LAB BACKGROUND

Electronic Filter Design is something that is very important in Radio Frequency

Systems. Interface networks such as low pass, high pass, band pass, and band stop are all
forms of the various filters available to design in communications technology. SAW
filters (surface acoustic wave) are one such way to implement these designs. A Surface
Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter is an electromechanical device made of piezoelectric crystal
or ceramic that converts an electric signal into a mechanical one through the physics of
Youngs Modulus and mechanical stress. The wave, on the other side of the SAW filter, is
then converted back into an electronic signal by electrodes.
A brief synopsis of how these devices work is an electromagnetic wave comes in
applying a force to the atoms in the material surrounding it. The material referenced
consists of two interdigital transducers on the piezoelectric substrate (i.e. quartz). As the
wave passes through the material, each atom traces out an elliptical path, repeating the
path for each cycle of the wave motion.
It may seem odd to use an acoustic wave for an electronic application, but
acoustic waves have some particular properties that make them very attractive for
specialized purposes.
In this lab, a SAWTEK 69.99 MHz SAW filter (Part Number 856199) was
analyzed and its specifications checked for accuracy. Specifications highlighted in the lab
were center frequency, max insertion loss, bandedges, source and load impedances, phase
linearity, and passband ripple.

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