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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

PASSIVE FILTERS

2021/2022

Aim: To construct passive filters in the lab with resistor and capacitors, observe their frequency
range, and verify their cut-off frequencies.
1.1 Introduction: Passive filters can be designed from passive components, in this case resistors
(R) and capacitors (C) only, to become low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, or band-stop. The
range of filtered frequencies can be modulated by tuning the values of the passive components.
A low-pass filter can be obtained from a simple R-C network in which the input AC voltage is
fed to a resistor that is in series with a capacitor ; one terminal of the capacitor is grounded,
while the other terminal is connected to the output. A diagram of the simple low-pass R-C filter
circuit is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Left panel – Low-pass R-C filter : Right panel – Frequency response

In a high-pass filter, in a series arrangement of the resistor and capacitor, the input voltage is
fed to the capacitor, one terminal of R is grounded while the other terminal is connected to the
output. A diagram of the simple high-pass C-R filter circuit is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Left panel – High-pass C-R filter : Right panel – Frequency response

Bandpass filters and bandstop filters can be obtained by choosing appropriate values of R and
C in a network in which a low-pass filter is in series with a high-pass filter.

1.2 PRE-LAB (MUST SUBMIT UPON ENTRY TO LAB SESSION)

a) For a Low-pass filter, analytically determine the following quantities.
𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡
i) The frequency response, (ω) = || 𝑉𝑖𝑛 || . It can be determined from the voltage

divider rule.
ii) The output phase shift as a function of frequency, ϕ(ω).

iii) The cut-off frequency ω𝑐, i.e. the frequency at which 𝐻(ω) = 1/ 2.
 iv) The output gain, in dB, at the cut-off frequency, by the formula: Gain (dB) = 20log
𝐻(ω).
b) For a high-pass filter, analytically determine the following quantities.

𝑉𝑜𝑢𝑡
v) The frequency response, (ω) = || 𝑉𝑖𝑛 || . It can be determined from the voltage
divider rule.
vi) The output phase shift as a function of frequency, ϕ(ω).
vii) The cut-off frequency ω𝑐, i.e. the frequency at which 𝐻(ω) = 1/ 2.
viii) The output gain, in dB, at the cut-off frequency, by the formula: Gain (dB) = 20log
𝐻(ω).

1.3 PRACTICAL PART

For the values of R and C provided in the lab:

● Construct on a breadboard a low-pass filter with one pair of R and C values, and a
high-pass filter with another pair of R and C values.
● Calculate the cut-off frequencies in class on your lab sheet.
● Set up electrical connections to an operating pulse generator, and an operating oscilloscope.
● For each passive circuit, measure and record the following three frequency response
quantities in your lab sheet. An estimate of the cut-off frequency ; the frequency at which
𝐻(ω) ≥ 90 % ; the frequency at which 𝐻(ω) ≤ 10 %. Put the 3 measured frequencies in a
table of frequency against frequency response.
● For the measured cut-off frequency in each passive circuit, determine the output gain (dB).