DESIGN SOFTWARE

FilterCAD 3.0 Simplies Filter Design and Implementation, Adds Support for Continuous Time Filters by Philip Karantzalis
FilterCAD 3.0 (FCAD) is the latest version of LTCs Microsoft Windows-based lter design and implementation program. FCAD 3.0 supports the design and implementation of lters based on Linear Technologys switched capacitor and continuous time (active RC) lter ICs (the previous version, FCAD 2.0, did not support the continuous time parts). FCAD 3.0 provides a quick and easy method for selecting from among Linear Technologys comprehensive line of analog lter ICs. FCAD reduces the complex process of designing and selecting an optimal lter to a sequence of mouse clicks. FCAD designs a lter response based on a users input of lter parameters and then implements that response as a practical circuit based
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.

on a Linear Technology lter IC. With FCAD you can design lowpass, highpass, bandpass and notch lters with a variety of responses, including Butterworth, Bessel, Chebyshev, elliptic and minimum Q elliptic. In addition, a custom lter can be designed to meet an arbitrary set of specications.

simple questions about your design and then offers you a selection of Linear Technologys lter ICs. For example, Figures 1 to 6 show the sequence of FCAD windows for the design and implementation of a lowpass lter with the following specications: J Cutoff Frequency = 20kHz J Stopband Attenuation = 40dB at 40kHz J DC Accurate J Low Power J Single 5V Supply Figure 1 shows FCADs start-up window with the default choice of Quick Design selected. When you select the Quick Design/Implement method, FCAD will attempt to nd a lter IC that meets your specication, but it will also suggest some ICs as practical implementations that should be considered even if they do not meet

Quick Design/ Implement Method

FCAD features a Quick Design/Implement method for obtaining quick answers to lter questions and an Enhanced Design/Implement method for comprehensive lter design and implementation choices. FCADs Enhanced Design/Implement method requires some knowledge and experience in analog lter design. The Quick Design/Implement method prompts you with a series of

Figure 1. FCADs initial screen, with the Quick Design option selected

Figure 2. Quick Design window 1: lter type selection (lowpass selected)

Linear Technology Magazine September 2000

15

DESIGN SOFTWARE

Figure 5. Quick Design window 4: power supply (5V supply and low power option selected)

Figure 3. Quick Design window 2: lter parameters (stopband attenuation = 40dB, passband frequency = 20kHz, stopband frequency = 40kHz)

Figure 4. Quick Design window 3: linear phase (not selected) and DC accuracy (selected)

Figure 6. Quick Design window 5: a variety of switched capacitor and continuous time solutions offered by FCAD (LTC1563-2 8th order Butterworth selected)

your specication exactly. FCAD displays windows with choices of lter types (lowpass, highpass, bandpass or notch), lter frequency characteristics (lter cutoff frequency and stopband attenuation) and specic implementation choices (DC accurate, power supply voltage and
16

current). Figures 2 through 6 show the sequence of windows for the Quick Design/Implement method. (Clicking the Next button advances your design through the sequence.) The window in Figure 6 displays a list of switched-capacitor and active RC devices. A few additional clicks on the

Next button leads to windows (not shown) for the choice of device package and lter clock (if the device is a switched capacitor IC) and a title for the lter design. FCAD then generates the lters circuit schematic and frequency- and transient-response charts.
Linear Technology Magazine September 2000

DESIGN SOFTWARE
parameters are derived from the poles and zeros of the lters transfer function in the s-domain; Consult FCADs Help Files for more information. The Enhanced Design window also allows you to test your lters time response to a step, pulse or sine-burst input, enter lter design notes and save a lter design le. After completing the design phase of the Enhanced Design/Implement method, proceed to the Enhanced Implement window by clicking on the parallel resistor button on the Enhanced Design window (shown in the upper left of Figure 7). Figure 8 shows FCADs Enhanced Implement window, which offers a choice of Switched Capacitor or Active RC lter ICs to implement the 50kHz bandpass lter shown design of Figure 7. In this case, an active RC implementation with Linear Technologys low noise LTC1562 universal lter building block (indicated by the button to the left of Active RC) has been selected. In the Enhanced Implement window, buttons are available for displaying the lters circuit schematic, the lters parameter report and saving a lter implementation le.

Custom Design Method

Figure 7. Enhanced Design window (top) and Frequency Response window (bottom) for a 50kHz, 8th order bandpass lter

Enhanced Design /Implement Method

FCADs Enhanced Design/Implement method allows the user to specify a lters type and frequency specications and then offers several lter designs based on standard lter responsesButterworth, Bessel, Chebyshev and elliptic. For example, Figure 7 shows the Enhanced Design window (top) with lter parameters and the resulting Frequency Response window (bottom) for an 8th order bandpass lter design. The bandpass lter design shown in Figure 7 is a 50kHz lter with an 8kHz
Linear Technology Magazine September 2000

passband and 50dB attenuation for a 40kHz stopband. A Butterworth response is chosen (indicated by the filled button to the left of Butterworth under Response. However, you can also choose a Bessel, Chebyshev or an elliptic design that will meet the lters specications. The optimum design choice depends on a lters specic application and the users analog lter design experience. The lters coefcients shown in the Enhanced Design window are listed as fo, Q and fn parameters. These

FCADs Enhanced Design/Implement method also provides for the design of arbitrary lter responses. In the Enhanced Design Window, selecting the Custom button under Response (see Figure 9) allows you to manually enter and/or edit fo, Q and fn values and 1st and 2nd order section types. You can then open a Frequency Response window to see the gain/phase or gain/group delay response of the lter parameters you entered in the Enhanced Design window. In the Frequency Response window, you can set up a Gain Response Template with arbitrary passband and stopband specications and then interactively edit the lter parameters (fo, Q, fn and types) in the Enhanced Design window until the lters gain curve ts the lters Gain Response Template. Then, in the Enhanced Implement window, you can select any available LTC lter IC,
17

DESIGN SOFTWARE
edit the cascade order of the 1st and 2nd order sections and also chose specic 1st and 2nd order circuits to meet your custom lter specications. Figure 9 shows the Frequency Response and Enhanced Design windows for an arbitrary 50kHz bandpass lter; the Frequency Response window (top) shows the lters Gain Response Template.

Conclusion
FilterCAD 3.0 can provide a solution for a great variety of lter specications; however, in the event that the program is unable to meet your needs, Linear Technologys lter applications staff is available to assist you in designing an optimal lter. Over the years, our involvement with customers has helped to shape LTCs lter product line and provided us with many different viewpoints on systems issues. We look forward to many more years of answering customer queries. FilterCAD 3.0 is available now on the Linear Technology web site: http:/ /www.linear -tech.com/ltc/ software/FilterCADv300.exe.

Figure 8. Enhanced Implement window for 50kHz, 8th order bandpass lter; LTC1562 continuous time solution selected

for the latest information on LTC products, visit www.linear-tech.com

Authors can be contacted at (408) 432-1900

Figure 9. Custom design: Frequency Response window with template (top), Enhanced Design window (bottom)

18

Linear Technology Magazine September 2000