NODAL AND LOOP ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

LEARNING GOALS
NODAL ANALYSIS
LOOP ANALYSIS

Develop systematic techniques to determine all the voltages

and currents in a circuit
 NODE ANALYSIS

• One of the systematic ways to

determine every voltage and
current in a circuit

The variables used to describe the circuit will be “Node Voltages”

-- The voltages of each node with respect to a pre-selected
reference node
 THE REFERENCE DIRECTION FOR CURRENTS IS IRRELEVANT

 vR 

i'
 v R' 

USING THE LEFT-RIGHT REFERENCE DIRECTION

THE VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS THE RESISTOR MUST
HAVE THE POLARITY SHOWN
IF THE CURRENT REFERENCE DIRECTION IS
v  vN REVERSED ...
OHM'S LAW i  m
R THE PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION WILL ASSIGN
THE REVERSE REFERENCE POLARITY TO THE
VOLTAGE ACROSS THE RESISTOR
' PASSIVE SIGN CONVENTION RULES!
i  i OHM'S LAW i ' 
v N  vm
R
THE STRATEGY FOR NODE ANALYSIS 1. IDENTIFY ALL NODES AND SELECT
VS Va Vb Vc A REFERENCE NODE

2. IDENTIFY KNOWN NODE VOLTAGES

3. AT EACH NODE WITH UNKNOWN

VOLTAGE WRITE A KCL EQUATION
(e.g.,SUM OF CURRENT LEAVING =0)
REFERENCE
4. REPLACE CURRENTS IN TERMS OF
@Va :  I1  I 2  I 3 0 NODE VOLTAGES
Va  Vs Va Va  Vb
  0 AND GET ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS IN
9k 6k 3k THE NODE VOLTAGES ...

@Vb :  I 3  I 4  I 5 0
SHORTCUT: SKIP WRITING
Vb  Va Vb Vb  Vc
  0 THESE EQUATIONS...
3k 4k 9k
AND PRACTICE WRITING
@Vc :  I 5  I 6 0
THESE DIRECTLY
Vc  Vb Vc
 0
9k 3k
 EXAMPLE

WRITE THE KCL EQUATIONS

@ NODE 1 WE VISUALIZE THE CURRENTS

LEAVING AND WRITE THE KCL EQUATION

REPEAT THE PROCESS AT NODE 2 OR VISUALIZE CURRENTS GOING INTO NODE

v2  v1 v2  v1
 i2   0
R4 R3
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WRITING NODE EQUATIONS

V
BB
MARK THE NODES
(TO INSURE THAT
NONE IS MISSING)
15mA
A
VA
8k 2k 8k 2k

C SELECT AS
REFERENCE

VA VA
WRITE KCL AT EACH NODE IN TERMS OF @A   15mA 0
2k 8k
NODE VOLTAGES 4VA  VA  120V
VA  24V
VB VB
@B   15mA 0
8k 2k
VB  4VB 120V
VB 24V
A MODEL IS SOLVED BY MANIPULATION OF NUMERICAL MODEL LEARNING EXAMPLE
EQUATIONS AND USING MATRIX ANALYSIS

USE GAUSSIAN ELIMINATION

i A 12mA, i B 4mA
THE NODE EQUATIONS R1 12k, R2 R3 6k

ALTERNATIVE MANIPULATION
RIGHT HAND
THE MODEL SIDE IS
* / 12k VOLTS.
COEFFS ARE
NUMBERS
REPLACE VALUES AND SWITCH NOTATION * / 6k
TO UPPER CASE

3V1  2V2 12

 V1  2V2  24 * / 3 (andaddequations)
ADD EQS 2V  12[V ]
4V2  60[V ]
1
SOLUTION USING MATRIX ALGEBRA

PLACE IN MATRIX FORM

AND DO THE MATRIX ALGEBRA ...

USE MATRIX ANALYSIS TO SHOW SOLUTION

PERFORM THE MATRIX MANIPULATIONS

FOR THE ADJOINT REPLACE
Adj ( A) SAMPLE 3
1
A  EACH ELEMENT BY ITS 2  1 10  4 10 3 
| A| COFACTOR V1 18k   
 3k 6k 
 AN EXAMPLE OF NODE ANALYSIS Rearranging terms ...

@ v1

@ v2

COULD WRITE EQUATIONS BY INSPECTION

 CONDUCTANC
ES CONNECTEDTO NODE
@ v3
 CONDUCTANC
ES BETWEEN1 & 2
 CONDUCTANC
ES BETWEEN1 & 3
 CONDUCTANC
ES BETWEEN2 & 3
 LEARNING EXTENSION

6mA

I3
I1
I2

Node analysis
V NODE EQS. BY INSPECTION
@ V1 : 1  2mA  6mA 0  V1  16V
2k 1
V V V1  0 V2  2  6 mA
@V :  6mA  2  2 0  V2 12V
2 2k
6k 3k
IN MOST CASES THERE
0V1   1  1 V2 6mA
 6k 3k 
ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT
WAYS OF SOLVING A I 1  8mA
Once node voltages are known
PROBLEM 3k V1 V V
I2  (6mA) 2mA I1  I2  2 I3  2
3k  6k
2k 6k 3k
6k
I3  (6mA) 4mA
3k  6k

