Filter Design (EDN Series for Design Engineers)
Unlike most books on filters this book does not start from a position of mathematical complexity. It is written to show readers how to design effective and working electronic filters.
Steve Winder is a team leader at British Telecom's Martlesham Heath Laboratories. His work has included the design and building of prototype specialist transmission systems for high speed data or radio transmission. His experience of circuit design includes work on optical fiber transmission systems. The author has also written several filter design computer programs that are in commercial use, and is a regular contributor to magazines such as Electronics World.
Maths has been kept to a minimum
Practical design guide
Written by an experienced practising designer
Why Read This Book
You should read this book if you want a hands-on, low-math guide to building effective analog filters — it walks through common topologies, real component choices, and practical implementation tips rather than dwelling on heavy theory. You will get pragmatic recipes and troubleshooting advice that speed up getting working filters into prototypes or systems.
Who Will Benefit
Electronics engineers, system designers, and DSP practitioners who need to design or specify analog front-ends and anti-aliasing filters for measurement, audio, or communications projects.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Basic circuit theory (Ohm's/Law, reactance), familiarity with op-amps and passive components, and elementary frequency-response concepts (Bode plots, cutoff).
Key Takeaways
- Design passive RC and LC filter sections for common cutoff and bandpass needs
- Implement active filters (Sallen–Key, multiple-feedback, state-variable) and choose suitable topologies
- Select filter approximations (Butterworth, Chebyshev, Bessel) to meet amplitude/phase specifications
- Translate filter prototypes into practical component values and account for component tolerances
- Use SPICE and dedicated filter design programs for simulation and verification
- Apply practical layout, grounding, and measurement techniques to avoid real-world performance problems
Topics Covered
- Introduction and design philosophy — keeping the maths practical
- Basic frequency-response concepts and measurements
- Passive filter sections: RC and LC basics
- Filter approximations: Butterworth, Chebyshev, Bessel and when to use them
- Active RC filters: Sallen–Key and multiple-feedback designs
- Higher-order filters and cascade/topology choices
- State-variable and bridged-T designs
- Filter design software and worked examples
- Component selection, tolerances and sensitivity
- Practical construction: PCB layout, grounding and shielding
- Testing, debugging and real-world performance tuning
- Appendices: standard tables, calculation shortcuts and references
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
More practical and lower-math than Van Valkenburg's Design of Active Filters (more theoretical); similar in spirit to Don Lancaster's Active Filter Cookbook but broader in covering filter approximations and implementation issues.
