EXPERIMENT NO.

1
SECOND ORDER LOW, HIGH AND BAND PASS ACTIVE FILTER
OBJECTS
1- Sketch frequency response of LPF, HPF, and BPF.
2- Understand how to calculate the filter characteristics.

THEORY
A filter is a circuit that is capable of passing a specific range of frequencies while blocking
other frequencies. The four major types of filters include low-pass filters, high-pass filters, band
pass filters, and notch filters (or band-reject filters).
A low-pass filter passes low-frequency components of an input signal, while a high-pass
filter passes high-frequency components. A band pass filter passes a narrow range of frequencies
centered around the filter’s resonant frequency, while a notch filter passes all frequencies except
those within a narrow band centered around the filter’s resonant frequency.

Fig.(1) : Filter response.

In radio communications, filters make it possible for a radio receiver to provide the listener with
only the desired signal while rejecting all others. Likewise, filters allow a radio transmitter to
generate only one signal while attenuating other signals that might interfere with different radio
transmitters’ signals.
Part 1: Second order Butterworth low-pass filter
The transfer function of second order normalized Butterworth filter is given by
1
H(s) = (1)
�s2 + √2 s + 1�
The circuit that provides the transfer function in Eq. (1) is given by Fig.(2).
 Fig.(2): Second order Butterworth low pass filter.
The transfer function for this circuit is

1
𝑉𝑉𝑜𝑜 𝑅𝑅2 𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
𝐻𝐻(𝑠𝑠) = = (2)
𝑉𝑉𝑖𝑖 𝑠𝑠 2 + 2 𝑠𝑠 + 1
𝑅𝑅𝐶𝐶1 𝑅𝑅2 𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
Set R = 1 Ω; then
1
𝑉𝑉𝑜𝑜 𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
𝐻𝐻(𝑠𝑠) = = (3)
𝑉𝑉𝑖𝑖 2 2 1
𝑠𝑠 + 𝑠𝑠 +
𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
2 1
√2 = and 1 = (4)
𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶1 𝐶𝐶2
There are two types of scaling: magnitude and frequency to provide more realistic or practical
component values in our design. If a circuit is scaled in magnitude and frequency at the same time,
then
𝑅𝑅́ = 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅 (5)
1
𝐶𝐶́ = 𝐶𝐶 (6)
𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓
𝜔𝜔 ́= 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 𝜔𝜔 (7)

where the primed variable are the new values and the unprimed variables are the old values, 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚
and 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 are the magnitude and frequency scaling factors.
For example, to design a second-order Butterworth low-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 500
Hz and a passband gain of 10 with the use of as many 1 kΩ resistors as possible is given by the
following steps:
Step1: from Eq. (4)
2 1
𝐶𝐶1 = = 1.4142 𝐹𝐹 and 𝐶𝐶2 = = 0.707 𝐹𝐹
√2 𝐶𝐶1
Step2: Frequency and magnitude scaling

𝜔𝜔́ 𝑐𝑐 2𝜋𝜋(500)
𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 = = = 3141.6
𝜔𝜔𝑐𝑐 1
𝑅𝑅1 = 𝑅𝑅3 = 𝑅𝑅́ = 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅 = 1000 ∗ 1 = 1𝑘𝑘Ω
𝐶𝐶1 1.4142
𝐶𝐶́1 = = = 450 𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛
𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 (1000)(3141.6)
also
 𝐶𝐶2 0.707
𝐶𝐶́2 = = = 225 𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛
𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 (1000)(3141.6)
Step3: inverting amplifier stage
Let R4 = 1 kΩ; then
𝑅𝑅5 = 10 × 𝑅𝑅4 = 10 𝑘𝑘Ω.

XSC1
XFG11
-15 +15
V1 V2 Tektronix
0
0
-15 +15 P 1 2 3 4 T
4 15V 15V G

R5

10kΩ
C1 -15
450nF -15
-15
-15
R4
2 5
R1 R3
3 1 1kΩ 6
1kΩ 1kΩ C2 0
225nF +15
U1 +15
0 +15 +15
3554BM U2
3554BM

Fig.(3): Second order Butterworth low-pass filter with inverting amplifier stage.

