Don Lancaster's

Active Filter
Cookbook

Your definitive resource for the use

and understanding of inductorless
lowpass, bandpass, and high pass
opamp resident electronic filters.
Active-Filter
Cookbook

by
Don Lancaster
 SECOND EDITION
SEVENTEENTH PRINTINC-1995

Copyright © 1975, 1995 by Don Lancaster and Synergetics,

Thatcher Arizona.

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without express per­

mission, of editorial or pictorial content, in any manner, is
prohibited. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the
use of the information that is contained herein. Although
every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or
omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages
resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

International Standard Book Number: 1-882193-31-8

Chapter 2 tells all about operational amplifiers, particularly the cir­
cuits needed for active filters, and has a mini-catalog of suitable
commercial devices.
The basic properties of the five elemental first- and second-order
building blocks appear in Chapter 3.
Complete response curves that help us decide how much of a
filter is needed for a certain job are the subjects of Chapters 4 and 5.
The high-pass and low-pass curves of Chapter 4 cover seven differ­
ent shape options through six orders of filter. The shape options rep­
resent a continuum from a Bessel, or best-time-delay, filter through
a flattest-amplitude, or Butterworth, filter through various Cheby­
shev responses of slight, 1-, 2-, and 3-dB dips. The bandpass curves
of Chapter 5 show us exactly what the response shape will be, again
through the sixth order with five shape options. This chapter intro­
duces a simple technique called cascaded-pole synthesis that greatly
simplifies the design of active bandpass filters and gives you abso­
lutely complete and well-defined response curves.
Actual filter circuits appear in Chapters 6 through 8. Four differ­
ent styles of low-pass, bandpass, and high-pass circuits are shown.
Low-pass and high-pass circuits include the simple and easily tune­
able Sallen-Key styles, along with the multiple IC state-variable
circuits. Bandpass versions include a single op-amp multiple-feed­
back circuit for moderate Qs and state-variable and biquad circuits
circuits for Qs as high as several hundred.
Chapter 9 shows us how to perform switching, tuning, and voltage
control of active filters. It also looks at some fancier filter concepts
such as allpass networks and bandstop filters and finally ends up with
a very high performance ultimate-response filter called a Cauer, or
elliptic, filter. Design curves through the fourth order are given.
Finally, Chapter 10 shows where and how to use active filters and
gives such supplemental data as touch-tone frequencies, musical
scale values, modem values, and so on, along with photos of here­
and-now applications of the text techniques.

DoN LANCASTER

This book is dedicated to the Bee Horse.

 Contents

CHAPTER 1

SOME BASICS 7
Why Use Active Filters?-Frequency Range and Q-A Simple Ac­
tive-Filter Circuit-Types of Active-Filter Circuits-Some Terms and
Concepts-A Design Plan

CHAPTER 2

THE OPERATIONAL AMPLIFIER 23

A Closer Look-Some Op-Amp Circuits-Some Op-Amp Limitations
-Which Operational Amplifier?

CHAPTER 3

FIRST- AND SECOND-ORDER NETWORKS 43

Normalization and Scaling-First-Order Low-Pass Section-First­
Order High-Pass Section-Second-Order Low-Pass Section-Second­
Order Bandpass Section-Second-Order High-Pass Section-Other
Second-Order Responses-Kand S-Summing Things Up

CHAPTER 4

Low-PASS AND HIGH-PASs FILTER RESPONSES 66

Order-Selecting a Shape-Low-Pass Response Curves-High-Pass
Filter Characteristics-How Accurate?-Using the Curves-Can We
Do Better?

CHAPTER 5

BANDPASS FILTER RESPONSE 91

Some Terms-Selecting a Method-Filter-Shape Options-Second­
Order Bandpass Filter-Two-Pole, Fourth-Order Bandpass Response­
Three-Pole, Sixth-Order Bandpass Response-Component Tolerances
and Sensitivities-Using This Chapter
 without changing their response shape. Tuning can be done elec­
tronically, manually, or by voltage control. Tuning ranges can go
beyond 1000: 1, much higher than is usually possible with passive
circuits.
Small Size and Weight-This is particularly true at low frequen­
cies, where inductors are bulky and heavy.
No Field Sensitivity-Shielding and coupling problems are essen­
tially nonexistent in active filters.
Ease of Design-Compared with traditional methods, the methods
explained in this book make the design of active filters trivially
easy.
We might also consider what is wrong with active filters and what
their limitations are:
Supply Power-Some supply power is needed by all active filter
circuits.
Signal Limits-The operational amplifier used sets definite signal
limits, based on its input noise, its dynamic range, its high-fre­
quency response, and its ability to handle large signals.
Sensitivity-Variations in response shape and size are possible when
component or operational-amplifier tolerances shift or track with
temperature.

