Very Low-Complexity Structure for Lagrange-Type

Variable Fractional-Delay Filter

Sorawat Chivapreecha

Tian-Bo Deng

School of Telecommunication Engineering

Faculty of Engineering,
King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
Bangkok 10520, Thailand
e-mail: sorawat@telecom.kmitl.ac.th

Department of Information Science

Faculty of Science, Toho University
Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
e-mail: deng@isi.sci.toho-u.ac.jp

Lagrange-type VFD filters efficiently, both odd-order and

even-order structures have been developed in [7]-[10]. In [7],
a closed-form weighted-least-squares (WLS) method is also
proposed for designing general odd-order FIR VFD filters,
where coefficient symmetry as well as unequal-order sub
filters are exploited. That is, both even-order and odd-order
FIR VFD filters exploiting coefficient symmetries have been
efficiently designed in [4] and [7], respectively. This paper
proposes a very low-complexity structure for causal Lagrange
type VFD filters. We will show that this new structure
requires less complexity than the structures using coefficient
symmetries [7]-[ 10] and reduces the numbers of both
multiplications and additions.

Abstract-This paper presents a very low-complexity structure

for the Lagrange-type variable fractional-delay (VFD) FIR
filter. This structure consists of two sections called front-end and
back-end sections. The front-end section is a multiplierless
digital filter while the back-end section requires a small number
of multiplications that is a linear function of the order k. Since
the proposed VFD filter structure can fast tune the delay
parameter on-line, it is suitable for real-time applications.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Various design methods have been proposed for designing

variable fractional-delay (VFD) digital filters [1]-[11]. VFD
filters are variable filters that can adjust the group delay or
phase delay in fractional fashion. Such filters can be utilized in
many fields of digital signal processing such as discrete-time
signal interpolation, timing offset recovery for digital
receivers, sampling-rate conversion and high-resolution image
interpolation The simplest VFD filter is the Lagrange-type
VFD filter that has the maximally flat frequency response in
the low-frequency band. The design and realization of
Lagrange-type VFD filters have been extensively discussed
[5]-[10]. The efficient and famous realization of Lagrange
type VFD filter is the Farrow structure [1]. In many
applications, most of the frequency components of signals are
in low-frequency band, so using the Lagrange-type
(maximally flat) VFD filters can give excellent results.

II. Lagrange-Type VFD Filter with Farrow Structure

In this section, we review the Lagrange-type VFD filter
with the Farrow structure. Lagrange-type VFD filter can be
derived from Lagrange interpolation that utilizes the kth
degree Lagrange polynomial to fit (k+ 1) data points.

A.

The main drawback of the Lagrange-type VFD filter

with the Farrow structure is that many filter coefficients
(multiplications) are required for its realization. However,
non-causal Lagrange-type VFD filter can be efficiently
implemented through developing coefficient symmetries for
both even and odd order cases [6], which can reduce the
number of multiplications. Nevertheless, for real-time
filtering, the Lagrange-type VFD filter must be causal. If a
causal Lagrange-type VFD filter is directly implemented, the
sub-filters in the Farrow structure do not have symmetric or
anti-symmetric coefficients and thus cannot reduce the
number of multiplications. For implementing causal

978-1-4244-6878-2/10/$26.00 2010 IEEE

137

Farrow Structure

The output y(n) of Lagrange-type VFD filter can be

computed by
k

yen) = Ih/D) x(n-i)

(I)

i=O

where D is the desired delay called delay parameter. The filter

coefficients hlD) are computed by the Lagrange polynomial

h(D)= frD-1
I

/=0

, i

0, I, 2,

. . .

,k

(2)

i-I

/;t=i

where k is the order of Lagrange-type VFD filter. Usually, the

well-known filter structure for Lagrange-type VFD filter
realization is the Farrow structure [1] as shown in Fig. 1.

The rows of matrix V-I contain the sub-filter coefficients.

Consequently, for arbitrary D, Lagrange-type VFD filter
transfer function is

k
H (z, D)= IV;(z)D i= nTv-Iz .
i=O

(z)
B.
Fig. I. Original Farrow structure.

Normally, Vo(z) 1 and the coefficients of other sub-filter

transfer functions Vlz) can be calculated from (2). Moreover,
the filter coefficient of sub-filters in the Farrow structure has
relationship to the Vandermonde matrix. The Farrow structure
in Fig. 1 shows that the transfer function of Lagrange-type
VFD filter is
=

k
H(z,D)= IV;(z)Di= nTV(Z)
i=O
where

and

nT = 1 D D2

V(Z)=

(3)

... Dk J.

