit and Signals SIG2

By referring to Table 1, it is simple to determine that the selected resistance value

should be 820 for all 1st and 2nd stages of filters.
1
R  820
2  0.01  19.4k
2) Fifth order Butterworth filter:
To design a fifth order Butterworth low pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 19.4
kHz.
Set C = 0.01F in all the calculations.
By referring to Table 1, you can determine the suitable resistance values.

3) Third order Chebyshev filter

To design a third order Chebyshev low pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 21.4 kHz.
Set C = 0.01F in all the calculations.
The first stage of the resistance value is calculated as follows:
1
R  2310  2200
2  0.01  21.4k  0.322
By referring to Table 1, you can determine the suitable resistance values.

4) Fifth order Chebyshev filter

To design a fifth order Chebyshev low pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 20.1 kHz.
Set C = 0.01F in all the calculations.
The first stage of the resistance value is calculated as follows:
1
R  3551  3600
2  0.01  20.1k  0.223
By referring to Table 1, you can determine the suitable resistance values.

7/7