Chapter 14

Frequency Response
Chapter Objectives:
Understand the Concept of Transfer Functions.
Be Familiar with the Decibel Scale.
Learn how to make Bode Magnitude and Phase plots.
Learn about series and parallel resonant RLC circuits.
Know Different Types of Passive and Active Filters and their
Characteristics.
Understand the use of scaling in circuit analysis.
Be Able to use PSpice to obtain frequency response.
Apply what is learnt to radio receiver and touch-tone telephone.

Huseyin Bilgekul
Eeng 224 Circuit Theory II
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Eastern Mediterranean University

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FREQUENCY RESPONSE

What is Frequency Response of a Circuit?

It is the variation in a circuits
behavior with change in signal
frequency and may also be
considered as the variation of the gain
and phase with frequency.

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TRANSFER FUNCTION
The transfer function H() of a circuit is the is the frequency dependent ratio of the
phasor output Y() to a phasor input X().
Considered input and output may be either the current or the voltage variable.
4 types of possible transfer functions.

Y( )
H( )
X( )
= H( ) |
Vo ( )
I i ( )

V ( )
H( ) Voltage gain o
Vi ( )

H( ) Transfer Impedance

I o ( )
H( ) Current gain
Ii ( )

I o ( )
H( ) Transfer Admittance
Vi ( )
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TRANSFER FUNCTION of Low-pass RC Circuit

R=20 k
C=1200 pF

At low frequencies

At high frequencies

Magnitude plot for a low-pass filter

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TRANSFER FUNCTION of Low-pass RC Circuit

R=20 k
C=1200 pF

At low frequencies

At high frequencies

Phase plot for a low-pass filter

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TRANSFER FUNCTION of High-pass RC Circuit

R=20 k
C=1200 pF
At high frequencies

At low frequencies

Magnitude plot for a high-pass filter

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TRANSFER FUNCTION of High-pass RC Circuit

R=20 k
C=1200 pF

Magnitude plot for a high-pass filter

At high frequencies

At low frequencies

Phase plot for high-pass filter

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TRANSFER FUNCTION of a Band-pass RC Circuit

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Frequency Response of the RC Circuit

a) Time Domain RC Circuit

b) Frequency Domain RC Circuit

1
V ( )
1
jC
H ( ) o

Transfer Function
Vs ( ) R 1
1 j RC
jC
1
H ( )
Magnitude Response
2
1 ( )
o

( ) H ( ) tan 1
Where o

1
RC

Phase Response

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Drawing Frequency Response of RC Circuit

Low Pass Filter

1
H ( )
1 (

)2

a) Amplitude Response

( ) H ( ) tan 1

b) Phase Response

The frequency value of o is of special interest.

Because output is considerable only at low values of frequency, the circuit is also
called a LOW PASS FILTER.
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10

HIGH Pass Filter

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11

TRANSFER FUNCTION
The transfer function H() can be expressed in terms of its numerator polynomial
N() and its denominator polynomial D().

N ( )
H ( )
D( )

The roots of N()=0 are called ZEROS of H() (j=z , z , z , .).

1

Similarly The roots of D()=0 are called POLES of H() (j=p1, p2, p3, .).
A zero as a root of the numerator polynomial, results in a zero value of the transfer
function. A pole as a root of the denominator polynomial, results in an infinite value
of the transfer function.
2

j 2 1
j

K ( j ) 1
1

K
z

1
k
k

N ( )

H ( )

2
D( )
1 j 1 j 2 1 j K

p1
n
n

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12

s=j

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13

0.5Vx

Vx

0.5Vx

Vx

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14