NODE ANALYSIS

• One of the systematic ways to

determine every voltage and
current in a circuit
IT IS INSTRUCTIVE TO START THE PRESENTATION WITH
A RECAP OF A PROBLEM SOLVED BEFORE USING SERIES/
PARALLEL RESISTOR COMBINATIONS

COMPUTE ALL THE VOLTAGES AND CURRENTS IN THIS CIRCUIT

 4k || 12k 12k

6k
I3

6k || 6k

12V
I1  or Va 
3
(12)
12k 39
 SECOND: “BACKTRACK” USING KVL, KCL OHM’S

Va
OHM'S : I 2 
6k

KCL : I1  I 2  I 3  0

OHM'S : Vb  3k * I 3
12
I4  I3
4  12
Vb  4k * I 4

KCL : I 5  I 4  I 3  0
OHM'S : VC  3k * I 5
 DEFINING THE REFERENCE NODE IS VITAL
 V12 



2V
4V



THE STATEMENT V1  4V IS MEANINGLESS

UNTIL THE REFERENCE POINT IS DEFINED.

BY CONVENTION THE GROUND SYMBOL

SPECIFIES THE REFERENCE POINT.

ALL NODE VOLTAGES ARE MEASURED WITH

RESPECT TO THAT REFERENCE POINT

V12  _____?
THE STRATEGY FOR NODE ANALYSIS 1. IDENTIFY ALL NODES AND SELECT
VS Va Vb Vc A REFERENCE NODE

2. IDENTIFY KNOWN NODE VOLTAGES

3. AT EACH NODE WITH UNKNOWN

VOLTAGE WRITE A KCL EQUATION
(e.g.,SUM OF CURRENT LEAVING =0)
REFERENCE
4. REPLACE CURRENTS IN TERMS OF
@Va :  I1  I 2  I 3  0 NODE VOLTAGES
Va  Vs Va Va  Vb
  0
9k 6k 3k

@Vb :  I 3  I 4  I 5  0
SHORTCUT: SKIP WRITING
Vb  Va Vb Vb  Vc THESE EQUATIONS...
  0
3k 4k 9k
AND PRACTICE WRITING
@Vc :  I 5  I 6  0 THESE DIRECTLY
Vc  Vb Vc
 0
9k 3k
 Vb Vb
a R1 b R3 c a R1 b R3 c
Va Vc Va Vc
I1 I3 I1' R I 3'
R2 2
I2 I 2'
Vd Vd
d d

 CURRENTS LEAVING  0  CURRENTS LEAVING  0

Va  Vb Vb  Vd Vb  Vc Vb  Va Vb  Vd Vc  Vb
 I1  I 2  I 3  0     0 I1'  I 2'  I 3'  0    0
R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3

 CURRENTS INTO NODE  0  CURRENTS INTO NODE  0

Va  Vb Vb  Vd Vb  Vc V V V V V V
I1  I 2  I 3  0     0  I1'  I 2'  I 3'  0   b a  b d  c b  0
R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3

WHEN WRITING THE NODE EQUATIONS

WRITE THE EQUATION DIRECTLY IN TERMS
OF THE NODE VOLTAGES.
BY DEFAULT USE KCL IN THE FORM
SUM-OF-CURRENTS-LEAVING = 0
 EXAMPLE

WRITE THE KCL EQUATIONS

@ NODE 1, WE VISUALIZE THE CURRENTS

LEAVING AND WRITE THE KCL EQUATION

REPEAT THE PROCESS AT NODE 2. OR VISUALIZE CURRENTS GOING INTO NODE

v2  v1 v2  v1
 i2   0
R4 R3
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WRITING NODE EQUATIONS

