Nyquist Sampling Rate Calculator
Compute the theoretical Nyquist rate and a practical anti-aliasing sampling rate (×2.5) for a signal with a known maximum frequency component.
How to Use the Nyquist Sampling Rate Calculator
- Enter the highest frequency component in the signal.
- Click Calculate to see the Nyquist and practical sampling rates.
Use Cases
- •DSP and audio engineering.
- •Sensor and ADC selection.
- •Teaching the sampling theorem.
Formula
Nyquist-Shannon: f_sample ≥ 2 · f_max. With anti-aliasing margin: f_sample ≥ 2.5 · f_max.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why 2.5× in practice?
Real anti-aliasing filters are not brick-wall. Sampling at 2.5–4× the maximum frequency leaves headroom for the filter roll-off and prevents aliasing from non-ideal implementations.
Does this apply to audio?
Yes. Music has content up to ~20 kHz, so CD audio uses 44.1 kHz — comfortably above 2 × 20 kHz.