Due to high frequency distortions, the raw opacity signal usually shows a highly scattered trace. To remove these high frequency distortions a Bessel filter is required for the ELR-Test. The Bessel filter itself is a recursive, second-order low-pass filter which guarantees the fastest signal rise without overshoot.
The goal of applying a Bessel filter is to guarantee a uniform overall filter characteristic of the whole opacimeter system, consisting of: (a) physical response time of the opacimeter (tp) (b) electrical response time of the opacimeter (te) (c) filter response time of the applied Bessel filter (tF)