Finite Impulse Response (FIR) and Innite

Impulse Response (IIR) Filter

Dhruba Jyoti Roy
Digital Signal Processing Research Laboratory
Ilmenau University of Technology
P. O. Box 100565, D-98684 Ilmenau, Germany
Email: dhruba-jyoti.roy@tu-ilmenau.de
I. INTRODUCTION
A digital lter is a system that performs mathematical
operations on a sampled, discrete-time signal to reduce or
enhance certain aspects of that signal. In a broader scale of
things lters can be categorized into two types depending upon
their stability, their output to kronecker delta impulse input and
in the digital context the difference equation which describes
them in terms of their input output relationship. These are the
nite impulse response (FIR) and Innite Impulse response
(IIR) lter. Depending upon the application it is essential to
design let alone choose the ideal type of lter to get the
best results. Filtering is the most common form of Signal
processing in all the applications, to remove the frequencies
in certain parts and to improve the magnitude, phase or group
delay in some other parts of the spectrum of a signal. In
this journal FIR and IIR lters are strongly analyzed with
respect to their transfer functions evaluated in the z-plane.
Their distinction can thus be made blatant through this mode
of analysis.[2]
II. FINITE IMPULSE RESPONSE (FIR) FILTER
The basic Finite Impulse Response (FIR) lter can be
characterized by following three equations: .
y(n) =
N1

k=0
h(k)x(n k) (1)
Y (z) =
N1

k=0
h(k)z
k
X(z) (2)
H(z) =
N1

k=0
h(k)z
k
(3)
Where, h(k), k=0,1,2,..,N-1 are the impulse response coef-
cients of the lter, H(z) is the transfer function of the lter and
N is the lter length, that is the number of lter coefcients,
x(n) the input of our lter, y(n) the output of our lter. The
rst equation is the FIR difference equation; its a time domain
equation and describes the FIR lter in its non-recursive value
of the input x (n). The second equation is the z-transform
of the difference equation. The third equation is the transfer
function of the lter; it provides a mean of analyzing the lter,
for example evaluating the frequency response.[1] Transfer
function of an FIR lter is also given by,
H(z
1
) = h0 + h(1)(z
1
) + h(2)(z
2
) + ........h(N 1)(z
N1
)
(4)
Now to obtain frequency response of an FIR lter just replac-
ing z by
z = e
j
(5)
H(e
j
) =
N1

k=0
h(k)e
jk
(6)
III. INFINITE IMPULSE RESPONSE (FIR) FILTER
The basic Innite Impulse Response (IIR) lter can be
characterized by following recursive equation:
y(n) =
N

k=0
b(k)x(n k) +
M

r=1
a(r)y(n r) (7)
Where, impulse response of the lter is theoretically innite
in duration, b(k) and a(r) are the coefcients of the lter, and
x(n) and y(n) are the input and output of the lter.[1] The
z-transform of this difference equation is,
Y (z) =
N

k=0
b(k)X(z)z
k
+
M

r=1
a(r)Y (z)z
r
(8)
The transfer function of the IIR lter is given by,
H(z) =
b
0
+ b
1
z
1
+ ....... + b
N
z
N
1 + a
1
z
1
+ ....... + a
M
z
M
=

N
k=0
b(k)z
k
1

M
r=1
a(r)z
r
(9)
A. Comparison of lters with respect to z-plane
IIR lters are digital lters with innite impulse response.
Unlike FIR lters, they have the feedback (a recursive part of a
lter) and are known as recursive digital lters therefore. For
this reason IIR lters have much better frequency response
than FIR lters of the same order. [2] IIR lter normally
requires fewer coefcients than a FIR lter for the same set
of specications, which is why IIR lter is used when sharp
cutoff and high throughput is important requirement. Unlike
FIR lters, their phase characteristic is not linear which can
cause a problem to the systems which need phase linearity.
For this reason, it is not preferable to use IIR lters in digital
signal processing when the phase is of the essence. Otherwise,
when the linear phase characteristic is not important, the use
of IIR lters is an excellent solution. There is one problem
known as a potential instability that is typical of IIR lters
only. FIR lters do not have such a problem as they do not
have the feedback. For this reason, it is always necessary to
check after the design process whether the resulting IIR lter
is stable or not. The IIR lter transfer function is a ratio of two
polynomials of complex variable z-1. The numerator denes
location of zeros, whereas the denominator denes location
of poles of the resulting IIR lter transfer function. The z-
transform of the transfer function is of great importance for
IIR lters. The location of poles in the z plane is used for
testing stability of designed IIR lter. The poles of the IIR
lter transfer function must be located within the unit circle
in order that lter is stable. Left portion of Figure.1 illustrates
zeros and poles of the transfer function of a stable IIR lter in
the z plane. [2] As seen in left portion of Figure.1, one transfer
Fig. 1. Stable and Unstable IIR Filter.[2]
function zero is located outside the unit circle. It doesnt cause
any problem as the location of poles is the only thing that
matters. All four poles of transfer function are located within
the unit circle, which guarantees that stability of IIR lters.
According to the location of poles in the z plane, it is easy to
determine whether it refers to FIR or IIR lter. The poles of
the FIR lter transfer function are located at the origin. It is
obviously not the case in left portion of Figure1, which means
that it refers to IIR, not FIR lter. As seen from right portion
of Figure.1, two poles located outside the unit circle make
this IIR lter instable. If bilinear transformation is used in the
lter design, the resulting lter is stable before the coefcient
quantization starts. This quantization changes the location of
zeros and poles of the resulting IIR lter, which can cause one
pole or one pair of poles to be located outside the unit circle.
The result of such a quantization is a lter that is not stable.
B. Example of numerical calculation
Fig 2. shows the pole zero plot of an FIR lter [3] Fig 3.
shows the pole zero plot of an Unstable IIR lter [3]
Fig. 2. Stable FIR Filter.[3]
,
Fig. 3. Unstable IIR Filter.[3]
IV. CONCLUSIONS
Using z transform which is the more general case of Fourier
transform it was feasible to analyze the stability of the lter
by analyzing the poles and zero positions in the z plane
(Cartesian). As the unit vector in the z domain traverses to
the unit circle loci raise in the magnitude response is evident
upon approaching the poles and the converge is evident upon
approaching zeros. The magnitude response drops. When the
poles approach the unit circle the rise tends to be abnormally
large tending to innity when the poles lie on the unit circle
compromising stability. The FIR lter transfer functions all
the poles lie on the center on to (0,0) coordinates of the z
plane by convention. It can thus be concurred the FIR lters
naturally stable. The IIR lter on the other hand is ambiguous
in this sense. By which the poles may lie anywhere on the z
plane depending on the nature of their transfer functions. This
is mainly because output of the IIR lters relies not only on
present and past inputs but also on past outputs, as described
in the difference equation.
REFERENCES
[1] Emmanuel C. Ifeachor, Digital Signal Processing- A practical approach,
2nd Edition, 2006.
[2] B.A Shenoi, Introduction to Digital Signal Processing and Filter Design,
2008.
[3] Samuel D. Stearns, Digital Signal Processing with example in MATLAB,
2011.