WRITE KCL AT EACH NODE IN TERMS OF

NODE VOLTAGES

VB
B
MARK THE NODES
(TO INSURE THAT
NONE IS MISSING)
15mA
A
VA
8k 2k 8k 2k

C
SELECT AS
REFERENCE

VA VA
@A   15mA  0
2k 8k
V V
@ B B  B  15mA  0
8k 2k
LEARNING EXTENSION

V1 V1  V2 USING KCL
@V1 :  4mA  
6k 12k
V V V
@V2 : 2mA  2  2 1  0
6k 12k

BY “INSPECTION”

 1 1  1
  V1  V2  4mA
 6k 12k  12k
1  1 1 
   V2  2mA
12k  6k 12k 
LEARNING EXTENSION

6mA

I3
I1
I2

Node analysis
V
@ V1 : 1  2mA  6mA  0  V1  16V
2k
V V
@V :  6mA  2  2  0  V2  12V
2
6k 3k

1
V1  0V2  2  6mA
2k
0V1   1  1 V2  6mA
 6k 3k 
Once node voltages are known
V1 V2 V2
I1  I2  I3 
2k 6k 3k
CIRCUITS WITH DEPENDENT SOURCES v1 v1  v2
 io   0
R1 R2
NUMERICAL EXAMPLE
v v v
 iA  2  2 1  0
R3 R2
MODEL FOR
CONTROLLING VARIABLE
v2
io 
R3

REPLACE AND REARRANGE

1 1   1 
  v1    v2  0
 R1 R2   R3 R2 
1  1 1 
 v1    v2  i A
R2  R2 R3 

 1 1   2 1 
* / 4k   v1    v2  0
 12k 6k   3k 6k 
* / 6k 1  1 1 
 v1    v2  2mA
6k  12k 3k 
V1  2V2  0 24
5V2  12[V ] V1   V
 V1  3V2  12[V ] 5
LEARNING EXTENSION: FIND NODE VOLTAGES

NODE EQUATIONS
V1 V V
@V1 :  4mA  1 2  0
10k 10k
V V V
@V2 : 2 1  2 I O  2  0
10k 10k
CONTROLLING VARIABLE (IN TERMS ON NODE
VOLTAGES)
V1
IO  REARRANGE AND MULTIPLY BY 10k
10k
2V1  V2  40[V ] * / 2 and add eqs.
REPLACE
V1  2V2  0
V1 V V
 4mA  1 2  0 5V1  80V  V1  16V
10k 10k
V2  V1 V V
2 1  2 0 V2  
V1
 V2  8V
10k 10k 10k 2
FIND THE VOLTAGE VO LEARNING EXTENSION

NODE EQUATIONS

Vx Vx
 2mA   0
3k 6k * 6k
V V V
 x  O  O  0 *12k
6k 12k 12k

3Vx  12[V ]  Vx  4[V ]

2VO  2Vx  0  VO  4[V ]
CIRCUITS WITH INDEPENDENT VOLTAGE SOURCES

3 nodes plus the reference. In

principle one needs 3 equations...

…but two nodes are connected to

the reference through voltage
sources. Hence those node
voltages are known!!!
V1  12[V ] THESE ARE THE REMAINING

V3  6[V ] TWO NODE EQUATIONS

…Only one KCL is necessary

V2 V2  V3 V2  V1
  0
6k 12k 12k
SOLVING THE EQUATIONS
2V2  (V2  V3 )  (V2  V1 )  0
4V2  6[V ]  V2  1.5[V ]
Problem 3.67 (6th Ed) Find V_0

V4 V0  V1  V2
R2 IS2 ONLY V1,V2 ARE NEEDED FOR VO
I S1 R1 V2 V3
V1 KNOWN NODE VOLTAGE
 VO  R3
+ @V3 : V3  VVS  12[V ]
R4 
-
V1  V2 V1
IS3 VS 1 @V1 :  I S1   0
R1 R4
IDENTIFY AND LABEL ALL NODES
V1  V2 V1
R1 = 1k; R2 = 2k, R3 = 1k, R4 = 2k  2[mA]   0
Is1 =2mA, Is2 = 4mA, Is3 = 4mA,
1k 2k
Vs = 12 V V2  V1 V2  V3 V2  V4
@V2 :  I S 3    0
R1 R3 R2
V2  V1 V2  12 V2  V4
 4[mA]    0
1k 1k 2k
V4  V2
@V4 : I S1  I S 2  0
R2
V4  V2
2[mA]  4[mA]  0
2k
THE SUPERNODE TECHNIQUE

