Glossary Definition for Nyquist

Definition

In A/D conversion, the Nyquist principle (derived from the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem) states that the sampling rate must be at least twice the maximum bandwidth of the analog signal in order to allow the signal to be reproduced. The maximum bandwidth of the signal (half the sampling rate) is commonly called the Nyquist frequency (or Shannon sampling frequency).

In real life, sampling rate must be higher than that (because filters are not perfect). As an example, the bandwidth of a standard audio CD is a bit shy of the theoretical maximum of 22.05kHz (based on the sample rate of 44.1kHz).

Also see:

• Application Note/Tutorial: Filter Basics: Anti-Aliasing
• The Basics of Anti-Aliasing: Using Switched-Capacitor Filters

Synonyms

• Shannon sampling frequency

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