Transformed Farrow Structure

The computational complexity of the original Farrow

structure can be reduced by using the transformation matrix
proved in [7]-[9]. Such transformations obtain symmetric or
anti-symmetric coefficients for all the sub-filters. The matrix
V-I will be transformed by the transformation matrix T
proposed in [7]-[9], the new transfer function after
transformation is equivalent to that of original Lagrange-type
VFD filter. By comparing the original Farrow structure with
the transformed Farrow structures, we know that the
complexity of the transformed structures (especially number
of multiplications) can be reduced by more than 50%. To
avoid ill-conditioned problem, the robust transformation is
useful [10].
The transformation matrix T is defined as

Vo(z)
(Z)
V (Z)

T=

,D=0,1,2,

Comparing (3) and (4), we can get

k
IV;(z)Di=Z-D
i=O

...
...

, k.

,D=0,1,2,

,k.

By the definition of integer delay filter, the relationship

between output y(n) and input x(n) can be expressed as

y(z)=Z-D X(Z)

(4)

(5)

where

Equation (5) can be expressed in matrix form as

( : )-

(tt
(t) (tt (tf
G}t) (}t)2 (}ttl
G}t) (}tt2
(:}tt3
I

b!(a

b)!'

After transformation, the new sub-filter coefficient matrix

VV(z)=z

is

(6)

where V is the Vandermonde matrix defined as

V= 1 2 22

(9)

2k

Z-I
Z= Z-2

Z-k

The new sub-filters become

V(z)=V z
with the new delay parameter p; p E

1 k

k2

(8)

[- , ]

(10)

Therefore, the new transfer function is

The sub-filter vector V(z) is obtained by

k
.-...
H(z,p)= IVi(Z) /.
i=O
/'-

V(Z)= V-Iz .

(7)

138

(11)

x(k) x(n-k), and the new form of front-end section can be

expressed as (15) ,

The Farrow structure after transfonnation can be shown as

H;Cz) =
where

Z{X;l =
(1-Z )
X(Z)

-I;

=0, 1, 2, ... ,k

, l

(15)

Z{ } is the z-transfonn. We may consider (15) as the

cascading of first-order digital differentiator as in Fig. 3.

Fig.

2. Transfonned Farrow structure using matrix T.

In Fig. 2,
filter

Vi(Z)

"'

V o(z)

is no longer equal to 1 and each sub

has symmetric or anti-symmetric coefficients.

That means that all the sub-filters are linear phase. This
reduces the computational complexity of the Lagrange-type
VFD filter by more than 50%.
II.

Fig. 3. Multiplieriess front-end section.

The second section (back-end) is developed from (14) by niL

is changed to delay parameter (D) and can be expressed as

k
yen)= IP;(D)Xi

VERY LOW-COMPLEXITY FILTER STRUCTURE

The design method and filter structure are fonnulated from

the so-called discrete Pascal transfonn (DPT) and its Pascal
interpolation [12]-[13]. Discrete-time signal x(n) can be
written in the fonn of weighted-sum of DPT basis functions as
follows,

i=O

(-lY D(i)
=-....- .
P;( D) = ....:.
,

(17)

l.

x(n)=IXk(n) ,0:::;n:::;N-1.
k=O

(12)

and

The weights or sometimes called Pascal coefficients Xk are

calculated by the DPT as

t. (:) x(n)

x, (-!)'

O'; k '; N- !

D( i) =D(D-l)(D-2) ... (D-i+2)(D-i+l).

Consequently, combining (15) and (16) yields the transfer

function of the proposed Lagrange-type VFD filter as

Y(z) = IP;(D)Z{X;}
i=O

(13)

k
= IP;(
D)(1-z-l) iX(Z).
;

where N is the number of input samples and Pk(n) is the Pascal

polynomial of order k as follows,

=0

()

P.(n)= (-ltn(k) =( _I)k n .

k
k
k!
The function n (k) is called falling factorial powers defined as
=

(16)

where k is the order of VFD filter. The coefficients PieD) are

N-I

n (k)

m
l

n(n-l)(n-2)... (n-k +2)(n-k +1)

n'

'
= -- -

(n-k)!

