ECE131 - Unit1 - Part2 Final Revised

Nodal Analysis or Nodal Method
• Nodal analysis provides a general procedure for analyzing

circuits using node voltages as the circuit variables.
• Choosing node voltages instead of element voltages as circuit
variables is convenient and reduces the number of equations
one must solve simultaneously.
• Applicable to Nodes only.
• It is used to find the unknown node voltages.
• This Method is Application of KCL+Ohm’s Law Only
Steps to Determine Node
Voltages
• 1. Select one nodes out of ‘n’ node as the reference node.
Assign voltages to the remaining nodes. The voltages are
referenced with respect to the reference node.
• 2. Apply KCL to each of the non-reference nodes. Use
Ohm’s law to express the branch currents in terms of
node voltages.
• 3. Solve the resulting simultaneous equations to obtain
the unknown node voltages.
• selecting a node as the reference or datum node. The
reference node is commonly called as ground.
• The number of non-reference nodes is equal to the
number of independent
equations that we have to derive.
Current flows from a higher potential to a lower potential in
a resistor.
Example for Nodal Analysis
Solving these two equations, you can

find unknown node voltages
Practice Problem for Nodal Analysis
MESH ANALYSIS
• Mesh analysis provides another general procedure for analyzing
circuits, using mesh currents as the circuit variables.
• Using mesh currents instead of element currents as circuit
variables is convenient and reduces the number of equations
that must be solved simultaneously.
• LOOP” loop is a closed path with no node passed more than
once.
• MESH: A mesh is a loop that does not contain any other loop
within it.
Basic Difference Between Nodal and Mesh
Analysis
• Nodal analysis applies KCL to find unknown voltages in a given
circuit, while mesh analysis applies KVL to find unknown currents.
• Mesh analysis is not quite as general as nodal analysis because it is
only applicable to a circuit that is planar.
• PLANAR CIRCUIT: A planar circuit is one that can be drawn in a
plane with no branches crossing one another; otherwise it is
nonplanar.
• NOTE: A circuit may have crossing branches and still be planar if it
can be redrawn such that it has no crossing branches.
Examples of Non-Planar Circuits
Examples of Planar Circuits
NOTE: A mesh is a loop which does not contain any other loops within it.
Mesh Analysis can be applied to meshes only inside the circuit, Not to LOOP.
Note: The direction of the mesh current is arbitrary (clockwise or counterclockwise)
and does not affect the validity of the solution.
Note: The shortcut way will not apply if one mesh current is assumed clockwise and the
other assumed counterclockwise, although this is permissible
• Although path abcdefa is a loop and not a mesh, KVL still holds.
• This is the reason for loosely using the terms loop analysis and mesh
analysis to mean the same thing.
How to Solve Simultaneous Equations
SUPERMESH: A supermesh results when two meshes have a (dependent or
independent) current source in common.
Practice Problem with Voltage Sources
Practice Problem with Voltage and Current Sources
SUPERPOSITION THEOREM
• If a circuit has two or more independent sources, one way
to determine the value of a specific variable (voltage or
current) is to use nodal or mesh analysis.
• Another way is to determine the contribution of each
independent source to the variable and then add them up.
The latter approach is known as the superposition.
• The idea of superposition rests on the linearity property.
STATEMENT
“The superposition principle states that the
voltage across (or current through) an
element in a linear circuit is the algebraic
sum of the voltages across (or currents
through) that element due to each
independent source acting alone”.
NOTE: Superposition is not limited to circuit analysis but is applicable in many
fields where cause and effect bear a linear relationship to one another.
• The principle of superposition helps us to analyze a linear circuit with more than one
independent source by calculating the contribution of each independent source separately.
• However, to apply the superposition principle, we must keep two things in mind:
• 1. We consider one independent source at a time while all other independent sources are
turned off. This implies that we replace every voltage source by 0 V (or a short circuit),
and every current source by 0 A (or an open circuit). This way we obtain a simpler and
more manageable circuit.
• 2. Dependent sources are left intact because they are controlled by circuit variables.
Procedure to Apply Superposition
Principle/Theorem
• 1. Turn off all independent sources except one source.
• 2. Find the output (voltage or current) due to that active source using any
techniques such as Ohm’s Law, KCL, KVL, Nodal/Mesh Analysis etc.
• 3. Repeat step 1 for each of the other independent sources.
• 4. Find the total contribution by adding algebraically all the contributions

due to the independent sources.
Major disadvantage of Superposition Theorem
1. It may very likely involve more work. If the circuit has three independent sources, we
may have to analyze three simpler circuits each providing the contribution due to the
respective individual source.
2. Superposition theorem does help to reduce a complex circuit to simpler circuits through
replacement of voltage sources by short circuits and of current sources by open circuits.
3. Keep in mind that superposition is based on linearity. For this reason, it is not applicable to the
effect on power due to each source, because the power absorbed by a resistor depends on the square
of the voltage or current.
4. If the power value is needed, the current through (or voltage across) the element must be
calculated first using superposition.
Numerical Problem
Thevenin’s Theorem
• Thevenin’s theorem states that a linear two-
terminal circuit can be replaced by an equivalent
circuit consisting of a voltage source VTh in series
with a resistor RTh, where VTh is the open-circuit
voltage at the terminals and RTh is the input or
equivalent resistance at the terminals when the
independent sources are turned off.

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Nodal Analysis or Nodal Method

• Nodal analysis provides a general procedure for analyzing

Solving these two equations, you can

• 3. Repeat step 1 for each of the other independent sources.

• 4. Find the total contribution by adding algebraically all the contributions

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