Anti-aliasing filter used in monitoring systems of electrical equipment

Information processing may consist of simple operations (comparisons) to complicated mathematical processing (integration, differentiation, mediation, Fourier transform calculation, etc..). III. SAMPLING AND ALIASING PHENOMENON. NEED FOR
USING ANTIALIASING FILTERS

Abstract - This paper proposes the design of a Butterworth filter and its use in the electric drive systems to avoid the appearance of the aliasing phenomenon . Anti-aliasing filters are an important element in data acquisition systems. Mounted upstream of the analogue digital converter, they serve to limit the frequency spectrum of the input signal, to avoid overlapping signal spectra of the signal resulting from sampling. Measurements and experimental tests were performed in order to validate the results obtained.The obtained circuit has advantages of modularization design, strong transplantation, and has widely use value and application prospect.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Generally, the anti-aliasing filters are used for the rejection of high-frequency noise affecting the measurement chain. The paper includes a theoretical background on the data acquisition system, sampling theory and general concepts about filters. Based on the required characteristics cutting frequency, attenuation rate - were designed and simulated filter topology, components, supply type (bipolar), using a dedicated program (Filter Pro Texas Instruments). Numerical simulations have been made to test the proposed method and results are presented as well. GENERAL NOTIONS OF DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS Data acquisition is the process of sampling signals that measure real world physical conditions and converting the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer. Data acquisition systems (abbreviated with the acronym DAS or DAQ) typically convert analog waveforms into digital values for processing. Therefore a data acquisition system, is designed to measure or generate physical signals, and for this purpose contains in its structure a data acquisition board. Acquisition board is often considered the entire system. These include in sensors that convert physical parameters to electrical signals, their construction conditioning signal equipment to convert sensor signals into a form that can be converted to digital values; analog to digital converters and Digital Analogue, inputs and outputs (I / O) Analog and Digital, count (count, time clock generators) and Direct memory Access memory units to transmit data directly to the computer without using microprocessor. The most important operation is the analog digital conversion, made with one or more circuits, depending on the type of application). Another often encountered operations in such systems are sampling and temporary storing of taken samples. The sampling frequency is determined by: the frequency spectrum of the input signals; speed of the A / D converter; accuracy of required processing. II.

To analyze and synthesize a signal in the digital domain, analog signals must be converted into digital signals through the acquisition of "samples" at certain regular intervals. This process, called sampling is accomplished by "questioning" the analog signal at regular periods of time, denoted Te (where Te is called the sampling period is the inverse of the sampling frequency, fe (fe = 1/Te)). In mathematical form, a sample of a signal is obtained by multiplying the signal with a unit step pulse. To avoid loss of information in the process of sampling an analog signal, the sampling frequency must be at least two times the maximum frequency of the sampled signal. The consequences of sampling at a lower frequency that the highest frequency of the signal, generates a phenomena known as refolding (aliasing). This concept results from misidentification of the required frequency for signal reconstruction. The Shannon sampling theorem introduced restrictions on the frequency of sampled signal in time, f (t) as follows: To reconstruct a signal f (t), it is necessary sampling at a rate twice as high as the maximum signal frequency. If Shannon's theorem is not respected, it may cause interference with other frequencies that are not in the band of interest regarding the analyzed signal(aliasing, mentioned above). The same unwanted phenomenon is met if a digital signal contains frequencies higher than the Nyquist frequency (where the Nyquist frequency is half the sampling frequency fN=fe/2 ). IV. THEORETICAL CONCEPTS ABOUT FILTERS

In signal processing, a filter is a device or process that removes from a signal some unwanted component or feature, this means removing some frequencies and not others in order to suppress interfering signals and reduce background noise. The main specific size filters are cut off frequency - the frequency at which the amplitude of the output signal represents 0.707 of the input signal amplitude, and band pass - band between zero and cutoff frequency. Butterworth and Bessel filters are by far the most popular filters used in electric and electronic circuits. Slow growth attenuation near the cutoff frequency, provides an excellent response in the time domain, but this is not very useful in

removing unwanted signals just outside the pass band. Signals passing through a filter, are delayed. Bessel filters are special as they introduce a delay nearly constant at all frequencies in the passband unlike other filters. The frequency response can be classified into a number of different bandforms describing which frequencies the filter passes (the passband) and which it rejects (the stopband): low-pass filter low frequencies are passed, high frequencies are attenuated.High-pass filter high frequencies are passed, low frequencies are attenuated. Band-pass filter only frequencies in a frequency band are passed. Band-stop filter or band-reject filter only frequencies in a frequency band are attenuated. Notch filter rejects just one specific frequency - an extreme band-stop filter. Comb filter has multiple regularly spaced narrow passbands giving the bandform the appearance of a comb.All-pass filter all frequencies are passed, but the phase of the output is modified. Depending on the design of analog filters, they can be classified: Passive filters consisting only of passive circuit elements (resistors, coils, capacitors). The consequence of such structures is that the amplitude of the signal at the output of the filter may be greater than the amplitude of the input signal (maximum value of the transfer function can not be over-unit). Active filter which is a combination of passive and active elements of the filter circuit (most of the time, the operational amplifiers). The presence of active elements ensure amplification of signals with frequencies in the passband and improved filter characteristics. Order filter is important for several reasons. It is directly related to the number of components of the filter, and thus the cost, size and complexity of the filter. Therefore, higher order filters are more expensive, take up more space and are more difficult to create. The main advantage of a high order filter is that it will have greater attenuation slope from lower order filters. First and second order filters are building floors for higher order filters.Even order filters contain two floors of the order and odd order filters contain a floor plus first order. V.
MONITORING ELECTRICAL DRIVES USING PC DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS WITH ANTIALISING FILTERS

