BMM 2433

Electric & Electronics Technology

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 Topic 7:
Node Analysis
Prepared by:
Dr.MAM

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 lesson outcomes
• At the end of this section, you should be able
to:
1. use node analysis to find unknown quantities in a
circuit
2. select the nodes at which the voltage is unknown and
assign currents
3. Apply Kirchhoff's current law at each node
4. Develop and solve the node equations

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• The general step for the node voltage method
of circuit analysis are as follows:
– Step 1: determine the number of nodes.
– Step 2: select one node as a reference. All voltages will be relative to
the reference
– node.Assign voltage designations to each node where the voltage is
unknown.
– Step 3: Assign currents at each node where the voltage is unknown,
except at the reference node. The directions are arbitrary

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– Step 4: Apply Kirchhoff's current law to each node where
currents are assigned.
 
– Step 5: Express the current equations in terms of voltages,
and solve the equations for unkown node voltages using
Ohm's law.

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• Previous circuit can’t be solved by combining
resistance in series and parallel or by voltage-
division and current-division.

• Must use node-voltage analysis

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 Selecting the reference node
• node:
– point at which two or more circuit elements are
joined together.

– any node can be picked to be reference node

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 Example

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• STEP 1, establish the nodes. (four nodes)
• STEP 2: use node B as the reference. Think of it as the
circuit's reference ground.
• voltages C and D are already known to be the
source voltages.
• the voltage at node A only unknown; it is
designated as VA.
• STEP 3: arbitrarily assign the branch currents at A as
indicated in the figure.

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• STEP 4:, Apply the Kirchhoff current equation at node A
I1 – I2 + I3 = 0
• STEP 5: express the currents in terms of circuit voltages using
Ohm's law.
I1 = ?
I2 = ?
I3 = ? 
• Substituting these terms into the current equation yields
VS1  VA VA VS 2  VA
  0
R1 R2 R3
 
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Assign node voltage

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• label the voltages at each of the other nodes
– example, voltages at 3 nodes are labeled v1,v2 &
v3
– v1: voltage between node 1 and reference node
(polarity:positive at node 1,negative at ref.node)
– v2 :voltage between node 2 and reference node
(polarity:positive at node 2,negative at ref.node)
– v3:voltage between node 3 and reference node
(polarity:positive at node 3,negative at ref.node)
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Finding element voltages in terms of node
voltages

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• v2,vx & v3 are the voltages encountered in
travelling around the closed path through
R4,R3 and R5.
• Using KVL, travelling around the loop
clockwise and summing voltages,
- v2 + vx + v3 = 0
therefore,
vx=v2-v3
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 Writing KCL equations in terms of node voltages.

in first figure,
v1=vs

Therefore,we need to determine v2 & v3.

- -> write 2 independent equations

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• Node 2,
- current leaving R4 is v2/R4.
- current leaving R3 is vx/R3

since vx = v2-v3,
current leaving R3 is;
(v2-v3)/R3
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• therefore,

“To find the current flowing out of node n

through a resistance toward node k, we
subtract the voltage at node k from the
voltage at node n and divide the difference by
the resistance.”

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• Thus, if vn and vk are the node voltages and R is
resistance connected between the nodes, the
current flowing from node n to node k is:

(vn-vk) / R

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 Exercise 1
write equations for v1,v2 and v3

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 Exercise 2
• Find the node voltage VA in Figure 9-17 and
determine the branch currents.

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Voltage Method for a Wheatstone Bridge

• The node voltage method can be applied to a

Wheatstone bridge.
• The Wheatstone bridge is shown with nodes
identified in below Figure with currents
shown.

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• Node D is usually selected as the reference node, and
node A has the same potential as the source voltage.
• When setting up the equations for the two unknown
node voltages (B and C), it is necessary to specify a
current direction as described in the general steps.
• The direction of current in RL is dependent on the
bridge resistances; if the assigned direction is
incorrect, it will show up as a negative current in the
solution.

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• Kirchhoff's current law is then written for each
of the unknown nodes. then expressed in
terms of node voltages using Ohm's law as
follows:
NodeB:
I 1 + IL = I2
VA  VB VC  VB VB
 
R1 RL R2
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 • Node C:
I 3 = IL + I4
VA  VC VC  VB VC
 
R3 RL R4



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 EXAMPLE

• For the Wheatstone bridge circuit in previous

figure, find the node voltages at node C. Node
D is the reference, and node A has the same
voltage as the source.
Given that Vs = 12 V, R1= 330 , R2= 330 ,
R3= , R4=  and RL = 1 K.

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 Node Voltage Method for the Bridged-T
Circuit

• Applying the node voltage method to the

bridged- T circuit also results in two equations
with two unknowns.

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 Example

Solve for the voltage across RL using node analysis

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• Solution
  Apply KCL at nodes B and C in terms of
node voltage
node B:
i2  i3  i4
va  vb vb  vc vb
 
R2 R3 R4

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 • node C:

i1  i3  iL
va  vc vb  vc vc
 
R1 R3 RL

 

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• From the equations,
406.9vb -180.4vc = 738
150vb-337.5vc=-900

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 Exercise

• Find the effect on the load voltage when the

load resistor RL is changed to 15 K

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 Supernode
• drawing a dashed line around several
nodes,including the elements connected
between them.

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 Example

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 • The net current flowing through any closed
surface must equal zero,
• therefore, for the supernode enclosing 10 v
source,
v1 v1  (15) v 2 v 2  (15)
   0
R2 R1 R4 R3

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 Circuit with Controlled source
• write an independent set of equations for
node voltage

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• write KCL at each node,
v1  v 2
 is  2ix
R1
v 2  v1 v 2 v 2  v 3
  0
R1 R2 R3

v3  v2 v3
  2ix  0
 R3 R4


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• ix is the curent flowing away from node 3
through R3, therefore;
v3  v2
ix 
R3

 i into previous equations, we can

• Substitute x
get the required equation set.

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