Active Low Pass Filter

By combining a basic RC Low Pass Filter circuit with an operational amplifier we can create
an Active Low Pass Filter circuit complete with amplification

In the RC Passive Filter tutorials, we saw how a basic first-order filter circuits, such as the
low pass and the high pass filters can be made using just a single resistor in series with a
non-polarized capacitor connected across a sinusoidal input signal.
We also noticed that the main disadvantage of passive filters is that the amplitude of the
output signal is less than that of the input signal, ie, the gain is never greater than unity and
that the load impedance affects the filters characteristics.
With passive filter circuits containing multiple stages, this loss in signal amplitude called
“Attenuation” can become quiet severe. One way of restoring or controlling this loss of
signal is by using amplification through the use of Active Filters.
As their name implies, Active Filters contain active components such as operational
amplifiers, transistors or FET’s within their circuit design. They draw their power from an
external power source and use it to boost or amplify the output signal.
Filter amplification can also be used to either shape or alter the frequency response of the
filter circuit by producing a more selective output response, making the output bandwidth
of the filter more narrower or even wider. Then the main difference between a “passive
filter” and an “active filter” is amplification.
An active filter generally uses an operational amplifier (op-amp) within its design and in
the Operational Amplifier tutorial we saw that an Op-amp has a high input impedance, a
low output impedance and a voltage gain determined by the resistor network within its
feedback loop.
Unlike a passive high pass filter which has in theory an infinite high frequency response,
the maximum frequency response of an active filter is limited to the Gain/Bandwidth
product (or open loop gain) of the operational amplifier being used. Still, active filters are
generally much easier to design than passive filters, they produce good performance
characteristics, very good accuracy with a steep roll-off and low noise when used with a
good circuit design.

Active Low Pass Filter

The most common and easily understood active filter is the Active Low Pass Filter. Its
principle of operation and frequency response is exactly the same as those for the
previously seen passive filter, the only difference this time is that it uses an op-amp for
amplification and gain control. The simplest form of a low pass active filter is to connect an
inverting or non-inverting amplifier, the same as those discussed in the Op-amp tutorial, to
the basic RC low pass filter circuit as shown.
First Order Low Pass Filter

This first-order low pass active filter, consists simply of a passive RC filter stage providing a
low frequency path to the input of a non-inverting operational amplifier. The amplifier is
configured as a voltage-follower (Buffer) giving it a DC gain of one, Av = +1 or unity gain as
opposed to the previous passive RC filter which has a DC gain of less than unity.
The advantage of this configuration is that the op-amps high input impedance prevents
excessive loading on the filters output while its low output impedance prevents the filters
cut-off frequency point from being affected by changes in the impedance of the load.
While this configuration provides good stability to the filter, its main disadvantage is that it
has no voltage gain above one. However, although the voltage gain is unity the power gain
is very high as its output impedance is much lower than its input impedance. If a voltage
gain greater than one is required we can use the following filter circuit.

Active Low Pass Filter with Amplification

 The frequency response of the circuit will be the same as that for the passive RC filter,
except that the amplitude of the output is increased by the pass band gain, AF of the
amplifier. For a non-inverting amplifier circuit, the magnitude of the voltage gain for the
filter is given as a function of the feedback resistor ( R2 ) divided by its corresponding input
resistor ( R1 ) value and is given as:

Therefore, the gain of an active low pass filter as a function of frequency will be:

Gain of a first-order low pass filter

• Where:
• AF = the pass band gain of the filter, (1 + R2/R1)
• ƒ = the frequency of the input signal in Hertz, (Hz)
• ƒc = the cut-off frequency in Hertz, (Hz)
Thus, the operation of a low pass active filter can be verified from the frequency gain
equation above as:

