Passive integrator circuit

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Circuit 1
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 2

Passive integrator circuit is a simple quadripole consisting of two passive elements. It is also the simplest (first-order) low-pass filter.

We'll analyze only the first circuit, the second is absolutely similar.

Contents

[edit] Transfer function

A transfer ratio is a gain factor for the sinusoidal input signal with given frequency.

A transfer function shows the dependence of the transfer ratio from the signal frequency, given that the input signal is sinusoidal.

According to Ohm's law,

Y=X\frac{Z_C}{Z_C+Z_R}=X\frac{\frac{1}{j \omega C}}{\frac{1}{j \omega C}+R}=X\frac{1}{1+j \omega RC},


where X and Y are input and output signals' amplitudes respectively, and ZR and ZC are the resistor's and capacitor's impedances.
Therefore, the complex transfer function is

K(j \omega)=\frac{1}{1+j \omega RC}=\frac{1}{1+\frac{j \omega}{\omega_0}},


where

\omega_0=\frac{1}{RC}.

Amplitude transfer function

H(\omega)=|K(j \omega)|=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1+\left(\frac{\omega}{\omega_0}\right)^2}}.


Phase transfer function

\phi (\omega)=\arg K(j \omega)=-\arctan \frac{\omega}{\omega_0}.


Amplitude and phase transfer functions for a passive integrator circuit
Amplitude and phase transfer functions for a passive integrator circuit

Transfer functions for the second circuit are the same (with \omega_0=\frac{R}{L}).

[edit] Impulse response

The circuit's Impulse response can be derived as an inverse Laplace transform of the complex transfer function:

h(t)=\mathcal{L}^{-1} \left \{K(p) \right \}=\int_{\beta-j \infty}^{\beta+j \infty} K(p)e^{pt} \, dp=\omega_0 e^{-\omega_0 t}=\frac{1}{\tau} e^{-\frac{t}{\tau}},


where \tau=\frac{1}{\omega_0} is a time constant.

An impulse response of a passive integrator circuit
An impulse response of a passive integrator circuit

[edit] Applications

A passive integrator circuit is often used in cheap digital audio systems (i.e. cheap soundcards) as a reconstruction filter.

It is also one of the basic electronic circuits, being widely used in circuit analysis based on the equivalent circuit method.

[edit] See also

Passive differentiator circuit
RC circuit
Electronic filter