Part 2: Second order Butterworth High-pass filter

To produce the second-order factors in the Butterworth polynomial, we need a circuit with a
transfer function of the form
𝑠𝑠 2
𝐻𝐻(𝑠𝑠) = (8)
�𝑠𝑠 2 + √2 𝑠𝑠 + 1�
Such a circuit is shown in Fig. 4. This circuit has the transfer function

Fig. 4: Second order Butterworth High-pass filter

𝜐𝜐0 𝑠𝑠 2
𝐻𝐻(𝑠𝑠) = = (9)
𝜐𝜐𝑖𝑖 𝑠𝑠 2 + 2 𝑠𝑠 + 1
𝑅𝑅2 𝐶𝐶 𝑅𝑅1 𝑅𝑅2 𝐶𝐶 2
Setting C = 1F yields
𝑠𝑠 2
𝐻𝐻(𝑠𝑠) = (10)
2 1
𝑠𝑠 2 + 𝑠𝑠 +
𝑅𝑅2 𝑅𝑅1 𝑅𝑅2

Compare this equation with Eq.(8)

2 1
√2 = and 1 =
𝑅𝑅2 𝑅𝑅1 𝑅𝑅2
For example, to design a second-order Butterworth high-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 5
KHz and a passband gain of 10 with the use 10 nF capacitors is given by the following steps:
Step1: For the prototype circuit
2
𝑅𝑅2 = = 1.414Ω
√2
1 1
𝑅𝑅1 = = = 0.707Ω
𝑅𝑅2 1.414
The scaling factors are:
𝜔𝜔́ 𝑐𝑐 2𝜋𝜋(5000)
𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 = = = 31416
𝜔𝜔𝑐𝑐 1
𝐶𝐶 1
𝐶𝐶́ = ∴ 10 × 10−9 =
𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 31416 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚
1
∴ 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 = = 3183.091
31416(10 × 10−9 )
The practical values of 𝑅𝑅1 and 𝑅𝑅2 are
𝑅𝑅́1 = 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅1 = 3183.091 × 0.707 = 2.25 𝐾𝐾Ω
𝑅𝑅́2 = 𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅2 = 3183.091 × 1.414 = 4.5 𝐾𝐾Ω
 XSC1
XFG11
-15 +15
V1 V2 Tektronix
0
0
-15 +15 P 1 2 3 4 T
4 15V 15V G

R5

10kΩ
R1 2 -15
2.25kΩ -15 -15
-15
R4
C3 C4 6
3 1 1kΩ 5
0
10nF 10nF R2
+15
4.5kΩ U1 +15
+15 +15
0 3554BM U2
3554BM

Part 3: Second order Narrowband Bandpass Filter

The circuit second order narrowband bandpass Filter is given in Fig.(4)

Fig.(4): Second order Narrowband Bandpass Filter

The transfer function of high quality factor Bandpass filter is
 −𝑠𝑠
𝑅𝑅1 𝐶𝐶
𝐻𝐻(𝑠𝑠) = (11)
2 1
𝑠𝑠 2 + 𝑠𝑠 +
𝑅𝑅3 𝐶𝐶 𝑅𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑅𝑅3 𝐶𝐶 2
where
𝑅𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑅𝑅1 ||𝑅𝑅2 (12)
From H(s)
2
𝐵𝐵 = (13)
𝑅𝑅3 𝐶𝐶
1
𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾 = (14)
𝑅𝑅1 𝐶𝐶
1
𝜔𝜔𝑜𝑜2 = (15)
𝑅𝑅𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑅𝑅3 𝐶𝐶 2
𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
For prototype filter (𝜔𝜔𝑜𝑜 = 1 and C = 1F)
𝑠𝑠
𝑄𝑄
𝑅𝑅1 = (16)
𝐾𝐾
𝑄𝑄
𝑅𝑅2 = (17)
2𝑄𝑄2 − 𝐾𝐾
𝑅𝑅3 = 2𝑄𝑄 (18)

