Lab 6

LAMAR UNIVERSITY
CIRCUITS LABORATORY
EXPERIMENT 6:
Transient Response of an RL Circuit
Objective:
Study the transience due to inductors using a series RL circuit and understand the time
constant concept.
Equipment:
¾ NI – ELVIS
¾ Resistor ( 1 KΩ)
¾ Inductor (33mH) or (150 mH if you are provided by instructor)
Theory:
This lab is similar to the RC Circuit Lab except that the Capacitor is replaced by an
Inductor. In this experiment, we apply a square waveform to the RL circuit to analyse
the transient response of the circuit. The pulse-width relative to the circuit’s time
constant determines how it is affected by the RL circuit.
Time Constant (τ): It is a measure of time required for certain changes in voltages and
currents in RC and RL circuits. Generally, when the elapsed time exceeds five time
constants (5τ) after switching has occurred, the currents and voltages have reached their
final value, which is also called steady-state response.
The time constant of an RL circuit is the equivalent inductance divided by the Thévenin
resistance as viewed from the terminals of the equivalent inductor.
τ=L/R (1)
A Pulse is a voltage or current that changes from one level to the other and back again.
If a waveform’s hight time equals its low time, as in figure, it is called a square wave.
The length of each cycle of a pulse train is termed its period (T). The pulse width (tp) of
an ideal square wave is equal to half the time period.
The relation between pulse width and frequency for the square wave is given by:
1
f = (2)
2t p
6-1
Figure 1: Series RL circuit
In an R-L circuit, voltage across the inductor decreases with time while in the RC circuit
the voltage across the capacitor increased with time. Thus, current in an RL circuit has
the same form as voltage in an RC circuit: they both rise to their final value
-t/τ
exponentially according to 1 – e .
The expression for the current build-up across the Inductor is given by
V
iL(t) = ( 1 – e-(R/L)t ) t≥0 (3)
R
where, V is the applied source voltage to the circuit for t ≥ 0. The response curve is
increasing and is shown in figure 2.
Figure 2: Current build up across Inductor in a Series RL circuit.

(Time axis normalised by τ)
The expression for the current decay across the Inductor is given by:
iL(t) = i0 e-(R/L)t t≥0 (4)
where,
i0 is the initial current stored in the inductor at t = 0
L/R = τ is time constant.
6-2
The response curve is a decaying exponential and is shown in figure 3.
Figure 3: Current decay across Inductor for Series RL circuit.
Since it is not possible to directly analyse the current through Inductor on a Scope, we
will measure the output voltage across the Resistor. The resistor waveform should be
similar to inductor current as VR=ILR. From the resistor voltage on the scope, we should
be able to measure the time constant τ which should be equal to τ = L / Rtotal .
Here, Rtotal is the total resistance and can be calculated from Rtotal = R inductance+ R.
R inductance is the measured value of inductor resistance and can be measured by

connecting inductance to an ohm-meter prior to running the experiment.
Procedure:
1. Measure the inductor resistance by connecting its terminals to an Ohmmeter. You

can use NI-Elvis Ohm-meter by connecting it into Current Hi and Current Low
inputs on your board.
2. Set up the circuit shown in Figure 4 with the component values R = 1kΩ and
L = 33mH (or 150 mH if you are provided) and switch on the ELVIS board power
supply.
Figure 4: Experiment Set-Up
3. Select the Function Generator from the NI - ELVIS Menu and apply a 4Vp-p square
wave as input voltage to the circuit using the amplitude control on the FGEN.
Calculate the applied frequency using equation (2) for tp = 5τ
6-3
4. Select the Oscilloscope from the NI - ELVIS Menu. Set the resistor voltage on
Channel A, Source on Channel B, Trigger and Time base input boxes as shown in
figure 4 below. (Note your output may not be different from the one in the figure-
figure just for demonstration purposes.)
Figure 4: Oscilloscope Configuration.
This configuration allows the oscilloscope to look at the output of the circuit on
channel A, output of the function generator on channel B. Make sure you have
clicked on the run button of the FGEN panel and on the OSC panel. Any settings on
the FGEN panel cause changes on the oscilloscope window.
5. The VR waveform has the same shape as iL(t) waveform. From VR waveform measure
time constant τ and compare with the one that you calculated from L/Rtotal.
(Hint: Find the time that corresponds to 0.63VR value). See theory for more details.
6. Observe the response of the circuit and record the results again for tp = 25τ, and
tp = 0.5τ.
Questions for Lab Report:
• Include plots of VR for different tp values given above in Procedure 4.
• A Capacitor stores charge. What do you think does an Inductor store?

Answer in brief.
6-4

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LAMAR UNIVERSITY

Figure 2: Current build up across Inductor in a Series RL circuit.

iL(t) = i0 e-(R/L)t t≥0 (4)

Figure 3: Current decay across Inductor for Series RL circuit.

R inductance is the measured value of inductor resistance and can be measured by

1. Measure the inductor resistance by connecting its terminals to an Ohmmeter. You

Figure 4: Experiment Set-Up

Figure 4: Oscilloscope Configuration.

Questions for Lab Report:

• Include plots of VR for different tp values given above in Procedure 4.

• A Capacitor stores charge. What do you think does an Inductor store?

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