FREQUENCY RANGE AND Q

The range of useful frequencies for active filters is far wider than
for any other filter technique. A frequency range of at least eight
decades is practical today.
A useful lower frequency limit is somewhere between .01 and 0.1
Hz. Here capacitor sizes tend to get out of hand even with very
high impedance active circuits, and digital, real-time computer filter
techniques become competitive.
An upper limit is set by the quality of the operational amplifier
used; something in the 100-kHz to 1-MHz range is a reasonable
limit. Above this frequency, conventional inductor-capacitor filters
drop enough in size and cost that they are very practical; at the
same time, premium op amps and special circuits become necessary
as frequency is raised. Still, the theoretical frequency range of ac­
tive filters is much higher and even microwave active filters have
been built.
If we consider using very simple circuits and very low cost oper­
ational amplifiers, active filters are pretty much limited to subaudio,
audio, and low ultrasonic frequency areas.
When bandpass filters are used, there is also a narrowness of the
response that can be obtained. The bandwidth inverse of any sin-
9
independent of everything else. This magic gain value is 3 - d, and
d here stands for the damping we are after. The result is the equal­
component-value Sallen-Key filter of Fig. l-3B. This circuit features
identical capacitors, identical resistors, easy tuning, and a damping
set independently by the amplifier gain.
The bandpass circuits appear in Fig. 1-4. The Sallen-Key tech­
niques do not really stand out as good bandpass circuits, so a slightly
different circuit called a multiple-feedback bandpass filter appears
in Fig. l-4A. This circuit also uses an operational amplifier to bolster
the response of a two-resistor, two-capacitor network, but does
things in a slightly different way. The Q of the circuit is limited to
25 or less, and it turns out that any single-amplifier bandpass filter
is limited to lower Q values.

IOI( X 2Q

GAIN• -2Q 2
lOK x 2Q
MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED Q • 25

(A) Single-amplifier, multiple feedback.

IOK

IOK x Q

. 016�F

lOK

5K

t must return to ground via low-Impedance de path. MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED Q • 500

(B) Three-amplifier biquadratic.

Fig. 1-4. Second-order, active bandpass filters, 1-kHz resonance.

Fig. l-4B shows a very interesting bandpass filter called a biquad.

It supplies high-Q, single-resistor tuning if required, and an indepen­
dent adjustment of frequency and handtcidth ( not Q, but band­
width). With this filter, Q values of ,500 or higher are easily obtained,
15
so. Suppose that a small positive-going input is applied to the_ left
end of the !OK input resistor. This signal gets strongly amJ?lified
and drives the output negative. The negative-going output is fed
back through the top or feedback resistor and continuously attempts
to drive the voltage on the - input to ground. Looking at �hi�gs
a bit differently, only a negligible input current actually goes inside
the op amp at the - input, so current through the input resistor
must also go through the feedback resistor. If the voltage at the -
input is not zero, the very high gain of the operational amplifier
strongly amplifies the error difference. The error difference is fed
back to drive the - input continuously to ground. Since the -
input is always forced very near ground regardless of the size of the
input signal, the -s ignal is a virtual ground point.
The operational amplifier continuously forces its inverting -
input to ground. Since the same current must How through input
and feedback resistors, and since both these resistors are the same
size, the output will follow the input, but will be its inverse, swing­
ing positive when the input goes to ground, and vice versa. If the
input is a low-frequency sine wave, it will undergo a 180-degree
phase reversal while going through the amplifier.
Since the - input is a virtual ground, the input impedance will
be determined only by the input resistor. In this circuit, the input
impedance is !OK. As with virtually all op-amp circuits, a de bias
return path MUST be provided back through the active-filter cir­
cuitry and must eventually reach ground.
Once again, the value of the resistor feeding the noninverting +
input is not particularly critical. It is often chosen to be equal to
the parallel equiva"lent of the total of the resistors on the - input,
as this value minimizes bias current offset effects.
The !OK input resistor could theoretically be split up any way
between the previous circuit source impedance and a fixed input
resistor. For best overall performance, use a fixed input resistor and
the lowest possible source impedance. In this way, source impedance
variations and drifts are minimized.
A variable-gain inverting amplifier is shown in Fig. 2-6. The
input current must equal the feedback at all times, minus a negligi­
ble input bias current. The - input essentially sits at a virtual
ground. So, by making the feedback resistor larger or smaller, we
can get any gain we want. If the feedback resistor is doubled, the
output voltage swing must double to provide for the same input cur­
rent as before; the gain then becomes -2 ( the gain is negative
because of circuit inversion). If the value of the feedback resistor is
divided by 4, the gain drops to -1/4, and so on.
The gain obtained turns out to be the negative ratio of the feed­
back resistor to the inpu t resistor. As long as this ratio is much less
28
 Now, an oscillator is normally not a good filter, since we obviously
do not want any output if no input has been applied. If some rust
or some air resistance is added to the pendulum, we get the equiva­
lent of a mechanical filter. To do this electronically, we must add
some damping to the circuit. This can be done in two ways.
In the first way, damping is added by putting a resistor directly
across one of the capacitors. This gives a circuit called a biquad,
useful as an active bandpass filter or an electronic chime or ringing
circuit. In the second way, feedback is electronically added from the
other integrator. This, too, behaves as damping, leading to a state­
variable filter that is useful as an active low-pass, bandpass, high­
pass, or special-purpose filter.

