Recipe to calculate transient voltages vx(t) or currents ix(t) in 1st order circuits

Besides resistors and constant voltage and/or current sources, these circuits have one inductor or
one capacitor (and a switch, or a voltage source resp. current source that generates a stepped
voltage resp. stepped current).

i= 0 → C  open
Step 1: For t = 0 − : steady state →  C
v=
L 0 → L  short
( ) ( ) ( )
Calculate vC 0− , i L 0− and the required unknown voltage v X 0− or current i X 0 − . ( )
v=
+
+
C (0 ) vC (0− ) → voltage source
Step 2: For t = 0 : 
i L (0 + ) i L (0 − ) → current source
=
Calculate the required unknown voltage v X 0+ or current i X 0 + . ( ) ( )
Step 3: For t > 0 : use either the differential equation method (see step 3a) or the step-by-step
method (see step 3b).

Step 3a:(Differential equation method)

Use nodal analysis (or KVL in case of a single loop)
t
with iC (t ) = C C
dv (t )
dt
or =
1
L0
( )
i L (t ) i L 0 + + ∫ v L (τ ) dτ

(In case of an inductor take the first derivative of the resulting expression, to get rid of the
integral.)
dx
This will lead to a 1st order differential equation of shape + ax =
B.
dt
Solution: x (t= )
B
a
+ Ke − at where = K x 0+ −
B
a
( ) ( )
(with x 0+ found in step 2).

Now the required unknown voltage v X ( t ) or current i X ( t ) can be found.

Step 3b:(Step-by-step method)

i= 0 → C  open
For t = ∞ : steady state →  C
v=
L 0 → L  short
Calculate the required unknown voltage v X ( ∞ ) or current i X ( ∞ ) .
Calculate the Thévenin equivalent resistance RTh , ‘seen’ from C or L
L
→ τ RThC=
= or τ
RTh
Now the required unknown voltage v X ( t ) or current i X ( t ) can be found:

( ( )
) v X ( ∞ ) + v X 0+ − v X ( ∞ ) e − t /τ
v X (t= )
i X (t )= i X ( ∞ ) + ( i (0 ) − i
X
+
X ( ∞ ) ) e −t /τ