ABSTRACT

The FIR and IIR filters described in Chapter 4 provide considerable flexibility in altering the frequency content of a signal. Coupled with MATLAB filter design tools, these filters can provide almost any desired frequency characteristic to nearly any degree of accuracy. The actual frequency characteristics attained by the various design routines can be verified through Fourier transform analysis. However, these design routines do not tell the user what frequency characteristics are best; i.e., what type of filtering will most effectively separate out signal from noise. That decision is often made based on the user’s knowledge of signal or source properties, or by trial and error. Optimal filter theory was developed to provide structure to the process of selecting the most appropriate frequency characteristics.