Lecture (L3-1,2) Node Voltages

Due Jan 30, 2019 by 9:40am
Points None

Question of the Day:

How can you solve for unknown currents and voltages in a circuit using the Node-Voltage method?
What about dependent sources?
What are super nodes, and how do you use them?

Self-Assessment: ECE1250_Assess3_1.pdf Download ECE1250_Assess3_1.pdf

Introduction: We have now learned several methods of solving circuit equations. Our EE toolbox now includes Ohm's law (to relate V-I-R), combining resistors in series and parallel to simplify the circuit, voltage and current dividers, and Kirchoff's voltage and current laws to solve for V and I in the circuit. The Node Voltage method is another way of calculating V and I in a circuit. Specifically, Node Voltages lets us calculate (surprise, surprise!) Node Voltages in the circuit. This is a very popular method, because (1) Node Voltages are easy to measure (so we like to calculate them, so we can compare with measurements to see if our circuit is built correctly), and (2) there are generally fewer nodes than branches in a circuit (Kirchoff calculates branch currents), so the number of equations (size of matrix to be solved) is generally smaller than for KVL/KCL.

Reference Material:

Textbook sections: Ulaby 3-1, 3-2

Cookbook_4NodeVoltageMethod.docx Download Cookbook_4NodeVoltageMethod.docx

Video Lectures:

1 - Node Voltage Intro (Links to an external site.)