SOME OP-AMP LIMITATIONS

Several restrictions must be observed if an op amp is to perform as
expected. These restrictions include the frequency response of the
op amp, its slew rate, its input noise, its offset voltages and currents,
and its dynamic range.
At the highest frequency of operatiem, there must be available
enough excess gain to let the feedback resistors behave properly.
Excess gain also usually ensures that internal op-amp phase shifts
will not introduce impossible problems.
Data sheets for any operational amplifier always show the fre­
quency response. A quick look at a 741 data sheet (Fig. 2-13) shows
that the frequency response is already 3 dB down from its de value
at 6 hertz! From this point, it continues to drop 6 dB per octave,
ending with unity gain near 1 MHz. A reasonable guideline is to
make sure that the op amp you are using has at least ten times, and
preferably twenty times, the gain you are asking of it at the highest
frequency of interest. In the case of a low-pass or a bandpass filter,
you normally are not very interested in frequencies much above the
passband. On the other hand, with a high-pass filter, the op amp
must work through the entire passband of interest. The frequency
response of the op amp will set the upper limit of the passband,
while the active high-pass circuit will set the lower passband limit.
With an integrator, excess gain is still needed, but just how much
extra depends on the circuit. A reasonable minimum limit is three to
five times the Q expected of the circuit at the highest frequency of
interest.
The maximum frequency of operation depends both on the op
amp and the circuit. Specific maximum limits are spelled out later in
the text.
The slew rate is a different sort of high-frequency limitation. It
can be a limit much more severe than the simple frequency-response
34
 FREQUENCY

-�
.25 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7.8.91.0
o��:f==A��===i=:=1=:::i:=ni l.70
.O •lj •.s
--
11.s
-3+

-10++-+---+-+-++-t+--�-+-i--==,-..1:::r-,-+
-- .5 0
;::
�
__ I out K -+-+-!---�----+-�+-+-+ . 2
.;- . S+l
-20 _.__-'-__,_,_,__,..,__
, ,_.
, _,__..,____,___-'--_,____.__.___._ . I

Fig. 3-6. Amplitude response-first-order low-pass section.

lationship between high-pass and low-pass is called mathematical

1/f transformation. Very handily, the design of a low-pass filter can
usually be "turned inside out" to get an equivalent high-pass struc­
ture, simply by substituting resistors for capacitors and vice versa.
You do have to make sure the op amp still gets its input current from
some de return path to ground, but this is usually readily done.

FREQUENCY
5 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8.91.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
o".2
I

!:l
0,:
�
Q

� .4ef'

..."'<<

.90o_t-_-_tc:-_-_-;
..._ '-- -t-
-_-_+ ---i
,._-c:-_-_-_r_-_-_-+
'- _r-_t'--+
._-_+ -�_r_-_r_-�r-1�
,._
-
Fig. 3-7. Phase response-first-order low-pass section.

As with the first-order low-pass system, falloff is at a 6-dB per­

octave rate, only in this case falloff is with decreasing rather than
with increasing frequency. With either section, only the impedance
level and the center frequency can be controlled.

SECOND-ORDER LOW-PASS SECTION

Fig. 3-12 shows the basic second-order low-pass sections. While
there are many active circuits that will do this job, Fig. 3-12B is one
that is simple and convenient for analysis. In theory, two resistors
and two capacitors would be cascaded to get a second-order low-pass
section. The trouble is that if this were done, the performance would
be so poor that we probably could not use the results.
50
about the same as the average value of the tuning resistor. Often a
blocking capacitor can be provided at the output of an active high­
pass section to completely eliminate any offset shifts from appearing
in the output.