SUPERNODE

IS

Conventional node analysis

requires all currents at a node

V1
@V_1
 6mA   IS  0 2 eqs, 3 unknowns...Panic!!
6k The current through the source is not
related to the voltage of the source
@V_2 V
 I S  4mA  2  0
12k

Math solution: add one equation

V1  V2  6[V ]
THE SUPERNODE TECHNIQUE
Efficient solution: enclose the
source, and all elements in
parallel, inside a surface.
SUPERNODE
Apply KCL to the surface!!!

IS

V1 V2
 6mA    4mA  0
6k 12k

We STILL need one more equation

V1  V2  6[V ]

Only 2 eqs in two unknowns!!!

LEARNING EXTENSION
SUPERNODE

V1  6V SOURCES CONNECTED TO THE

REFERENCE
V4  4V

V3  V2  12V
V2  6 V2 V3 V3  (4)
   0 KCL @ SUPERNODE
2k 1k 2k 2k
3V2  2V3  2V
 V2  V3  12V
5V3  38V

V3
OHM' S LAW I O   3.8mA
2k
WE MUST ADD ONE EQUATION FOR EACH CONTROLLING VARIABLE.

FIND IO

VOLTAGE SOURCE CONNECTED TO REFERENCE

V1  3V

V2  V1 V2
KCL@ V2 :   2I x  0
3k 6k
CONTROLLING VARIABLE IN V2
TERMS OF NODE VOLTAGES Ix 
6k

V2  V1 V2 V
 2 2 0
3k 6k 6k
V1  V2
V2  2V1  0  V2  6V IO   1mA
3k
 SUPER NODE WITH DEPENDENT SOURCE

VOLTAGE SOURCE CONNECTED TO REFERENCE V3  6V

SUPERNODE CONSTRAINT V1  V2  2Vx

CONTROLLING VARIABLE IN TERMS OF NODES Vx  V2  V1  3V2

KCL AT SUPERNODE

2(V1  6)  V1  2V2  V2  6  0

3V1  3V2  18  4V1  18

CURRENT CONTROLLED VOLTAGE SOURCE

CONSTRAINT DUE TO SOURCE V2  V1  2kI x

CONTROLLING VARIABLE IN TERMS OF NODES

 V1  2kI x  V2  2V1

KCL AT SUPERNODE V1 V
 4mA   2mA  2  0
2k 2k

V1  V2  4[V ]
 2V1  V2  0
3V2  8[V ]

V2 4
IO   mA
2k 3
LEARNING EXAMPLE FIND THE VOLTAGE Vo

@V4 : V4  4V
AT SUPER NODE
V1  V2  2VX
V2 V2  V3 V1  V3 V1  4V
1k   2 mA     0
1k 1k 1k 1k

1k  @V :  2mA  V  V  V  V  0
3
3 2 3 1

1k 1k
CONTROLLING VARIABLE VX  V2

SOLVE EQUATIONS NOW

V1  3VX
2V1  2VX  V3  6V
V1  VX  2V3  2V

VARIABLE OF INTEREST VO  V1  V3
LEARNING EXAMPLE Find the current Io

@V2 : V2  12V
@V3 : V3  2VX
@ super node:
V4  V1  6V (constraint eq.)
V1  V2 V1  V3 V  V3 V4  V5 V4
  2I X  4   0
1k 1k 1k 1k 1k
V5  V4 V5
FIND NODES – AND SUPER NODES @V5 :  2 I X   0
1k 1k
CONTROLLING VARIABLES
VX  V1  V2
V4
IX  7 eqs in 7 variables
1k

V5
VARIABLE OF INTEREST IO 
1k