AktivFilter 3 - Software for the design of active filters tuned on the opamp type

Active Filter Design Software AktivFilter 3

The usual problem

You have to develop an electronics subassembly and need an active filter which fulfils your specification. After the test of your designed circuit you find out that the frequency response deviates from your default. You begin to match the circuit and to measure and very often repeat this. It makes sense that this unsystematic process can be quite time-complex every now and then. In addition, comes that you do not achieve the optimum result in this manner certainly. Rather the result depends on all kinds of random: Quality of the metering gauges, talent and day form of the laboratory assistant etc.

The new solution: AktivFilter 3

With the help of the software AktivFilter 3 of SoftwareDidaktik you can design active filters which are tuned to the operational amplifier. So a manual adjustment of the designed filter circuit becomes superfluous with it. AktivFilter is a powerful software for the design of active bandpass filters, highpass filters, lowpass filters and bandreject filters with operational amplifiers. The special feature of this program is the ability of co-ordinating the component values of the filter circuit with the type of operational amplifier and with the standard series (E12, E24, E48 or E96) of the component values. Thus a later adjustment of the built circuit becomes unnecessary. For many applications AktivFilter enables you to use inexpensive opamp types instead of expensive ones. Developers of audio electronics, e.g. studio and high end equipment, can also profit from AktivFilter, as this program supports some high-quality audio opamps.

Of course AktivFilter can create filters with the usual filter characteristics Bessel, Butterworth and Chebychev. Alternatively you can specify an individual characteristic by setting the parameters pole quality Q and the normalized pole frequency for each stage of your active filter. This can be a useful feature, e.g. if you want to develop a special active crossover network for loudspeakers.

According to our information AktivFilter is the world-wide unique solution which is able to co-ordinate filter designs with certain opamp types. Therefore it is important that the program supports all types of opamps you want to use:

AD648, AD711, AD712, AD713, AD741, AD743, AD797, AD8031, AD8032, AD8047, AD8057, AD8058, AD8099, AD817, AD822, AD823, AD825, AD826, AD845, AD847, CA3140, CA3160, EL2245, EL2445, HA-2600, HA-2602, HA-2620, HA-2622, HA-2841, HA-2842, HA-5020, HA-5101, HA-5102, HA-5104, HA-5112, HA-5114, HA-5127, HA-5137, HA-5147, HA-5190, HA-5221, HA-5222, HA17082, HA17083, HA17084, HA17558, HA17741, LF351, LF353, LF356, LF357, LF411, LF412, LF441, LF442, LF444, LF451, LM107, LM118, LM124, LM139, LM148, LM158, LM193, LM218, LM224, LM239, LM258, LM2902, LM2904, LM293, LM307, LM318, LM324, LM3302, LM339, LM358, LM393, LM6118, LM6142, LM6144, LM6152, LM6154, LM6161, LM6162, LM6164, LM6165, LM6171, LM6172, LM833, LMC6062, LMC662, LMH6624, LMH6626, LMH6642, LMH6643, LMH6644, LMV821, LMV822, LMV824, LT1013, LT1013D, LT1014, LT1028, LT1055, LT1056, LT1115, LT1151, LT1211, LT1212, LT1213, LT1214, LT1352, LT1353, LT1355, LT1356, LT1357, LT1358, LT1359, LT1361, LT1362, LT1363, LT1364, LT1365, LT1413, LT1462, LT1463, LT1464, LT1465, LT1492, LT1493, LT1494, LT1495, LT1496, LT1635, LT1638, LT1639, LT1677, LT1792, LT1793, LT1801, LT1802, LT1815, LT1816, LT1817, LT1884, LT1885, LT2078, LT2079, LT2178, LT2179, MAX410, MC1458, MC1558, MC33078, MC33272, MC33274, MCP6001, MCP6002, MCP6004, NCV33274, NE5532, NE5533, NE5534, OP-07, OP-15, OP-16, OP-160, OP-20, OP-21, OP-27, OP-270, OP-275, OP-37, OP-467, OP-470, OPA130, OPA132, OPA134, OPA2107, OPA2132, OPA2134, OPA2227, OPA2228, OPA227, OPA228, OPA2340, OPA2369, OPA2604, OPA2652, OPA2725, OPA2726, OPA340, OPA369, OPA4132, OPA4134, OPA4227, OPA4228, OPA4340, OPA604, OPA606, OPA627, OPA637, OPA650, OPA655, OPA725, OPA726, OPA820, OPA842, OPA843, THS4001, TL031, TL032, TL034, TL051, TL052, TL054, TL061, TL062, TL064, TL071, TL072, TL074, TL081, TL082, TL084, TLC2201, TLC2202, TLC2272, TLC2274, TLE2071, TLE2072, TLE2074, TLE2081, TLE2082, TLE2084, TS902, TS904, TS912, TS914, TS924, TS951, TS952, TS954, uA741

AktivFilter 3 is a program for Microsoft Windows. It runs under Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

AktivFilter 3 is available as a free Demo Edition, which can be downloaded here, as a Personal Edition for one user with one computer or as a Professional Edition for one user with one computer. The Professional Edition has, compared to the Personal Edition, one additional feature: the user can add his own Opamp-Models to the software. To do this, we deliver the Professional Edition together with the tool OpAmp-Modell. The Personal Edition as well as the Professional Edition maybe installed on just one computer. The installation of the software must be registered within 30 days. The following table clarifies the features of these editions:

Feature	Personal or Professional Edition	Demo Edition
Filter types and filter circuits	Highpass and lowpass with Sallen-Key circuit and with multiple feedback; bandpass filter with multiple feedback; active twin-T-bandreject	Highpass and lowpass with Sallen-Key circuit and with multiple feedback
Filter order	Bandpass 2. to 30. order; highpass and lowpass 1. to 30. order	Highpass and lowpass 1. to 2. order
Filter characteristic	Bessel; Butterworth; Chebychev with given ripples in the range 0.01 dB .. 20 dB; individual characteristic	Bessel; Butterworth; Chebychev with given ripples in the range 0.01 dB .. 20 dB; individual characteristic
Supported opamp types	Every opamp in above list (more than 200 opamp types) and the ideal opamp	LF411, uA741 and the ideal opamp
Graphical output	Amplitude response in dB after each calculation	Amplitude response in dB after each calculation
Store the design	As HTML file with circuit diagram as PNG file	As HTML file with circuit diagram as PNG file
Spice interface	Call interface for AC analysis with output of the amplitude response in dB, the phase response of the group delay; transient analysis for step response	Call interface for AC analysis with output of the amplitude response in dB, the phase response or the group delay; transient analysis for step response

A sample that shows how to use AktivFilter 3 is available here.