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Active Band Pass Filter

As we saw previously in the Passive Band Pass Filter tutorial, the principal characteristic of a Band Pass Filter or any lter for that matter,
is its ability to pass frequencies relatively unattenuated over a specied band or spread of frequencies called the Pass Band.

For a low pass lter this pass band starts from 0Hz or DC and continues up to the specied cut-o frequency point at -3dB down from the
maximum pass band gain. Equally, for a high pass lter the pass band starts from this -3dB cut-o frequency and continues up to
innity or the maximum open loop gain for an active lter.

However, the Active Band Pass Filter is slightly dierent in that it is a frequency selective lter circuit used in electronic systems to

separate a signal at one particular frequency, or a range of signals that lie within a certain band of frequencies from signals at all other
frequencies. This band or range of frequencies is set between two cut-o or corner frequency points labelled the lower frequency (L)
and the higher frequency (H) while attenuating any signals outside of these two points.

Simple Active Band Pass Filter can be easily made by cascading together a single Low Pass Filter with a single High Pass Filter as shown.

The cut-o or corner frequency of the low pass lter (LPF) is higher than the cut-o frequency of the high pass lter (HPF) and the
dierence between the frequencies at the -3dB point will determine the bandwidth of the band pass lter while attenuating any

signals outside of these points. One way of making a very simple Active Band Pass Filter is to connect the basic passive high and low pass
lters we look at previously to an amplifying op-amp circuit as shown.

Active Band Pass Filter Circuit

This cascading together of the individual low and high pass passive lters produces a low Q-factor type lter circuit which has a wide
pass band. The rst stage of the lter will be the high pass stage that uses the capacitor to block any DC biasing from the source. This

design has the advantage of producing a relatively at asymmetrical pass band frequency response with one half representing the low
pass response and the other half representing high pass response as shown.

The higher corner point (H) as well as the lower corner frequency cut-o point (L) are calculated the same as before in the standard

rst-order low and high pass lter circuits. Obviously, a reasonable separation is required between the two cut-o points to prevent any
interaction between the low pass and high pass stages. The amplier also provides isolation between the two stages and denes the
overall voltage gain of the circuit.

The bandwidth of the lter is therefore the dierence between these upper and lower -3dB points. For example, suppose we have a band
pass lter whose -3dB cut-o points are set at 200Hz and 600Hz. Then the bandwidth of the lter would be given as: Bandwidth (BW) =
600 200 = 400Hz.

The normalised frequency response and phase shift for an active band pass lter will be as follows.

Active Band Pass Frequency Response

While the above passive tuned lter circuit will work as a band pass lter, the pass band (bandwidth) can be quite wide and this may be a

problem if we want to isolate a small band of frequencies. Active band pass lter can also be made using inverting operational amplier.
So by rearranging the positions of the resistors and capacitors within the lter we can produce a much better lter circuit as shown
below. For an active band pass lter, the lower cut-o -3dB point is given by C1 while the upper cut-o -3dB point is given by C2.

Inverting Band Pass Filter Circuit

This type of band pass lter is designed to have a much narrower pass band. The centre frequency and bandwidth of the lter is related to
the values of R1, R2, C1 and C2. The output of the lter is again taken from the output of the op-amp.

Multiple Feedback Band Pass Active Filter

We can improve the band pass response of the above circuit by rearranging the components again to produce an innite-gain multiple-

feedback (IGMF) band pass lter. This type of active band pass design produces a tuned circuit based around a negative feedback active
lter giving it a high Q-factor (up to 25) amplitude response and steep roll-o on either side of its centre frequency. Because the

frequency response of the circuit is similar to a resonance circuit, this center frequency is referred to as the resonant frequency, (r).
Consider the circuit below.

Innite Gain Multiple Feedback Active Filter

This active band pass lter circuit uses the full gain of the operational amplier, with multiple negative feedback applied via resistor, R2
and capacitor C2. Then we can dene the characteristics of the IGMF lter as follows:

We can see then that the relationship between resistors, R1 and R2 determines the band pass Q-factor and the frequency at which the
maximum amplitude occurs, the gain of the circuit will be equal to -2Q2. Then as the gain increases so to does the selectivity. In other
words, high gain high selectivity.