Therefore,

k
H (z,D)=IP;(D)(I-z-')i.
i=O
_

, k 1

In order to interpolate discrete-time input signal x(n) by a

factor of L, which generates N+(L-l)(N-l) output samples
xL(n) from N input samples x(n), this can be done by scaling
the time-index n by 1IL. This operation is equivalent to
changing basis functions from Pk(n) to Pk(nIL). Therefore, we
can obtain the interpolated discrete-time signal xL(n) as

(18)

The back-end section is used for changing the delay of

VFD filter for online fractional-delay tuning. The back-end
realization can be obtained from (16) and (17), and the
Homer's rule can be used for sharing the common term of
multiplications. The inputs of this section come from the
front-end section. i.e., Xi, and the output of the back-end
section is

x(n-D)

yen)

L P;(D)Xj
i=O

xL(n)=x (JiJ= IXk (JiJ .

k=O
N-I

.. Xo -DX, + D(D-1)Xl- D(D-I)(D-2)XJ+'''+

The proposed VFD filter structure consists of 2 sections,

the first section (front-end) is developed from (13) by giving

139

;:;I!D(D_I}(D_2) ... (D_k +2)X._1 + <-::1 D(D-l)(D-2) ... (D-k +l)X,

Thus, we can realize the back-end of any kth- order as Fig. 4.

----
Xo--+

B.

Transformed Farrow Structure

From (9)-(11), the transfer function of the Lagrange-type

VFD filter with transformed Farrow structure can be shown as

yen)

X,------

The transformed Farrow structure is shown in Fig. 6.

x,

X3

Fig.6. Transformed Farrow structure.

C.

Proposed Very Low-Complexity Structure

From (15)-(18), it is not difficult to show that the VFD

filter with the proposed very low-complexity structure has the
same transfer function as the original one, i.e.,

yen) x(n)+(-D)[x(n) -x(n -I)]+2I D(D-I)[x(n) - 2x(n -1) +x(n - 2)]

=

= x(n)-Dx(n)+Dx(n-l)+

Fig. 4. Back-end section realization using Horner's rule.

III.

REALIZATION EXAMPLES

The 2nd order Lagrange-type VFD filter with various filter

structures shown in Figs. 5-7 will be considered. The very low
complexity VFD filter structure in Fig. 7 leads to the lowest
computational complexities in terms of both the number of
multiplications and number of additions when compared with
the original Farrow structure and transformed Farrow structure.

A.

Original Farrow Structure

From (7) and (8), we obtain the transfer function of the

Lagrange-type VFD filter with Farrow structure as

] [

(--+- [
J
D2 D

x(n)-2x(n-l)+x(n-2) ]

] ,[I

=x(n)+D -2'x(n)+2x(n-l)-2'x(n-2) +D 2'x(n)-x(n-l)+2'x(n-2)

Therefore,

N(z,D)

1+D

[%

- + 2z-1 - z-' +D'

- Z-l + z-'

H(z,D)'

Fig. 7 shows the filter realization using the proposed very low
complexity structure.

-,--:---.----.------+(+ )---+
x(n)
y(n)

1 -2 .
1 -2
3
_\
2 1
_\
H(z, D)=1+D --+2z - -z +D --z +-z
2
2
2
2
The original Farrow structure is shown in Fig. 5.
x(n)

Fig. 7. Proposed very low complexity structure.

The computational complexities of various structures for

implementing the kth-order Lagrange-type VFD filter are
summarized in Table I. The proposed new structure requires

Fig. 5. Original Farrow structure.

140

k.

small numbers of multiplications and additions that

functions of the order

are

linear

COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITIES OF

VFDFilter
Structure

k(k+l)+k
k2 +k
(k;l)ck+l)+k (k+ + (k+l)(k
k2-2k-+'2k)+k
(+I)+(J (e4+'2k) +(-4
3k-3
3k-l

Farrow
Structure
Transformed
Farrow
Structure,

[7]-[9]

Very Low
Complexity
Structure

No. of
Multiplications

Odd-order

[13] T. J. Goodman and M. F. Aburdene, "Interpolation using the discrete

Pascal transform," Proc. 40th Annual Conference on Information
Sciences and Systems, pp. 1079-1083,March 22-24,2006.

kth - ORDER CASE

TABLE!.

No. of Additions

Odd-order

1)

Even-order

Even-order

-1)

(proposed)

IV.

[12] M. F. Aburdene and T. J. Goodman,"The discrete Pascal transform and

its applications," IEEE Signal Process. Lett., vol. 12, no. 7, pp. 493495,July 2005.

CONCLUSIONS

A very low-complexity Lagrange-type VFD filter structure

has been proposed for real-time Lagrange-type VPD filtering
that requires high-speed tuning of the delay parameter. The
new structure requires small numbers of multiplications and
additions that are linear functions of the filter order.
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[2]

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[3]

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[4]

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[5]

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[7]

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