CURRENTS COULD BE COMPUTED DIRECTLY

USING KCL AND CURRENT DIVIDER!!
 CIRCUITS WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES LEARNING EXAMPLE
NUMERICAL EXAMPLE
CIRCUITS WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES CANNOT
BE MODELED BY INSPECTION. THE SYMMETRY
IS LOST.
A PROCEDURE FOR MODELING  1 1   2 1 
•WRITE THE NODE EQUATIONS USING DEPENDENT   v 
 1    v2 0
 12 k 6 k   3k 6 k 
SOURCES AS REGULAR SOURCES.
•FOR EACH DEPENDENT SOURCE WE ADD 1  1 1 
ONE EQUATION EXPRESSING THE CONTROLLING  v1     v2 2mA
VARIABLE IN TERMS OF THE NODE VOLTAGES
6k  12k 3k 

* / 4k

* / 6k

V1  2V2 0
 V1  3V2 12[V ]
v v v 5V2 12[V ]
 io  1  1 2 0 REPLACE AND REARRANGE ADDING THE EQUATIONS
R1 R2 24
 1 1    1  V1  V
v v v    v1     v2 0
 i A  2  2 1 0 R R R R 5
R3 R2  1 2  3 2
1  1 1 
MODEL FOR  v1     v2 i A
CONTROLLING VARIABLE R2  R2 R3 
v2
io 
R3
LEARNING EXAMPLE: CIRCUIT WITH VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED CURRENT

REPLACE AND REARRANGE

CONTINUE WITH GAUSSIAN ELIMINATION...

WRITE NODE EQUATIONS. TREAT DEPENDENT
SOURCE AS REGULAR SOURCE

OR USE MATRIX ALGEBRA

EXPRESS CONTROLLING VARIABLE IN TERMS OF

NODE VOLTAGES

FOUR EQUATIONS IN OUR UNKNOWNS. SOLVE

USING FAVORITE TECHNIQUE
 USING MATLAB TO SOLVE THE NODE EQUATIONS
R1 1k, R2 R3 2k,
R4 4k, i A 2mA, i B 4mA,
 2[ A / V ]
» R1=1000;R2=2000;R3=2000;
DEFINE THE COMPONENTS OF THE CIRCUIT
R4=4000; %resistances in Ohm
» iA=0.002;iB=0.004; %sources in Amps
» alpha=2; %gain of dependent source
DEFINE THE MATRIX G » G=[(1/R1+1/R2), -1/R1, 0; %first row of the matrix
Entries in a row are -1/R1, (1/R1+alpha+1/R2), -(alpha+1/R2); %second row
separated by commas 0, -1/R2, (1/R2+1/R4)], %third row. End in comma to have the echo
(or plain spaces).
Rows are separated by G=
semi colon
0.0015 -0.0010 0
-0.0010 2.0015 -2.0005
0 -0.0005 0.0008
DEFINE RIGHT HAND SIDE VECTOR » I=[iA;-iA;iB]; %end in ";" to skip echo

» V=G\I % end with carriage return and get the echo

SOLVE LINEAR EQUATION V=
11.9940
15.9910
15.9940
LEARNING EXTENSION: FIND NODE VOLTAGES
REARRANGE AND MULTIPLY BY 10k
2V1  V2 40[V ] * / 2 andaddeqs.
V1  2V2 0

5V1 80V  V1 16V

V1
NODE EQUATIONS
V2   V2  8V
2
V1 V V
@V1 :  4mA  1 2 0
10k 10k
V V V
@V2 : 2 1  2 I O  2 0
10k 10k
CONTROLLING VARIABLE (IN TERMS ON NODE
VOLTAGES)
V
IO  1
10k
REPLACE
V1 V V
 4mA  1 2 0
10k 10k
V2  V1 V V
 2 1  2 0
10k 10k 10k
 FIND THE VOLTAGE VO LEARNING EXTENSION

NOTICE REPLACEMENT OF DEPENDENT SOURCE

NODE EQUATIONS IN TERMS OF NODE VOLTAGE
Vx Vx
 2mA   0 * / 6k
3k 6k
V V V
 x  O  O 0 * / 12k
6k 12k 12k
3V x 12[V ]  V x 4[V ]
2VO  2V x 0  VO 4[V ]
CIRCUITS WITH INDEPENDENT VOLTAGE SOURCES

3 nodes plus the reference. In

principle one needs 3 equations...

…but two nodes are connected to

the reference through voltage
sources. Hence those node
voltages are known!!!

