CIRCUITS AND

6.002 ELECTRONICS

Superposition, Thévenin and Norton

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Review
Circuit Analysis Methods

z KVL: KCL: VI
∑Vi = 0 ∑ Ii = 0
loop node

z Circuit composition rules

z Node method – the workhorse of 6.002
KCL at nodes using V ’s referenced
from ground
(KVL implicit in “ (ei − e j ) G ”)

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity
Consider R1
e

R2

J
I
V +
–

Write node equations –

e −V e
+ −I =0
R1 R2

Notice:
linear in e,V , I
No eV ,VI
terms

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity R1
Consider

R2

J
I
V +
–

Write node equations --

e −V e
+ −I =0 linear in e,V , I
R1 R2
Rearrange --
⎡1 1⎤ V
⎢ R + R ⎥e = + I
⎣ 1 2⎦ R1

conductance node linear sum

matrix voltages of sources
G e = S
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity
Write node equations --
e −V e
+ −I =0 linear in e,V , I
R1 R2
Rearrange --
⎡1 1⎤ V
⎢ R + R ⎥e = + I
⎣ 1 2⎦ R1

conductance node linear sum

matrix voltages of sources
G e = S
R2 R1 R2
or e= V+ I
R1 + R2 R1 + R2

e = a1V1 + a2V2 + … + b1 I1 + b2 I 2 + …
Linear!
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity ⇒ Homogeneity
Superposition

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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity ⇒ Homogeneity
Superposition

Homogeneity

x1
x2 .
.. y

⇓
αx1
αx2 .. αy
.

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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity ⇒ Homogeneity
Superposition

Superposition

x1a x1b
x2 a .
.. x2 b .
ya .. yb

⇓
x1a + x1b
x2 a + x2 b .
.. y a + yb

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Linearity ⇒ Homogeneity
Superposition

Specific superposition example:

V1 0
0 y1 V2 y2

⇓
V1 + 0
0 + V2 y1 + y2

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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Method 4: Superposition method
The output of a circuit is
determined by summing the
responses to each source
acting alone.

ur ce s
e nt so
e p e nd
i nd only

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 i i
+ +
V =0 +
– v v
- -
short

i i
+ +
I =0
J

v v
- -
open

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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Back to the example
Use superposition method

R1
e

R2
J
I
V +
–

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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Back to the example
Use superposition method
V acting alone
e
R1
R2
R2 I = 0 eV = V
V + R1 + R2
–

I acting alone
e
R1
R1 R2
R2 eI = I
J

I
V =0 R1 + R2

sum superposition
R2 R1 R2
e = eV + eI = V+ I
R1 + R2 R1 + R2

Voilà !
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Demo

salt
water
constant
+
–

?
+
–

output shows
sinusoid superposition

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Yet another method…
Consider
i tra r y network
Arb N
resistors i
Vm +
+ In i

J
– v
J -

also
By superposition independent
of external
v = ∑ α mVm + ∑ β n I n + Ri excitement &
m n
behaves like
no resistance a resistor
units units
By setting All
∀n I n = 0, ∀mVm = 0, ∀n I n = 0,
i = 0 i = 0 ∀mVm = 0

independent of external
excitation and behaves like a
voltage “ vTH ”
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Or
v = vTH + RTH i

As far as the external world is concerned

(for the purpose of I-V relation),
“Arbitrary network N” is indistinguishable
from:
RTH
N
Thévenin +
equivalent + vTH v

J
– i
network -

vTH open circuit voltage

at terminal pair (a.k.a. port)
RTH resistance of network seen
from port
( Vm ’s, I n ’s set to 0)

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Method 4:
The Thévenin Method
i
N
J +
+
+ – v E
– -

Thévenin equivalent
RTH i
+
+ vTH
– v E
-

Replace network N with its Thévenin

equivalent, then solve external network E.
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Example:
i1 R1

+
R2

J
V
– I

i1 R1
RTH
+ VTH + I
V
– –

V − VTH
i1 =
R1 + RTH

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Example:

VTH : +
R2

J
VTH I
VTH = IR2 -

RTH : +
RTH R2
RTH = R2 -

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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Graphically, v = vTH + RTH i

1
RTH

v
vTH
“V ” OC

− I SC

Open circuit v = vTH VOC

(i ≡ 0)
− vTH − I SC
Short circuit i =
(v ≡ 0) RTH

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 in recitation,
Method 5: see text

The Norton Method

i
J +
+ RTH = RN

J
– v IN
+
– -

Norton
equivalent
VTH
IN =
RTH

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3

 Summary
„Discretize matter
LMD LCA
Physics EE
„ R, I, V Linear networks
„ Analysis methods (linear)
KVL, KCL, I — V
Combination rules
Node method
Superposition
Thévenin
Norton
„ Next
Nonlinear analysis
Discretize voltage

… 101100 …
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 3