Active Band Pass Filter Example No1

An active band pass lter that has a voltage gain Av of one (1) and a resonant frequency, r of 1kHz is constructed using an innite gain
multiple feedback lter circuit. Calculate the values of the components required to implement the circuit.

Firstly, we can determine the values of the two resistors, R1 and R2 required for the active lter using the gain of the circuit to nd Q as
follows.

Then we can see that a value of Q = 0.7071 gives a relationship of resistor, R2 being twice the value of resistor R1. Then we can choose any
suitable value of resistances to give the required ratio of two. Then resistor R1 = 10k and R2 = 20k.

The center or resonant frequency is given as 1kHz. Using the new resistor values obtained, we can determine the value of the capacitors
required assuming that C = C1 = C2.


The closest standard value is 10nF.

Resonant Frequency Point

The actual shape of the frequency response curve for any passive or active band pass lter will depend upon the characteristics of the
lter circuit with the curve above being dened as an ideal band pass response. An active band pass lter is a 2nd Order type lter
because it has two reactive components (two capacitors) within its circuit design.

As a result of these two reactive components, the lter will have a peak response or Resonant Frequency (r) at its center frequency,
c. The center frequency is generally calculated as being the geometric mean of the two -3dB frequencies between the upper and the
lower cut-o points with the resonant frequency (point of oscillation) being given as:

Where:
r is the resonant or Center Frequency
L is the lower -3dB cut-o frequency point
H is the upper -3db cut-o frequency point
and in our simple example in the text above of a lters lower and upper -3dB cut-o points being at 200Hz and 600Hz respectively, then
the resonant center frequency of the active band pass lter would be:

The Q or Quality Factor

In a Band Pass Filter circuit, the overall width of the actual pass band between the upper and lower -3dB corner points of the lter

determines the Quality Factor or Q-point of the circuit. This Q Factor is a measure of how Selective or Un-selective the band pass
lter is towards a given spread of frequencies. The lower the value of the Q factor the wider is the bandwidth of the lter and
consequently the higher the Q factor the narrower and more selective is the lter.

The Quality Factor, Q of the lter is sometimes given the Greek symbol of Alpha, () and is known as the alpha-peak frequency where:

As the quality factor of an active band pass lter (Second-order System) relates to the sharpness of the lters response around its

centre resonant frequency (r) it can also be thought of as the Damping Factor or Damping Coecient because the more damping
the lter has the atter is its response and likewise, the less damping the lter has the sharper is its response. The damping ratio is
given the Greek symbol of Xi, () where:

The Q of a band pass lter is the ratio of the Resonant Frequency, (r) to the Bandwidth, (BW) between the upper and lower -3dB
frequencies and is given as:


Then for our simple example above the quality factor Q of the band pass lter is given as:

346Hz / 400Hz = 0.865. Note that Q is a ratio and has no units.

When analysing active lters, generally a normalised circuit is considered which produces an ideal frequency response having a

rectangular shape, and a transition between the pass band and the stop band that has an abrupt or very steep roll-o slope. However,

these ideal responses are not possible in the real world so we use approximations to give us the best frequency response possible for the
type of lter we are trying to design.

Probably the best known lter approximation for doing this is the Butterworth or maximally-at response lter. In the next tutorial we
will look at higher order lters and use Butterworth approximations to produce lters that have a frequency response which is as at as
mathematically possible in the pass band and a smooth transition or roll-o rate.

Related products: EMI/RFI Suppression | EMI Filter

49 Comments

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sandeep
nice
Posted on July 08th 2016 | 4:22 am

Reply

Francis Jansz
Dear Filter Man,

I am not a technician, I need to know What Values of The Resistors & Capacitors That I must change to Get a LOW Pass Tube ACTIVE Filter Built , at 24 d b
I am looking for simple Values to Cutout The Freq: from 15 Hz to 600 Hz, And My High Pass Filter to work from 600 hz at 24 d b onwards
please help me out .