• 1. At very low frequencies, ƒ < ƒc

• 2. At the cut-off frequency, ƒ = ƒc

• 3. At very high frequencies, ƒ > ƒc

Thus, the Active Low Pass Filter has a constant gain AF from 0Hz to the high frequency
cut-off point, ƒC. At ƒC the gain is 0.707AF, and after ƒC it decreases at a constant rate as the
frequency increases. That is, when the frequency is increased tenfold (one decade), the
voltage gain is divided by 10.
In other words, the gain decreases 20dB (= 20*log(10)) each time the frequency is
increased by 10. When dealing with filter circuits the magnitude of the pass band gain of
the circuit is generally expressed in decibels or dB as a function of the voltage gain, and this
is defined as:

Magnitude of Voltage Gain in (dB)

Active Low Pass Filter Example No1

Design a non-inverting active low pass filter circuit that has a gain of ten at low frequencies,
a high frequency cut-off or corner frequency of 159Hz and an input impedance of 10KΩ.
The voltage gain of a non-inverting operational amplifier is given as:

Assume a value for resistor R1 of 1kΩ rearranging the formula above gives a value
for R2 of:

So for a voltage gain of 10, R1 = 1kΩ and R2 = 9kΩ. However, a 9kΩ resistor does not exist
so the next preferred value of 9k1Ω is used instead. Converting this voltage gain to an
equivalent decibel dB value gives:

The cut-off or corner frequency (ƒc) is given as being 159Hz with an input impedance
of 10kΩ. This cut-off frequency can be found by using the formula:
 where ƒc = 159Hz and R = 10kΩ.

By rearranging the above standard formula we can find the value of the filter
capacitor C as:

Thus the final low pass filter circuit along with its frequency response is given below as:

Low Pass Filter Circuit

Frequency Response Curve

If the external impedance connected to the input of the filter circuit changes, this
impedance change would also affect the corner frequency of the filter (components
connected together in series or parallel). One way of avoiding any external influence is to
place the capacitor in parallel with the feedback resistor R2 effectively removing it from the
input but still maintaining the filters characteristics.
However, the value of the capacitor will change slightly from being 100nF to 110nF to take
account of the 9k1Ω resistor, but the formula used to calculate the cut-off corner frequency
is the same as that used for the RC passive low pass filter.

An example of the new Active Low Pass Filter circuit is given as.

Simplified non-inverting amplifier filter circuit

Equivalent inverting amplifier filter circuit

Applications of Active Low Pass Filters are in audio amplifiers, equalizers or speaker
systems to direct the lower frequency bass signals to the larger bass speakers or to reduce
any high frequency noise or “hiss” type distortion. When used like this in audio applications
the active low pass filter is sometimes called a “Bass Boost” filter.

Second-order Low Pass Active Filter

As with the passive filter, a first-order low-pass active filter can be converted into a second-
order low pass filter simply by using an additional RC network in the input path. The
frequency response of the second-order low pass filter is identical to that of the first-order
type except that the stop band roll-off will be twice the first-order filters at 40dB/decade
(12dB/octave). Therefore, the design steps required of the second-order active low pass
filter are the same.

Second-order Active Low Pass Filter Circuit

When cascading together filter circuits to form higher-order filters, the overall gain of the
filter is equal to the product of each stage. For example, the gain of one stage may be 10 and
the gain of the second stage may be 32 and the gain of a third stage may be 100. Then the
overall gain will be 32,000, (10 x 32 x 100) as shown below.

Cascading Voltage Gain

Second-order (two-pole) active filters are important because higher-order filters can be
designed using them. By cascading together first and second-order filters, filters with an
order value, either odd or even up to any value can be constructed. In the next tutorial
about filters, we will see that Active High Pass Filters, can be constructed by reversing the
positions of the resistor and capacitor in the circuit.
First Order High Pass Filter

