Butterworth filter prototype


[z,p,k] = buttap(n)


[z,p,k] = buttap(n) returns the poles and gain of an order n Butterworth analog lowpass filter prototype. The function returns the poles in the length n column vector p and the gain in scalar k. z is an empty matrix because there are no zeros. The transfer function is


Butterworth filters are characterized by a magnitude response that is maximally flat in the passband and monotonic overall. In the lowpass case, the first 2n-1 derivatives of the squared magnitude response are zero at ω = 0. The squared magnitude response function is


corresponding to a transfer function with poles equally spaced around a circle in the left half plane. The magnitude response at the cutoff angular frequency ω0 is always 1/2 regardless of the filter order. buttap sets ω0 to 1 for a normalized result.


The function buttap returns zeros, poles, and gain (z, p, and k) in MATLAB®. However, the generated C/C++ code for buttap returns only poles p and gain k since zeros z is always an empty matrix.


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Design a 9th-order Butterworth analog lowpass filter. Display its magnitude and phase responses.

[z,p,k] = buttap(9);          % Butterworth filter prototype
freqs(num,den)                % Frequency response of analog filter


z = [];
p = exp(sqrt(-1)*(pi*(1:2:2*n-1)/(2*n)+pi/2)).';
k = real(prod(-p));


[1] Parks, T. W., and C. S. Burrus. Digital Filter Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1987, chap. 7.

Extended Capabilities

C/C++ Code Generation

Introduced before R2006a