rectifier is either filtered through a low-pass LC filter, or converted into DC current by using an a reactance coil. The third part, the inverter itself, uses DC voltage or current from the intermediate circuit to synthesize three phase AC voltages of variable frequency. Real signals of voltage or current may contain higher frequency spectral component causing inaccurate measurements.The most simple and effective way of avoiding this phenomena is to filter the original signal using a low-pass type filter characterized by a cut off frequency equal to the Nyquist frequency, called antialiasing filter . An anti-aliasing filter has two properties defining it. One is the cutoff frequency, the point at which frequencies above it are attenuated, the other attribute of a filter is its slope, measured in dB per octave. One of the techniques used to prevent the refolding is oversampling and analog-to-digital conversion in combination with anti aliasing analog filter. It is additionally used digital filters and decimation operations along with keeping requirements sampling theorem. In order to determine corrective action, we must directly address the two conditions necessary for exact signal reconstruction. The rst solution calls for low-pass ltering before sampling.This method, known as preltering, bandlimits the signal to levels below fmax, thereby eliminating the offending high frequencies. Notice that the frequency at which the signal is to be sampled imposes limits on the allowable bandwidth. The second solution is to point-sample at a higher frequency. In doing so, the replicated spectra are spaced farther apart, thereby separating the overlapping spectra tails. This approach theoretically implies sampling at a resolution determined by the highest frequencies present in the signal. In practice, antialiasing is performed through a combination of these two approaches. That is, the sampling frequency is increased so as to reduce the amount of bandlimiting to a minimum. VI. DESIGN AND REALIZATION OF THE FILTER.

Choosing the type of filter to their use in monitoring electrical drives shall follow an harmonic analysis of electric current and voltage signals encountered in such systems. Electric drive systems is defined as a set of devices that convert electrical energy received from the network into mechanical energy and provides electrically control of the mechanical energy obtained. Electrical drives achieved with asynchronous motors are made using the most commonly used converters structures, those with intermediate circuit. They are made up of four components. The first component, located nearby the supply network, is the rectifier. In the second part, the intermediate circuit is found where pulsating DC voltage produced by the

In order to choose components Filter Pro program was used by which we obtained filter characteristics specified in harmonic analysis(Figure 6.1). As construction type of the components we chose capacitors with polystyrene since the filter operates at a temperature less than 85 C, and the metal film resistors having a reduced coefficient of temperature variation. Operational amplifier OPA 4137 PA is chosen, quadruple, as it has a frequency characteristic that fit in the frequency range used. Figure 6.1 The amplitude, phase response and group delay of a 4th order Butterworth filter with cutoff frequency 1 kHz.

In comparison with resistors, close tolerances capacitors are difficult to achieve and can be more expensive. Choosing capacitor is very important for high performance filter, because its behavior may vary significantly from ideal, introducing resistances and inductances. Also, the nonlinearity of the capacity towards voltage can cause distortion. Ceramic capacitors with high dielectric constants, such as the high-K type, can cause errors in the filter circuit. Recommended capacitors are NPO ceramics, silver, mica, metallic, polycarbonate, and, for temperatures up to 85 C, polypropylene or polystyrene. After determining the electrical components of the filter, its functionality has been simulated using a dedicated program (Proteus - Texas Instruments), the diagram obtained is shown in Fig. 1.2. Figure 1.2 Simulation diagram of the filter - one channel.

Figure 7.2 Measured input and output signals obtained from testing the filter at 500 Hz frequency

Figure 7.3 Measured input and output signals obtained from testing the filter at 5 KHz frequency VII. NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS AND RESULTS

The diagram in Fig.7.1 shows that the next frequency component occurs at 5 kHz, therefore it is necessary at this frequency to have an attenuation of at least 50dB. If this condition is satisfied, signal sampling can be performed at a10 kHz frequency. Figure 7.1. The frequency spectrum of line voltage supplied by the inverter at the motor terminals, at the fundamental frequency of 50 Hz, the switching frequency of 5 kHz After obtaining numerical results, input and output signals were represented, shown in Fig. 7.2 and 7.3.The input signal is represented with yellow while the blue one is the output signal. It is seen from Fig. 7.2 and that at a500 Hz frequency the output signal is attenuated within acceptable limits.

While testing the filter at a frequency of 5 kHz (Fig. 7.3), illustrates that the output signal is entirely attenuated , meaning that the filter fulfills its proposed functionality.

VIII.

CONCLUSIONS

After analyzing the results, it is observed that the filter follow the required characteristics. Voltage measurement results at the motor terminals, obtained using data acquisition system based on PC, illustrates that the signal voltage is not distorted ,meaning that there are no harmonics in the passband due to the phenomenon of refolding. As a result of the designed filter is allowing voltage signal acquisition with frequency range using an acquisition system with poor performance sample rate, but good resolution and reduced cost. This exploits the advantages of virtual instrumentation in monitoring the electric drive systems - flexibility, signal processing.

REFERENCES
[5] Steve Winder Analog and digital filter designe Editura Newnes [6] National Instruments An introduction to sampling theorem [7] National Semiconductors A basic introduction to filters [8] Texas Instruments Active filter designe tehniques [9] Texas Instruments Low pass filter designe [10] Bimal K. Bose Modern Power Electronics and AC Drives Editura Pretice Hall PTR (2002)