Nodal Analysis
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 Kirchhoff’s current law in terms
of the node voltages.
1
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.
2
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Concept Illustration:
v1
v2 v3
R2 R4
R1 R3
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
3
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Concept Illustration:
Clearing the previous equation gives,
1 1 1 1 1 1
V1 V2 V3 I Eq 6.2
R1 R2 R3 R4 R2 R4
We would need two additional equations, from the
remaining circuit, in order to solve for V1, V2, and V3
4
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.
R2 v1 R3 v2 R5
+
R1 I1 R4 v6 R6
_
Figure 6.2: Circuit for Example 6.1.
5
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.1, the nodal equations.
R2 v1 R3 v2 R5
+
R1 I1 R4 v6 R6
_
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
7
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.2, using circuit values.
2A
v2
v1 Figure 6.3: Circuit for
5 Example 6.2.
10 20 4A
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
9
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.3: With voltage source.
I
R1 v1 v2
R3 Figure 6.4: Circuit for
E + R2 R4 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 5A
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 5A
At v1:
V1 V1 10 V2
5 Eq 6.15
10 4
At v2:
V2 V2 10 V1 Eq 6.16
0
6 4
13
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
14
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Voltage super node.
Given the following circuit. Solve for the indicated nodal voltages.
2 super node
x
v1 v2 _ v3
x +
5 10 V
x x
6A 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.
15
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.5: Continued.
2
v1
v2
_
+
v3 Constraint Equation
5 10 V
6A 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
16
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
17
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
_
Vx +
v1 v2
Figure 6.7: Circuit for
10
2A Example 6.6.
4
10 V + 5
_
5 Vx
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
18
Basic Circuits
Nodal Analysis: Example 6.6: With Dependent Sources.
2
_
Vx +
v1 v2
10
2A
4
10 V + 5
_
5 Vx
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
19
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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