摘要 |
A tunable filter (25) is described for use in loop control circuits. The filter (25) has a time constant which is determined by a resistor (40) and a capacitor. The capacitor is simulated by the series combination of an impedance converter (41) and a variable resistor, such as a field effect transistor (42). The resistance of the transistor (42) is determined by a control signal present on a control line (32) and the impedance converter (41) converts the resistance into an equivalent capacitive reactance. Therefore, the control signal on the control line (32) effectively controls the capacitance present at a node (43) and, in conjunction with the resistor (40), determines the time constant, and therefore the response time and bandwidth, of the filter (25). Multiple pole, lowpass, bandpass, highpass, and bandstop filters can be constructed. The impedance converter (41) uses a very small capacitor to simulate a large capacitance value at the node (43). This small capacitance value also allows the filter (25) to be fabricated as part of an integrated circuit. |