Example: Design a bandpass filter, which has a center frequency of 𝑓𝑓0 =3000 Hz, a quality factor of
𝑄𝑄 = 10, and a passband gain of 𝐾𝐾 = 2. Use 0.01 µF capacitors in your design. Compute the transfer
function of your circuit.
Solution:
Since Q = 10 and K = 2, the values for R1 R2, and R3 in the prototype circuit are
R1= 10/2 = 5,
R2 = 10/(200 − 2) = 10/198
R3 = 2(10) = 20
The scaling factors are 𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 = 2π ×𝑓𝑓0 =6000π and
1 1
𝐾𝐾𝑚𝑚 = = = 5,305
𝐾𝐾𝑓𝑓 𝐶𝐶́ 6000π(10−8 )
After scaling,
R1= 26.5 kΩ,
R2 = 268.0 Ω,
R3 = 106.1 kΩ.
the transfer function is
 XSC1
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V1 V2 Tektronix
0
0
-15 +15 P 1 2 3 4 T
4 15V 15V G

C1 R3 -15
0.01µF 106.1kΩ
-15
R1 C2
3 7
26.5kΩ 2
0.01µF

R2 0 +15
268Ω U1
+15
0 3554BM

PROCEDURE
Part 1:
1. design a second-order Butterworth low-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 1000 Hz and a
passband gain of 5 with the use of as many 2 kΩ resistors
2. set function generator as sine wave with 1Vp, 100Hz and made it as input to the LPF.
3. Use the oscilloscope to observe the output signal and record the amplitudes in Table 1 for
different input frequencies.
4. Draw the input and output waveforms at frequencies: 100Hz, 1000Hz, and 5000Hz.
5. From Table 1, draw the frequency response of the filter (x-axisfrequency, y-axisoutput
signal).
6. Use the AC sweep analysis to present the frequency response of this filter.
 Table 1
Input frequency (Hz) 100 200 ……. 1K 2K ….. 10K
Output signal
𝑉𝑉𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜
𝐺𝐺𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 20𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 � �
𝑉𝑉𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖

Part 2:
1. design a second-order Butterworth high-pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 1000 Hz and a
passband gain of 5 with the use of as many 10 nF capacitors.
2. set function generator as sine wave with 1Vp, 100Hz and made it as input to the HPF.
3. Use the oscilloscope to observe the output signal and record the amplitudes in Table 1 for
different input frequencies.
4. Draw the input and output waveforms at frequencies: 100Hz, 1000Hz, and 5000Hz.
5. From Table 1, draw the frequency response of the filter (x-axisfrequency, y-axisoutput
signal).

6. Use the AC sweep analysis to present the frequency response of this filter.
Part 3:
1. design a band-pass filter with a center frequency of 2000 Hz , a quality factor of 𝑄𝑄 = 20, and a
passband gain of 𝐾𝐾 = 10. Use 0.02 µF capacitors in your design.
2. set function generator as sine wave with 1Vp, 100Hz and made it as input to the BPF.
3. Use the oscilloscope to observe the output signal and record the amplitudes in Table 1 for
different input frequencies.
4. From Table 1, draw the frequency response of the filter (x-axisfrequency, y-axisoutput
signal).

5. Use the AC sweep analysis to present the frequency response of this filter.

OBSERVATION AND DISCUSSION:

Assume that the signals 𝑋𝑋1 = 2𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐(2𝜋𝜋100𝑡𝑡), 𝑋𝑋2 = 3𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐(2𝜋𝜋3000𝑡𝑡), and 𝑋𝑋3 = 5𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐(2𝜋𝜋10000𝑡𝑡).
Use the previously designed filters to separate:
1. 𝑋𝑋1 from 𝑌𝑌 = 𝑋𝑋1 + 𝑋𝑋3.
2. 𝑋𝑋3 from 𝑌𝑌 = 𝑋𝑋1 + 𝑋𝑋3.
3. 𝑋𝑋2 from 𝑌𝑌 = 𝑋𝑋1 + 𝑋𝑋2 + 𝑋𝑋3.
For all of the above cases draw the following:
(A) The signals 𝑋𝑋1, 𝑋𝑋2, 𝑋𝑋3, 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑌𝑌 in time and frequency domain.
(B) The separated signal at the output of the filter in time and frequency response.
(C) The circuits that accomplish the above tasks.
Note: use the VOLTAGE_SUMMER (shown below) to sum the signals 𝑋𝑋1, 𝑋𝑋2 and 𝑋𝑋3

VOLTAGE_SUMMER