Chapter 6:

Active Filters
Active Filters
1. Basic filter responses
2. Filter response characteristic-Butterworth,
Chebychev, Bessel
3. Active low pass filter
4. Active high pass filter
5. Active band pass filter
6. Active band stop filter
7. Filter response measurement
Active filters
 Passing signals with certain selected frequencies
while rejecting signals with other frequencies.
 Provides controllable cutoff frequencies and
controllable gain.
 4 basic categories : low-pass, high-pass, band-
pass and band-stop.
Basic Filter Response
 Passband – range of frequencies allowed to pass
through with minimum attenuation ( < -3 dB)
 Cutoff frequency – the end of the passband (point
where response drops -3 dB)
 Stopband – the end of the response.
Basic Filter Response
 Basic Filter Response
 How close a tuned amplifier comes to having the
characteristics of an ideal circuit depends on the
quality (Q) of the circuit.
 The Q of a tuned amplifier is a figure of merit that
equals the ratio of its geometric center frequency to
its bandwidth. By formula:
Active filter frequency-response curves
Active filter frequency-response

 Each RC circuit is referred to as a pole. Thus, a

one-pole filter contains one RC circuit, a two-pole
filter contains two RC circuits, and so on.
 The order of an active filter indicates the number of
poles it contains.
 The number of poles in a filter determines its
ultimate roll-off rate.
Low-Pass Filter
 Actual filter responses depend on the number of
poles (number of RC circuits contained in the filter).
 Roll-off rate with steeper transition region is good
for better filtering of unwanted frequencies.
 Exact response depends on type of filter and
number of poles.
Low-Pass Filter
1
fc 
2 RC
Basic LPF circuit
High-Pass Filter
 A high-pass filter effectively blocks below fc and
allowing only the frequencies above fc to pass.
 The same formula is used for the critical frequency
for both low and high pass filters.
Band-Pass Filter
 Allows frequencies between a lower critical
frequency (fc1) and an upper critical frequency (fc2)
to pass while effectively blocking all others.

BW = f c 2  f c1
Centre frequency:

fo  f c1 f c 2

Quality factor (Q) of band-pass

filter. Higher Q means narrower
bandwidth and better selectivity. 1
fo
Q or Q
Narrow-band (Q >10) and wide-
BW DF
band (Q <10).
Band-stop Filter
 Opposite of a band-pass. Frequencies above and
below fc1 and fc2 are passed while effectively
blocking the frequencies between.

Also known as
band-reject, band-
elimination filter.
 Filter response characteristics
 Each type of filter response can be modified through
circuit components values to have either Butterworth,
Chebyshev or Bessel characteristics.

 Identified by
shape of
response curve.
Butterworth
 Very flat amplitude response in the passband and
roll-off rate -20 dB/decade.

 Phase response is non-linear and phase shift

(time delay) varies nonlinearly with frequency.

 Normally used when all frequencies in passband

must have the same gain.
Chebyshev
 Very rapid roll-off rate (greater than -20
dB/decade).

 Filters can be designed with fewer poles and less

complex circuitry.

 Overshoot or ripples can be seen in the passband

of the frequency response.
 Bessel
 Very linear phase characteristic (the phase shift
increases linearly with frequency).

 Almost no overshoot on the output and normally

used for filtering pulse waveforms without distorting
the shape of the input waveform.
Damping Factor
 Damping Factor (DF) of an active filter circuit
determines which response characteristics the filter
exhibits (Butterworth, Chebyshev or Bessel).

 The filter can be a low-pass, high-pass, band-pass

or a band-stop type.
 Filter Response Characteristics
 The output signal is fed back into the filter circuit with
negative feedback determined by the combination of R1
and R2. The negative feedback ultimately determines the
type of filter response is produced. The equation below
defines the damping factor.

DF = 2 - R1/R2
Cut-off frequency and Roll-off rate
 Single pole (first-order) are the same for low and
high-pass filters.
 The numbers of poles determine the roll-off rate.
- One-pole has -20 dB roll-off
- Two-pole has -40 dB
- Three-pole has -60 dB and so on
Cut-off frequency and Roll-off rate

To obtain a filter with three poles (third-order) or

more, one-pole or two-pole filters are cascaded.
Example:

i)Third order filter → cascade a second order and a

first order filters
ii) Fourth order filter → cascade two second
order filters.
 Filter Response Characteristics

For 3-pole filter,

cascade 2-pole LP
and 1-pole LP (-60
dB/dec)

For 4-pole filter,

cascade 2-pole LP
and 2-pole LP (-80
dB/dec)
 Butterworth characteristic is the most widely used
because of its maximum flat response.

 Table above shows roll-off rates, damping factors,

and feedback resistor ratios for up to sixth-order
Butterworth filters.
Example
Determine the capacitance values required to produce
an fc=2680 Hz if all Rs are 1.8 kOHM. Select R
feedback for Butterworth response.
Example - solution
Both stages must have the same fc = 2680 Hz.
Assuming equal-value capacitors;
fc = ½  RC Therefore, C = ½
 Rf = 0.033 uF
CA1=CA2=CB1=CB2=0.033 uF
For Butterworth response,
Refer Table: (1st stage) DF=1.848 and R1/R2=0.152
Assuming R2=R4=1.8kΩ,

R1=0.152R2=274
Refer Table: (2nd stage) DF=0.765 and R3/R4=1.235

Assuming R1
=270
Active Low-pass filters – One pole

Non-inverting amplifier with closed-loop voltage gain

in the pass band set by the values or R1 and R2.

R1
Acl ( NI )  1
R2
Sallen-Key Low-pass filter – Two pole

Cut-off frequency

1
fc 
2 R A RB C AC B

If RA = RB = R and
CA = CB = C, then

1
fc 
2RC
Cascaded
Low-pass
filter – Three
& Four-pole
Active High-pass filter – One pole

The negative feedback circuit is as same as

the low-pass filter with -20 dB/decade roll-off.
Sallen-Key High-pass filter –Two pole

The positions of the resistors and capacitors are

opposite to those in low-pass configuration.
 Cascading High-pass filter

Six-pole high-pass filter consisting of 3 Sallen-Key

Two-pole stages (can achieved -120 dB/decade roll-
off).
Active Band-Pass filter-
Cascaded Low-Pass & High-Pass Filter

Band-pass filter formed by cascading a two-pole

high-pass and a two-pole low-pass filter (does not
matter in which order the filters are cascaded).
 Cut-off Frequency

1
High-pass filter f c1 
2 RA1 RB1C A1C B1

Low-pass filter 1
fc2 
2 RA 2 RB 2C A2C B 2

Centre frequency fo  f C1 f C 2
Multiple- feedback Band-pass filter
Maximum gain (Ao) at centre frequency

1 R1  R3 R2
fo  and AO 
2 C R1 R2 R3 2R1
 Active Band-stop filter

Multiple-feedback
band-stop

State-
variable
band-stop
Problem 1

• Calculate the bandwidth of the filter

Problem 2

• Perform the complete analysis of the amplifier

The End………