Technically, there is no such thing as an active high pass filter. Unlike Passive High Pass
Filters which have an “infinite” frequency response, the maximum pass band frequency
response of an active high pass filter is limited by the open-loop characteristics or
bandwidth of the operational amplifier being used, making them appear as if they are band
pass filters with a high frequency cut-off determined by the selection of op-amp and gain.
In the Operational Amplifier tutorial we saw that the maximum frequency response of an
op-amp is limited to the Gain/Bandwidth product or open loop voltage gain ( A V ) of the
operational amplifier being used giving it a bandwidth limitation, where the closed loop
response of the op amp intersects the open loop response.
A commonly available operational amplifier such as the uA741 has a typical “open-loop”
(without any feedback) DC voltage gain of about 100dB maximum reducing at a roll off rate
of -20dB/Decade (-6db/Octave) as the input frequency increases. The gain of the uA741
reduces until it reaches unity gain, (0dB) or its “transition frequency” ( ƒt ) which is about
1MHz. This causes the op-amp to have a frequency response curve very similar to that of a
first-order low pass filter and this is shown below.
Frequency response curve of a typical Operational Amplifier

Then the performance of a “high pass filter” at high frequencies is limited by this unity gain
crossover frequency which determines the overall bandwidth of the open-loop amplifier.
The gain-bandwidth product of the op-amp starts from around 100kHz for small signal
amplifiers up to about 1GHz for high-speed digital video amplifiers and op-amp based
active filters can achieve very good accuracy and performance provided that low tolerance
resistors and capacitors are used.
Under normal circumstances the maximum pass band required for a closed loop active high
pass or band pass filter is well below that of the maximum open-loop transition frequency.
However, when designing active filter circuits it is important to choose the correct op-amp
for the circuit as the loss of high frequency signals may result in signal distortion.

Active High Pass Filter

A first-order (single-pole) Active High Pass Filter as its name implies, attenuates low
frequencies and passes high frequency signals. It consists simply of a passive filter section
followed by a non-inverting operational amplifier. The frequency response of the circuit is
the same as that of the passive filter, except that the amplitude of the signal is increased by
the gain of the amplifier and for a non-inverting amplifier the value of the pass band
voltage gain is given as 1 + R2/R1, the same as for the low pass filter circuit.
Active High Pass Filter with Amplification

This first-order high pass filter, consists simply of a passive filter followed by a non-
inverting amplifier. The frequency response of the circuit is the same as that of the passive
filter, except that the amplitude of the signal is increased by the gain of the amplifier.
For a non-inverting amplifier circuit, the magnitude of the voltage gain for the filter is given
as a function of the feedback resistor ( R2 ) divided by its corresponding input resistor
( R1 ) value and is given as:

Gain for an Active High Pass Filter

• Where:
• AF = the Pass band Gain of the filter, ( 1 + R2/R1 )
• ƒ = the Frequency of the Input Signal in Hertz, (Hz)
• ƒc = the Cut-off Frequency in Hertz, (Hz)
Just like the low pass filter, the operation of a high pass active filter can be verified from the
frequency gain equation above as:

• 1. At very low frequencies, ƒ < ƒc

• 2. At the cut-off frequency, ƒ = ƒc

• 3. At very high frequencies, ƒ > ƒc

Then, the Active High Pass Filter has a gain AF that increases from 0Hz to the low
frequency cut-off point, ƒC at 20dB/decade as the frequency increases. At ƒC the gain
is 0.707*AF, and after ƒC all frequencies are pass band frequencies so the filter has a
constant gain AF with the highest frequency being determined by the closed loop
bandwidth of the op-amp.
When dealing with filter circuits the magnitude of the pass band gain of the circuit is
generally expressed in decibels or dB as a function of the voltage gain, and this is defined as:

Magnitude of Voltage Gain in (dB)

For a first-order filter the frequency response curve of the filter increases by 20dB/decade
or 6dB/octave up to the determined cut-off frequency point which is always at -3dB below
the maximum gain value. As with the previous filter circuits, the lower cut-off or corner
frequency ( ƒc ) can be found by using the same formula:

The corresponding phase angle or phase shift of the output signal is the same as that given
for the passive RC filter and leads that of the input signal. It is equal to +45o at the cut-off
frequency ƒc value and is given as:
A simple first-order active high pass filter can also be made using an inverting operational
amplifier configuration as well, and an example of this circuit design is given along with its
corresponding frequency response curve. A gain of 40dB has been assumed for the circuit.

Inverting Operational Amplifier Circuit

Frequency Response Curve