/ Wentworth Institute of Technology Name:
Department of Electronics and Mechanical Date:

ELEC 195 - Circuits Theory II

Experiment 10

RC Low-Pass

Objective:

1.  To become familiar with the characteristics of passive Low-pass filters.

2.  To analyze the frequency response of RC Low-pass filters.

3.  To find the cutoff frequency experimentally and comparing the experimental value with the theoretical value.

Equipment Required:

Resistors: 1K W Jumpers

Capacitors: 0.1mF A breadboard

Leads BNC connectors

Resume of Theory:

Passive filters are constructed using resistors, capacitors and inductors, but no active devices such as transistors and operational amplifiers. A low-pass filter is an electronic device, which rejects high frequencies and passes lower frequencies. The figure shown below is a passive RC filter.

Procedure:

a)  Construct the network shown below, and find the measured value of the resistor and the capacitor.

R measured = ______

C measured = ______

b)  Write an equation for Vo in terms of Vi.

Vo = ______

Then establish the ratio V0/Vi in magnitude and phase form (polar form).

V0/Vi = ______

The condition R = Xc establishes the low cutoff frequency. Write an equation for frequency that establishes this condition. Show the derivation.

fc = ______

Using the measured resistor and capacitor values, calculate the cutoff frequency

fc = ______

c)  Set the function generator to sinusoidal waveform 8 Vp-p, and complete the following table.

Frequency (KHz) / Vo(p-p) (volts) /
0.1
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
8.0
10
12
14
16
18
20
40
60
100

d)  Using Microsoft Excel or any other computer program of your choice Plot Av versus frequency.

e)  Draw a horizontal dashed line at 0.707 level and determine the frequency at which the line intersects with the curve. Record the cutoff frequency.

fc = ______

How does it compare to the predicted level calculated in part b?

Using Pspice or Electronic Work Bench computer program, simulate the frequency response of the low-pass filter and compare them with experimental data.

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