Posted on May 12th 2016 | 10:22 am

Reply

Denis
Which op-amp is used with these lters?
Posted on May 09th 2016 | 7:21 pm

Reply

Wayne Storr
Any commonly available general purpose types of bipolar or FET op-amp such as the 741, 107, 358, etc. either single or dual supply can be used to
build a lter providing they have the open-loop bandwidth you require.
Posted on May 10th 2016 | 7:07 am

Reply

Sarthak Mohanty
Hey all. My college project is Design an active Band pass lter that will allow frequency form 1khz to 5khz. what are the values of components should I
be needing?

Posted on April 15th 2016 | 5:43 am

Reply

Trista
Hi,
Im trying to make a project in which I play a tone into a mic and depending on the frequency of the tone, an LED which corresponds to that frequency
range will light up. I will have about 4 or 5 ranges, and therefore 4 or 5 band-pass lters.

Which lter do you recommend for this purpose? Also, how do I make sure that if the frequency is outside of a range the LED will not light up at all?
Posted on February 04th 2016 | 3:48 pm

Reply

Trista
I forgot to add that the width of each frequency range will be around 100 Hz.
Posted on February 04th 2016 | 4:49 pm

Reply

Sandeep
Hi

Wayne Storr

IN My circuit I have use multiple freq. from 94Hz, 105Hz, 111Hz, 128Hz. Can I use narrow band pass lter eectively to pass this frequency without noise.
plz suggest.
Sandeep
Posted on December 30th 2015 | 6:49 am

Posted on December 30th 2015 | 6:49 am

Reply

Wayne Storr
Hello Sandeep, yes you could use a narrow band pass lter to pass your frequencies and attenuate those either side of your -3dB points.
Posted on January 02nd 2016 | 7:43 pm

Reply

tom
Hi,
When cascading my two circuits together I have found that the gain drops by 6db. In the other section I read that this is due to the number of lters you

are cascading, for 3 lters it wil be 9db etc. However I couldnt nd a solution as to change this back. For example. If my original circuit was to be at 20dB
but now after cascading everything has been moved down by 6 db, what is the solution in order to keep my dB up at 20?
Posted on October 22nd 2015 | 12:35 pm

Reply

Wayne Storr
If the gain has dropped by -6dB or 0.5Av, then use an additional inverting or non-inverting amplier on the output with a gain of two to bring it
back to the original 20dB.

Posted on October 22nd 2015 | 4:35 pm

Reply

Amy
Hi Mark,
This may seem real silly but is there a specic reason why a high pass section should precede a low pass section? Is it possible to have a LPF>Amp>HPF?
Posted on October 14th 2015 | 5:30 am

Reply

Wayne Storr
Hello Amy, yes you can. Filters attenuate frequencies above (HPF) or below (LPF) their corner frequency otherwise they do nothing, so makes no
dierence which way around they are within a bandpass lter (BPF) circuit.
Posted on October 14th 2015 | 12:16 pm

Reply

Fady Samann
Dear Sir,

Could you please write about band stop lter. Thank you for your help.
Posted on October 12th 2015 | 5:12 pm

Reply

Wayne Storr
Hello Fady, thanks for the suggestion.
Posted on October 12th 2015 | 5:54 pm

Reply

Rob
Hello.
Can you comment on the typical bandwidths of each circuit? I am curious to know if one circuit is better suited for my application based on the pass band.
As well, with the IGMF circuit, what is the limit of the bandwith before the 3dB points start aecting each other?
Cheers
Posted on April 07th 2015 | 8:19 pm

Reply

Wayne Storr
This is a very open question. A lters passband is dependant upon what you set as the corner or cut-o frequencies. It can be very narrow and

selective or very wide and at with ripple in the pass band or stop band, also the roll-o either side of the -3dB points depending on what order
the lter is and whether its a Butterworth, Chebyshev or Bessel design.
Posted on April 08th 2015 | 6:14 am

Reply

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