SECOND-ORDER HIGH-PASS CIRCUITS

We can use the second-order low-pass circuits over again, rear­
ranging them only slightly to get high-pass responses. The four low­
pass responses were the unity-gain Sallen-Key, the equal-component­
value Sallen-Key, the unity-gain state-variable, and the variable-gain
state-variable.
Unity-Gain Sallen-Key Circuit
The math behind both Sallen-Key high-pass circuits appears in
Fig. 8-3. As with the low-pass circuits, we have two cascaded RC
sections driving an operational amplifier. The op amp both unloads
the circuit from any output and feeds back just the right amount of

THE MATH BEHIND Sallen-Key, high-pass, second-order sec­

tions.

Sellen-Key, second-order, high-pass filters can usually be redrawn into

-
a passive network with an active source that looks like this:
Cl CZ

11 RI

RZ

Kta•K•e ou1
Since this network has to behave identically for any reasonable voltage
at any point, it is convenient to force ea = =
1 volt and e 0u1 Kea = K.
Solve for i i , i 2, i 3 and then sum them:

. _ 1 volt_ 1
l3-R2-R2
_ i3 _ 1 _ jcuR2C2 + 1
v l + l +
- jcuC2 - jcuR2C2 - jcuR2C2
K-v
i 2 =-­
Rl
ii = (e;n -v)jcuCl
Fig.1-3.

171
 _ ebp _ eh p
e
,P - - SR2C2 - + S2RlClR2C2
Ke;n = - ehp + de bp - E!lp
eh p d e hp
(-K)ein _ ehp
- + SRlCl + S2RlR
which rearranges to
2
-KS
--
eout
- ------,------
s d l
+ RlCl S + RlR2ClC2
2

If RlCl = R2C2 = l, this becomes

eout_ -KS 2
e in - S
2

+ dS + l
There are several ways to realize the summing block:
(A) Unity gain:

(B) Variable gain:

as previously analyzed in Fig. 6-9 and Chapter 2.

Fig. 8-8-continued.

178
 Change j FREQUENCY !
smoothly by varying
these two resistors. Change
Keep both resistors I
FREQUENCY in !
identical in value at steps by switching
all times. A 10:1 these capacitors.
resistance change Keep both capacitors
provides a 10:1 identical in value at
Keep the ratio of frequency change with all times. Doubling
these three resistors the lower resistance the capacitors halve,
at 1:1:1 at all values providing the frequency and
times. higher frequencies. vice versa.

e In to---,,,,y.,
)/1(

LP

L-----------4---------oe ..,1
HIGH-PASS

GAIN• -K
�p
H.,___,.,,.....,::::...._,,....____....._--o �
1
Change DAMPING by i
is adjusted changing the ratio of these
with this resistor. two resi,tors. Keep the left
Gain is unity if this resistor d times the right one
resistor equalJ the at all times. Absolute value
others on the (-) of these resistors is not
input. Doubling the critical.
resistor ha/vu the Resistor, marked* are not
gain and vice versa. critical and often may
be replaced with short (Circuit becomes low-pass
circuits. Ideally, the or band pass by selecting
resistance on the + and LP or BP output,.)
- in pulJ should be equal
for minimum offset.
I must return to ground via low-Impedance de path.

Fig. 8-12. Adjusting or tuning the variabl.-gain, st•t-•riable, second-order

high-pass section.

182
If you can use the equal-component-value Sallen-Key circuit:
1. Referring to your original filter problem and using Chapter 4,
choose a shape and order that will do the job.
2. Select this circuit from Figs. 8-13 through 8-19 and substitute
the proper resistance values.
3. Scale the circuit to your cutoff frequency, using Fig. 8-20 or
calculating capacitor ratios inversely as frequency.

101(

(A) Typical third-order, two op-amp filter (flattest amplitude, I-kHz cutoff shown).

Make this capacitor

I TEN TIMES!
its former value.

\
· �;r�- _______
>-+--o, ...,

/ �100
!Ok
.._ _,
Make this
resistor I INPUT IMPEDANCE I
!ONE TENTH I of this circuit is I / I0
its former value. that of circuit (A).
(8) One-op-amp approximation to (A).

Fig. 8-16. Appr oximating a third-order high-pass circuit with a single op amp.

4. Tune and adjust the circuit, using the guidelines in this chapter
and Chapter 9. For very low frequencies, consider a lOX in­
crease in impedance level to get by with smaller capacitors.
To build any active high-pass filter:
1. Referring to your original filter problem and using Chapter 4,
choose a shape and order that will do the job, along with a list
of the frequency and damping values for each section and an
accuracy specification.
2. Pick a suitable second-order section from this chapter for each
186
 1.0

.5 � ....
.3 ✓,,.

