Basic Laws of Electric Circuits

Nodal Analysis

Lesson 6
 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: The Concept.

Every circuit has n nodes with one of the nodes being

designated as a reference node.

We designate the remaining n 1 nodes as voltage nodes

and give each node a unique name, vi.

At each node we write Kirchhoffs current law in terms

of the node voltages.

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: The Concept.

We form n-1 linear equations at the n-1 nodes

in terms of the node voltages.

We solve the n-1 equations for the n-1 node voltages.

From the node voltages we can calculate any branch

current or any voltage across any element.

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Concept Illustration:
v 1
v 2 v 3

R 2 R 4

R 1
R 3
I

r e fe r e n c e n o d e

Figure 6.1: Partial circuit used to illustrate nodal analysis.

V1 V2 V1 V1 V1 V3
I Eq 6.1
R2 R1 R3 R4
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Concept Illustration:

Clearing the previous equation gives,

1 1 1 1 1 1
V1 V2 V3 I Eq 6.2
R
1 R2 R3 R4 R
2 R
4

We would need two additional equations, from the

remaining circuit, in order to solve for V1, V2, and V3
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1
Given the following circuit. Set-up the equations
to solve for V1 and V2. Also solve for the voltage V6.
R 2 v1 R 3
v2 R 5

+
R 1 I1 R 4 v6 R 6
_

Figure 6.2: Circuit for Example 6.1.

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1, the nodal equations.
R 2 v1 R 3
v2 R 5

+
R 1 I1 R 4 v6 R 6
_

V1 V1 V2
I1 Eq 6.3
R1 R2 R3

V2 V1 V2 V2
0 Eq 6.4
6 R3 R4 R5 R6
 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1: Set up for solution.
V1 V1 V2
I1 Eq 6.3
R1 R2 R3

V2 V1 V2 V2
0 Eq 6.4
R3 R4 R5 R6

1 1 1
V1
V2 I 1
R1 R2 R3 R3 Eq 6.5

1 1 1 1 Eq 6.6
V1 V2 0
R3 R3 R4 R5 R6
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.2, using circuit values.

2 A
v2
v1 Figure 6.3: Circuit for
5 Example 6.2.
10 20 4 A
Find V1 and V2.

At v1:
V1 V1 V2
2 Eq 6.7
10 5
At v2:
V2 V1 V2 Eq 6.8
8
6
5 20
 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.2: Clearing Equations;
From Eq 6.7:
V1 + 2V1 2V2 = 20
or
3V1 2V2 = 20 Eq 6.9

From Eq 6.8:

4V2 4V1 + V2 = -120

or
-4V1 + 5V2 = -120 Eq 6.10

Solution: V1 = -20 V, V2 = -40 V

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.3: With voltage source.
I

R 1 v1 v2
R 3 Figure 6.4: Circuit for
E + R 2 R 4
Example 6.3.
_

At V1:
V1 E V1 V1 V2
I Eq 6.11
R1 R2 R3
At V2:
V2 V2 V
1 I Eq 6.12
R R
10 4 3
 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.3: Continued.

Collecting terms in Equations (6.11) and (6.12) gives

1 1 1 1 E
V1 V2 I Eq 6.13
R1 R2 R3 R3 R1

1 1 1
V1 V2 I Eq 6.14
R2 R3 R4

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.4: Numerical example with voltage
source.
4 10 V v1
v2
_
+

6 10 5 A

Figure 6.5: Circuit for Example 6.4.

What do we do first?
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.4: Continued
4 10 V v1
v2
_
+

6 10 5 A

At v1:
V1 V1 10 V2
5 Eq 6.15
10 4
At v2:
V2 V2 10 V1 Eq 6.16
0
6 4
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.4: Continued
Clearing Eq 6.15
4V1 + 10V1 + 100 10V2 = -200
or
14V1 10V2 = -300 Eq 6.17
Clearing Eq 6.16

4V2 + 6V2 60 6V1 = 0

or
-6V1 + 10V2 = 60 Eq 6.18

V1 = -30 V, V2 = -12 V, I1 = -2 A
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Voltage super node.
Given the following circuit. Solve for the indicated nodal voltages.

2 super node
x
v 2 v
v 1 x _
+ 3
5 10 V
x x
6 A 4 10

Figure 6.6: Circuit for Example 6.5.

When a voltage source appears between two nodes, an easy way to

handle this is to form a super node. The super node encircles the
voltage source and the tips of the branches connected to the nodes.
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Continued.

v1
v2
_
+
v3 Constraint Equation
5 10 V

6 A 4 10
V2 V3 = -10 Eq 6.19

V1 V2 V1 V3
At V1 6 Eq 6.20
5 2

At super V2 V1 V2 V3 V3 V1
0 Eq 6.21
node 5 4 10 2

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Continued.

Clearing Eq 6.19, 6.20, and 6.21:

7V1 2V2 5V3 = 60 Eq 6.22

-14V1 + 9V2 + 12V3 = 0 Eq 6.23

V2 V3 = -10 Eq 6.24

Solving gives:
V1 = 30 V, V2 = 14.29 V, V3 = 24.29 V
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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.
Consider the circuit below. We desire to solve for the node voltages
V1 and V2. 2
_ +
V x
v1 v2
Figure 6.7: Circuit for
10
2 A Example 6.6.
4

10 V + 5
_
5V x

In this case we have a dependent source, 5Vx, that must be reckoned

with. Actually, there is a constraint equation of
V2 V x V1 0 Eq 6.25

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.
2
_ +
V x
v1 v2

10
2 A
4

10 V + 5
_
5V x

V1 10 V1 V1 V2 V2 V1 V2 5V x
At node V1 2 At node V2 2
10 5 2 2 4

The constraint equation: V x V1 V2

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 Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.

Clearing the previous equations and substituting

the constraint VX = V1 - V2 gives,

8V1 5V2 30 Eq 6.26

7V1 8V2 8 Eq 6.27

which yields,
V1 6.9V , V2 5.03V

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End of Lesson 6
Nodal Analysis