…Only one KCL is necessary

V2 V2  V3 V2  V1
  0
Hint: Each voltage source 6k 12k 12k
connected to the reference V1 12[V ] THESE ARE THE REMAINING
node saves one node equation TWO NODE EQUATIONS
V3  6[V ]
SOLVINGTHEEQUATIONS
2V2  (V2  V3 )  (V2  V1 ) 0
One more example …. 4V2 6[V ]  V2 1.5[V ]
Problem 3.67 (6th Ed) Find V_0 R1 = 1k; R2 = 2k, R3 = 1k, R4 = 2k
Is1 =2mA, Is2 = 4mA, Is3 = 4mA,
V4 Vs = 12 V

R2 IS2 KNOWN NODEVOLTAGE

I S1 R1 V2 @V3 : V3 VVS 12[V ]
V3
V1
 VO  R3 V V V
@V1 :  I S1  1 2  1 0

+ R1 R4
R4 -

IS3 VS1 V1  V2 V1
 2[mA]   0
1k 2k
IDENTIFY AND LABEL ALL NODES
V2  V1 V2  V3 V2  V4
WRITE THE NODE EQUATIONS @V2 :  I S 3    0
R1 R3 R2
NOW WE LOOK WHAT IS BEING V2  V1 V2  12 V2  V4
ASKED TO DECIDE THE SOLUTION  4[mA]    0
STRATEGY. 1k 1k 2k
V4  V2
V0 V1  V2 @V4 : I S1  I S 2  0
R2
ONLY V1 ,V2 ARENEEDEDFORVO
V4  V2
2[mA]  4[mA]  0
2k
 TO SOLVE BY HAND ELIMINATE DENOMINATORS

V1  V2 V1 */2k
3V1  2V2 4[V ]
 2[mA]   0 (1)
1k 2k
V  V V  12 V2  V4 */2k
 4[mA]  2 1  2  0  2V1  5V2  V4 32[V ] (2)
1k 1k 2k
V4  V2 */2k
2[mA]  4[mA]  0  V2  V4 4[V ] (3)
2k
Add 2+3  2V1  4V2 36[V ]
ALTERNATIVE: USE LINEAR ALGEBRA 3V1  2V2 4[V ] * / 2 andadd
 3  2 0   V1   4  4V1 40[V ]  V1 10[V ]
  2 5  1  V   32
   2   4V2 56[V ]  V2 14[V ]
 0  1 1   V3   4 
FINALLY!! V0 V1  V2  4[V ]

So. What happens when sources are connected between two non
reference nodes?
THE SUPERNODE TECHNIQUE
We will use this example to introduce the concept of a SUPERNODE

SUPERNODE

IS

Efficient solution:
solution enclose the
source, and all elements in
parallel, inside a surface.
Conventional node analysis
requires all currents at a node Apply KCL to the surface!!!

V V1 V2
@V_1  6mA  1  I S 0  6mA    4mA 0
6k 6k 12k
V2 The source current is interior
@V_2  I S  4mA  0 to the surface and is not required
12k
2 eqs, 3 unknowns...Panic!! We STILL need one more equation
The current through the source is not
related to the voltage of the source V  V 6[V ]
1 2
Math solution: add one equation Only 2 eqs in two unknowns!!!

V1  V2 6[V ]
ALGEBRAIC DETAILS

TheEquations
V1 V2
(1)   6mA  4mA 0
6k 12k
(2) V1  V2 6[V ]
Solution
1.Eliminatedenominato
rs in Eq(1).Multiplyby ...

2V1  V2 24[V ]
V1  V2 6[V ]
2. Addequationsto eliminateV2
3V1 30[V ]  V1 10[V ]

3. UseEq(2)to computeV2
V2 V1  6[V ] 4[V ]
 SUPERNODE
LEARNING EXAMPLE
FIND I O V3  12

V2  6V ,V4 12V KNOWN NODE VOLTAGES

SUPERNODECONSTRAINT V1  V3 12
WRITE THE NODE EQUATIONS Supernodes can be more complex
supernode
V2 V3 V3  V2 V3  V4 V3
R4 KCL@V_3   0
R4 R5 R7
R1
+
-
R5 KCL @SUPERNODE
R2
V4 (Careful not to omit any current)
V1 R7
+ -
V2  V1 V5  V1 V5 V4 V4  V3 V2  V3
V5      0
+
-
R3 R6 R1 R2 R3 R6 R5 R4
CONSTRAINTS DUE TO VOLTAGE SOURCES

V1 VS 1
Identify all nodes, select a
reference and label nodes V2  V5 VS 2
Nodes connected to reference through
a voltage source V5  V4 VS 3
Voltage sources in between nodes 5 EQUATIONS IN FIVE UNKNOWNS.
and possible supernodes

EQUATION BOOKKEEPING:
KCL@ V_3, KCL@ supernode,
2 constraints equations
and one known node
 CIRCUITS WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES
PRESENT NO SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL
COMPLEXITY. THE DEPENDENT SOURCES
ARE TREATED AS REGULAR SOURCES

WE MUST ADD ONE EQUATION FOR EACH

CONTROLLING VARIABLE
SUPER NODE WITH DEPENDENT SOURCE

VOLTAGE SOURCE CONNECTED TO REFERENCE

V3 6V
SUPERNODE CONSTRAINT V1  V2 2Vx
CONTROLLING VARIABLE IN TERMS OF NODES
KCL AT SUPERNODE Vx V2  V1 3V2

* / 12k
2(V1  6)  V1  2V2  V2  6 0
3V1  3V2 18  4V1 18