"
.2
� �1',
', t..-
-�
�-1,

.I /o
,;f-

��
. 05
r{1t-.,,
. IB .,,.
�'h
�

"
.02 ��� -1, �
�<"
.01 �

. 005

. 003
·,
"
�-

"·
. 002

.001
l0Hz 100 Hz I kHz l0kHz

FREQUEl«:Y

Fig. 8-20. Capacitance values for frequency scaling.

7.41 LM318

Unity-Gain
2.5 kHz 50 kHz
Solien-Key
Equal-Component-
Value Solien- 1.0 kHz 20 kHz
Key
Unity-Gain
2.5 kHz 50 kHz
State-Variable
Gain-of-Ten
(20 dB) State- 250 Hz 5 kHz
Variable

Fig. 8-21. Recommended highest cutoff frequency limits for the op amps of Chapter 2.
There is a one decade minimum passband with these limits.

190
 DIGITAL CLOCK

12:59:02

loo-Hz
wwv ACTIVE IIVELER
AND CODE
RECEIVER LOW-PASS DETECTOR CONVERTER
FILTER

Fig. 10-18. Self-resetting, always-accurate clock.

The timing information of the radio station WWV service ap­

pears as a 100-Hz subcarrier on the audio. The audio output of a
communications receiver ( Fig. 10-18) is routed through an active
filter that sharply attenuates everything about 100 Hz and mildly
attenuates the lower frequencies to eliminate power-supply hum and
extra noise. Since extra attenuation of 100-Hz signals can be
contrib­uted by the output amplifier and particularly by the
output trans­former, the signal is best obtained directly at the
detector or at a low­level audio stage.
The output of the active filter is stabilized in amplitude and then
converted into a series of pulses whose time width establishes one
bit at a time of a complete code. The bits arrive at a one-per-second
rate. A binary zero lasts 0.2 second; a "l" lasts 0.5 second, and a con­
trol or frame pulse lasts 0.8 second. The serial code is then converted
to a parallel word with a shift register and then loaded into the tim­
ing system for automatic correction. More information on these tech­
niques appears in NBS Special Publication No. 236.

PSYCHEDELIC LIGHTING
Most psychedelic lighting systems relate a visual display of some
sort to music. One approach is shown in Fig. 10-19. We take an audio
signal from the speaker system, chop it up into spectral chunks with
a group of active bandpass filters, and then control a semiconductor
controlled rectifier ( SCR) or a triac in proportion to the amplitude of
the signals in each channel. The SCR or triac then drives the load,
several hundred to a few thousand watts of light. The blue lamps
follow the lows, the yellows the accompaniment, the reds the rhythm,
and so on, or whatever color combination is selected. The lamps can
be projected onto a display or viewed through patterned but trans­
parent plastic materials to create the final display effects.
Two-pole bandpass filters one-octave wide ( 2:1 frequency) with
a 1-dB dip in them are a good approach ( see example of Figs. 5-18
227
 Don Lancaster's
ACTIVE FILTER COOKBOOK
An active filter needs no inductors. Instead, opamps, resistors,
and capacitors get used for better results. Advantages include
lower cost, easy tuning, simple design, and modularity.
This Don Lancaster classic is by far the best selling active filter
book of all time. It gives you everything you'll need to know
to build active lowpass, bandpass, and highpass filters.
You'll find both instant design charts and the math behind
coverage. Responses from Bessel to Chebychev to Elliptic. Plus
circuits from Sallen and Key through State Variable.
Chapters include active filter basics; opamps; first and second
order networks; lowpass, bandpass, and highpass responses;
lowpass, bandpass, and highpass circuits; tuning and voltage
control; and real-world ideas and applications.
Microcomputer pioneer and guru Don Lancaster is the author
of 34 books, 2 videos, and countless articles. He is considered
by some to be the father of the personal computer for early
work on low cost video terminal displays. Others call him the
patron saint of the Walter Mitties of the World.
Don has columns in many tech magazines and is the Sysop
for the GEnie PSRT RoundTable. He also heads Synergetics, a
new age design and consulting firm. Don's avocations include
firefighting,spelunking, bicycling, and tinaja questing.
Don maintains a no-charge voice helpline at (928) 428-4073
and can be reached at [email protected] or www.tinaja.com

ISBN 1-882193-31-8
52850>

9 781882 193318

Synergetics Press
Box 809 • Thatcher AZ • 85552

ISBN 1 - 88193-31-8