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4th order Butterworth LPF with two Sallen-Key biquads (1 kHz)

Short answer

Two unity-gain Sallen-Key biquads with equal resistors, C1=2Q, C2=1/(2Q) scaled to fc=1 kHz, C1=0.1 μF. Section 1 (Q=0.5412): R=1.723 kΩ, C1=0.1 μF, C2=85.36 nF. Section 2 (Q=1.3066): R=4.159 kΩ, C1=0.1 μF, C2=14.64 nF. DC gain 1.

Design a 4th order Butterworth LPF using cascaded two Sallen-key biquad having half power frequency of 1 kHz and largest capacitor of 0.1 μF.

Butterworth n = 4 (pole table): p=−0.3827±j0.9239p = -0.3827 \pm j0.9239 and −0.9239±j0.3827-0.9239 \pm j0.3827, so

TN(s)=1(s2+0.7654s+1)(s2+1.8478s+1),Q1=11.8478=0.5412,Q2=10.7654=1.3066T_N(s) = \frac{1}{(s^2 + 0.7654s + 1)(s^2 + 1.8478s + 1)}, \qquad Q_1 = \frac{1}{1.8478} = 0.5412,\quad Q_2 = \frac{1}{0.7654} = 1.3066

Sallen–Key biquad

                 +--------[C1]---------+
                 |                     |
 Vi o--[R1]------+--[R2]--+----(+)     |
                          |       A ---+---o Vo
                         [C2]   +-(-)  |
                          |     |      |
                         GND    +------+

Unity-gain Sallen–Key lowpass biquad (C1C_1 from the middle node to the output, C2C_2 to ground):

T(s)=1R1R2C1C2s2+sC1(1R1+1R2)+1R1R2C1C2T(s) = \frac{\dfrac{1}{R_1R_2C_1C_2}}{s^2 + \dfrac{s}{C_1}\left(\dfrac{1}{R_1} + \dfrac{1}{R_2}\right) + \dfrac{1}{R_1R_2C_1C_2}}

Normalised equal-resistor design (R1=R2=1R_1 = R_2 = 1, ω0=1\omega_0 = 1): C1C2=1C_1C_2 = 1 and ω0/Q=2/C1\omega_0/Q = 2/C_1, so

C1=2Q,C2=12QC_1 = 2Q, \qquad C_2 = \frac{1}{2Q}

Scaling

ω0=2π(1000)=6283.2\omega_0 = 2\pi(1000) = 6283.2 rad/s. In each section the larger capacitor C1C_1 is made 0.1 μF: kz=C1n/(ω0×10−7)k_z = C_{1n}/(\omega_0 \times 10^{-7}), R1=R2=kzR_1 = R_2 = k_z, C2=C2n/(kzω0)C_2 = C_{2n}/(k_z\omega_0).

SectionQC1nC_{1n}C2nC_{2n}R1=R2R_1 = R_2C1C_1C2C_2
s2+1.8478s+1s^2 + 1.8478s + 10.54121.0824 F0.9239 F1.723 kΩ100 nF85.36 nF
s2+0.7654s+1s^2 + 0.7654s + 11.30662.6131 F0.3827 F4.159 kΩ100 nF14.64 nF
 Vi -->[SK 1, Q=0.5412]-->[SK 2, Q=1.3066]--> Vo
        R1=R2=1.723k        R1=R2=4.159k
        C1=0.1uF            C1=0.1uF
        C2=85.36nF          C2=14.64nF

Both sections are unity-gain followers, so the DC gain is 1 and no gain compensation is needed. Half-power frequency 1 kHz.

Answer: section 1: R1=R2R_1 = R_2 = 1.723 kΩ, C1C_1 = 0.1 μF, C2C_2 = 85.36 nF; section 2: R1=R2R_1 = R_2 = 4.159 kΩ, C1C_1 = 0.1 μF, C2C_2 = 14.64 nF.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Sonnet 5.5

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