Chapter 3

CIRCUIT ANALYSIS
~simplified~
 Overview
• With Ohm’s and Kirchhoff’s law established, they may now be applied to
circuit analysis.
• Two techniques will be presented in this chapter:
– Nodal analysis, which is based on Kichhoff current law (KCL)
– Mesh analysis, which is based on Kichhoff voltage law (KVL)
• Any linear circuit can be analyzed using these two techniques.
• The analysis will result in a set of simultaneous equations which may be
solved by Cramer’s rule or computationally (using MATLAB for example)
• Computational circuit analysis using PSpice will also be introduced here.

2
MESH ANALYSIS
 KVL revisited

+ R1 - +
+
V1 R2
-
-

R3
- +
 Voltage Divider

R1 R4

+
V1 R2 R3
-
 Voltage Divider

R1

+
V1 R2 R3+R4
-
 Voltage Divider

R1

+ R2  (R3  R4 )
V1 Ra 
- R2  (R3  R4 )
 Voltage Divider

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 Voltage Divider

4 (2 2) 16
+
10 Ra   2
- 4(2 2) 8
 Voltage Divider

2Ω
10
I  2.5A
22

+
10 2Ω
-
 Voltage Divider

2.5 2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
Is it possible to use KVL...??

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 1
MESH ANALYSIS

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 1
MESH ANALYSIS

R1 R3

+
VS R2 R4
- I1 I2
 EXAMPLE 1
MESH ANALYSIS
R1 R3

+
VS R2 R4
- I1 I2

10  R1I1  R2(I1  I2 )  0

 R3  R 4 I2  R2(I2  I1 )  0

 EXAMPLE 1
MESH ANALYSIS

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
- I1 I2
 EXAMPLE 1
MESH ANALYSIS
10  R1I1  R2(I1  I2 )  0 2Ω 2Ω

10  2I1  4(I1  I2 )  0
10  2I1  4I1  4I2  0 10
+
- I1
4Ω
I2
2Ω

10  6I1  4I2  0

 R3  R 4 I2  R2(I2  I1 )  0

- 4I2  4(I2  I1)  0 I1  2I2
- 4I2  4I2  4I1  0
- 8I2  4I1  0
 EXAMPLE 1
MESH ANALYSIS
2Ω 2Ω

10  6I1  4I2  0

10  12I2  4I2  0 10
+
- I1
4Ω
I2
2Ω

10  8I2  0

10
I2   1.25
8 I1  2I2
I1  2 1.25  2.5
 EXAMPLE 2
MESH ANALYSIS

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 2
MESH ANALYSIS

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
- I1 I2
 EXAMPLE 2
MESH ANALYSIS
10  R1I1  R2(I1  I2 )  0 2Ω 2Ω

10  2I1  4(I1  I2 )  0
10  2I1  4I1  4I2  0
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
- I1 I2

10  6I1  4I2  0

 R3  R 4 I2  R2(I2  I1)  0

- 4I2  4(I2  I1 )  0 I1  2I2
- 4I2  4I2  4I1  0
- 8I2  4I1  0
 EXAMPLE 2
MESH ANALYSIS
2Ω 2Ω

10  6I1  4I2  0

10  12I2  4I2  0
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
- I1 I2

10  8I2  0

-10
I2   1.25
8 I1  2I2
I1  2 1.25  2.5
 Nodal Analysis
• If instead of focusing on the voltages of the circuit elements, one looks at
the voltages at the nodes of the circuit, the number of simultaneous
equations to solve for can be reduced.
• Given a circuit with n nodes, without voltage sources, the nodal analysis is
accomplished via three steps:
1. Select a node as the reference node. Assign voltages v1,v2,…vn to the
remaining n-1 nodes, voltages are relative to the reference node.
2. Apply KCL to each of the n-1 non-reference nodes. Use Ohm’s law to express
the branch currents in terms of node voltages
3. Solve the resulting n-1 simultaneous equations to obtain the unknown node
voltages.
• The reference, or datum, node is commonly referred to as the ground
since its voltage is by default zero.

24
 NODAL ANALYSIS
I1 + VR1 - Va I2

VS1 R1 I3
+
+
+
- R3 VR3 R2 VR2
- -
I1  (I2 )  (I3 )  0

VS1  Va  0 Va  0 Va Va  0 Va
I1  I2   I3  
R1 R2 R2 R3 R3

VS1  Va  Va   Va 
         0
R1  R2   R3 
 NODAL ANALYSIS
I1 + VR1 - Va I2

VS1 R1 I3
+
+
+
- R3 VR3 R2 VR2
-
I1  I2  I3  0
-

Va  VS1  0 Va  0 Va Va  0 Va
I1  I2   I3  
R1 R2 R2 R3 R3

Va  VS1  Va   Va  VS1  Va  Va   Va 
       0          0
R1  R2   R3  R1  R2   R3 
 NODAL ANALYSIS
I1 + VR1 - Va I2

VS1 - R1 I3
+
+
+ R3 VR3 R2 VR2
- -
I1  (I2 )  (I3 )  0

0  VS1  Va Va  0 Va Va  0 Va
I1  I2   I3  
R1 R2 R2 R3 R3

- VS1  Va  Va   Va 
         0
R1  R2   R3 
 EXAMPLE 1
NODAL ANALYSIS

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 1
NODAL ANALYSIS

2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 1
NODAL ANALYSIS
2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3 I1  I2  I3  0
+
10 4Ω 2Ω

 VA -10 
-

I1  
 2 
 VA  0 
I2  
 4 

 VA  0 
I3   
 4 
 EXAMPLE 1
NODAL ANALYSIS
2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
I1  I2  I3  0

 VA -10   VA  0   VA  0 
 
 2   4   4   0

 2VA - 20   VA   VA 
     0
4  4 4
 EXAMPLE 1
NODAL ANALYSIS
2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3

10
+
-
4Ω 2Ω I1  I2  I3  0
4VA  20
VA  5
 VA -10  5  10 
I1       2.5
 2   2 
 VA 
I2     1.25
4
 EXAMPLE 2
NODAL ANALYSIS

2Ω 2Ω

+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 2
NODAL ANALYSIS

2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
 EXAMPLE 2
NODAL ANALYSIS
2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3 I1  I2  I3  0
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-
10 - VA 
I1  
 2 
 VA  0 
I2  
 4 

 VA  0 
I3   
 4 
 EXAMPLE 2
NODAL ANALYSIS
2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3 I1  I2  I3  0
+
10 4Ω 2Ω
-

10 - VA   VA  0   VA  0 
 
 2   4   4   0

 20 - 2VA   VA   VA 
     0
4  4 4
 EXAMPLE 2
NODAL ANALYSIS
2Ω I1 I2 2Ω
A

I3

10
+
-
4Ω 2Ω I1  I2  I3  0
4VA  20
VA  5
10 - VA  10  5 
I1       2.5
 2   2 
 VA 
I2     1.25
4