−

+
Solution
The output voltage can then be expressed using Eq. (15.12) as

冢 冣 冤 冥
2R 2(5000)
Vo ⫽ 1 ⫹ ᎏᎏ (V1 ⫺ V2) ⫽ 1 ⫹ ᎏᎏ (V1 ⫺ V2)
RP 500
⫽ 21(V1 ⴚ V2)

15.6 ACTIVE FILTERS

A popular application uses op-amps to build active filter circuits. A filter circuit can
be constructed using passive components: resistors and capacitors. An active filter
additionally uses an amplifier to provide voltage amplification and signal isolation or
buffering.
A filter that provides a constant output from dc up to a cutoff frequency fOH and
then passes no signal above that frequency is called an ideal low-pass filter. The ideal
response of a low-pass filter is shown in Fig. 15.30a. A filter that provides or passes
signals above a cutoff frequency fOL is a high-pass filter, as idealized in Fig. 15.30b.
When the filter circuit passes signals that are above one ideal cutoff frequency and
below a second cutoff frequency, it is called a bandpass filter, as idealized in Fig.
15.30c.

Figure 15.30 Ideal filter response: (a) low-pass; (b) high-pass; (c) bandpass.

662 Chapter 15 Op-Amp Applications

 −

+
Low-Pass Filter
A first-order, low-pass filter using a single resistor and capacitor as in Fig. 15.31a has
a practical slope of ⫺20 dB per decade, as shown in Fig. 15.31b (rather than the ideal
response of Fig. 15.30a). The voltage gain below the cutoff frequency is constant at

Rf
Av ⫽ 1 ⫹ ᎏᎏ (15.13)
R1

at a cutoff frequency of

1
fOH ⫽ ᎏᎏ (15.14)
2␲R1C1

Connecting two sections of filter as in Fig. 15.32 results in a second-order low-pass

filter with cutoff at ⫺40 dB per decade—closer to the ideal characteristic of Fig.

RG RF

Vo / V1
V+

– −20 dB/decade

Op-amp Output (Vo)

R1
+

V1 C1 V− f
fOH

(a) (b)

Figure 15.31 First-order low-pass active filter.

RG RF

Vo / V1

Aυ –20 dB/decade
–

Op-amp Output (Vo) – 40 dB/decade

R1 R2
V1 +

C2 f
C1 fOH

(a) (b)

Figure 15.32 Second-order low-pass active filter. 663

 −

+
15.30a. The circuit voltage gain and cutoff frequency are the same for the second-
order circuit as for the first-order filter circuit, except that the filter response drops at
a faster rate for a second-order filter circuit.

EXAMPLE 15.12 Calculate the cutoff frequency of a first-order low-pass filter for R1 ⫽ 1.2 k⍀ and
C1 ⫽ 0.02 ␮F.

Solution
1 1
fOH ⫽ ᎏᎏ ⫽ ᎏᎏᎏ ⫽ 6.63 kHz
2␲R1C1 2␲ (1.2 ⫻ 103)(0.02 ⫻ 10⫺6)

High-Pass Active Filter

First- and second-order high-pass active filters can be built as shown in Fig. 15.33.
The amplifier gain is calculated using Eq. (15.13). The amplifier cutoff frequency is

1
fOL ⫽ ᎏᎏ (15.15)
2␲R1C1

with a second-order filter R1 ⫽ R2, and C1 ⫽ C2 results in the same cutoff frequency
as in Eq. (15.15).

RG RF RG RF

– –

Op-amp Vo Op-amp Vo
C1 C1 C2
V1 + V1 +

R1 R1 R2

(a) (b)

Vo / V1

–20 dB/decade
–40 dB/decade

f
fOL

(c)

Figure 15.33 High-pass filter: (a) first order; (b) second order; (c) response plot.

664
 −

Calculate the cutoff frequency of a second-order high-pass filter as in Fig. 15.33b for EXAMPLE 15.13
R1 5 R2 5 2.1 kV, C1 5 C2 5 0.05 mF, and Ro1 5 10 kV, Rof 5 50 kV.

Solution
Rof 50 k⍀
Eq. (15.13): Av ⫽ 1 ⫹ ᎏᎏ ⫽ 1 ⫹ ᎏᎏ ⫽ 6
Ro1 10 k⍀
The cutoff frequency is then
1 1
Eq. (15.15): fOL ⫽ ᎏᎏ ⫽ ᎏᎏᎏ ⬇ 1.5 kHz
2␲R1C1 2␲ (2.1 ⫻ 103)(0.05 ⫻ 10⫺6)

Bandpass Filter
Figure 15.34 shows a bandpass filter using two stages, the first a high-pass filter and
the second a low-pass filter, the combined operation being the desired bandpass
response.

Figure 15.34 Bandpass active filter.

15.6 Active Filters 665

 −

EXAMPLE 15.14 Calculate the cutoff frequencies of the bandpass filter circuit of Fig. 15.34 with
R1 ⫽ R2 ⫽ 10 k⍀, C1 ⫽ 0.1 ␮F, and C2 ⫽ 0.002 ␮F.

Solution
1 1
fOL ⫽ ᎏᎏ ⫽ ᎏᎏᎏ ⫽ 159.15 Hz
2␲R1C1 2␲ (10 ⫻ 103)(0.1 ⫻ 10⫺6)
1 1
fOH ⫽ ᎏᎏ ⫽ ᎏᎏᎏᎏ ⫽ 7.96 kHz
2␲R2C2 2␲ (10 ⫻ 103)(0.002 ⫻ 10⫺6)

15.7 PSPICE WINDOWS

Many of the practical op-amp applications covered in this chapter can be analyzed
using PSpice. Analysis of various problems will be used to display the resulting dc
bias or, using PROBE, to display resulting waveforms. As always, first use Schematic
drawing to draw the circuit diagram and set the desired analysis, then use Simula-
tion to analyze the circuit. Finally, examine the resulting Output or use PROBE to
view various waveforms.

Program 15.1—Summing Op-Amp

A summing op-amp using a 741 IC is shown in Fig. 15.35. Three dc voltage inputs
are summed, with a resulting output dc voltage determined as follows:
VO ⫽ ⫺[(100 k⍀/20 k⍀)(⫹2 V) ⫹ (100 k⍀/50 k⍀)(⫺3 V) ⫹
(100 k⍀/10 k⍀)(⫹1 V)]
⫽ ⫺[(10 V) ⫹ (⫺6 V) ⫹ (10 V)] ⫽ ⫺[20 V ⫺ 6 V] ⫽ ⫺14 V

Figure 15.35 Summing amplifier using ␮A741 op-amp.

The steps in drawing the circuit and doing the analysis are as follows. Using Get
New Part:

Select uA741.
Select R and repeatedly place three input resistors and feedback resistor; set
resistor values and change resistor names, if desired.

666 Chapter 15 Op-Amp Applications