EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

Pre-Lab Assignment for Lab 6. AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis

Report answers in engineering (polar) form for AC voltages and currents.
Report answers in Cartesian form for impedances.

1. Determine the following for Circuit 1 in Figure 1. Use the component values given in the lab
handout.
a. the supply voltage angular frequency
b. the capacitor and inductor impedances
c. the node voltage Va (by inspection)
2. Write the node voltage equations for nodes b and c in Circuit 1.
3. Use Mathcad and your equations from problem 2 to solve for node voltages Vb and Vc in
Circuit 1.
4. Write the mesh current equations for Circuit 1.
5. Use Mathcad and your equations from problem 4 to solve for mesh currents I1 and I2 in
Circuit 1.
6. Consider the traces shown in Figure 2.
a. Determine the time delay t between v1 and v2.
b. Determine the phase constant for v2 assuming v1 defines t=0.
c. Write v1 and v2 in engineering form.

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

Lab 6.
1

AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis

Objective

The purpose of this laboratory exercise is to reinforce your understanding of AC circuit analysis
using phasors and impedances as presented in lecture. This exercise will show that the same
nodal and mesh analysis techniques used in DC circuits can be applied to AC circuits. To meet
these objectives you will use Multisim to determine node voltages and mesh currents for an AC
circuit. You will build then build the circuit on your protoboard and use the Digital Storage
Oscilloscope (DSO) to measure AC node voltages and mesh currents.

Background

Voltages and currents in AC circuits are sinusoidal waveforms which have the time domain form
given in Equations 1 and 2.
( )

(1)

( )

(2)

where Vo and Io are amplitudes (peak values), is the angular frequency, and v and i are phase
constants. While resistors still obey Ohms Law in AC circuits (vR = R iR), capacitors and
inductors have a little more complicated voltage-current relationships in the time domain as
shown in Equations 3 and 4.
(3)

(4)

This means that the analysis of AC circuits in the time domain will often require solving a
system of differential equations. Given that unpleasant prospect, the preferred way to handle AC
circuits analytically is in the phasor domain (also called the frequency domain). The phasor
domain form for AC voltages and currents are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. The phasor domain form for voltages and currents in AC circuits.
polar or engineering form

Euler form

Cartesian form
(

( )

( )

The good news: no differential equations to solve. The bad news: you have to become
EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

comfortable with working with complex numbers and complex algebra. Most engineers who
make the transition from the time to the phasor domain think this tradeoff is well worth the
effort.
Note that there is no in the phasor domain forms in the Equations of Table 1. In lab, we will
only work with circuits with a single AC supply. Consequently, the angular frequency of all
currents and voltages is the same in any given AC circuit you will be analyzing in this lab. All
we need, therefore, is a method for determining amplitudes and phase constants.
In the phasor domain, circuit analysis of AC circuits is identical to circuit analysis in DC circuits.
In DC circuits, voltages, currents, and resistances are just numbers. Likewise, in AC circuits,
voltages and currents are just numbers in the phasor domain (contrast that to the time domain,
where currents and voltages are sinusoidal functions of time). The only difference between DC
and AC circuit analysis is that voltages, currents, and impedances are complex numbers in the
phasor domain. For example, in the phasor domain the voltage-current relationships for
capacitors and inductors look like Ohms Law for resistors in DC circuits as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Ohms Law in the phasor domain.
Ohms Law

Impedance
(Cartesian form)

Impedance
(engineering/polar form)

resistors
capacitors

inductors
In Table 2, the Zs are impedances can be thought of a complex resistances. In fact, as indicated
in Table 2, the units of impedance is ohms (). This means capacitors, inductors and resistors
in AC circuits are treated exactly the same way resistors are treated in DC circuits. The only
difference is that impedances in AC circuits are complex numbers and the amount of capacitive
and inductive impedance depends on . Other than that, the same circuit analysis techniques
that you used for DC circuits can be used for AC circuits when working in the phasor domain.
At some point, you might be asking, which phasor form do I use? Assuming you are adept at
going from one form to the other, here are some guidelines:

When reporting an answer, engineers typically want to see phasors in polar form.
When working a problem use the form that makes the algebra easiest:
o Euler or polar form for multiplication and division
o Cartesian form for addition and subtraction

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

Nodal and mesh analysis can be used to great effect in AC circuits when using phasors (and we
dont have to solve any differential equations). For example, Circuit 1 in Figure 1 has three node
voltages that need to be determined: Va, Vb and Vc (the bottom node has already been designated
the 0V reference). The circuit also has two mesh currents I1 and I2. The circuit has the
following component values:

Figure 1. Circuit 1.
Here are the steps for determining Va, Vb and Vc using Nodal Analysis (the 4th node is the 0V
reference).
1. Determine the angular frequency .
2. Determine all capacitor and inductor impedances.
3. Write a node voltage equation for each node (two of the four node voltages in Circuit
1 can be obtained by inspection).
4. You should have N equations for N unknowns at this point. Since you should
know two of the node voltages by inspection, this circuit only has 2 unknown node
voltages, so you should have 2 linearly independent equations. Work the algebra to
determine the node voltages.
Aside from using complex impedances and phasors, this is the same procedure for finding node
voltages in a DC circuit (after step 2 at least).

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

Circuit 1 also has two meshes. Here are the steps for determining the two mesh currents I1 and
I2. using Mesh Analysis:
1. Determine the angular frequency .
2. Determine the capacitor and inductor impedances.
3. Write the mesh equations for this circuit.
4. You should have N equations for N unknowns at this point. This circuit has 2
unknown mesh currents, so you should have 2 linearly independent equations. Work
the algebra to determine the mesh currents.
Again, aside from having to deal with complex numbers and complex algebra, steps 3 and 4 are
exactly the same procedures you would employ if this were a DC circuit with Rs (resistances)
instead of Zs (impedances). You will determine these node voltages and mesh currents for your
pre-lab assignment using the component values given above. In lab, you will simulate this
circuit in Multisim to determine the node voltages and mesh currents. Then, you will build this
circuit on the protoboard and measure the node voltages and mesh currents. If all goes well, you
should get the same set of node voltages and mesh currents for each method within the precision
of your instrumentation and component values (<5% differences).

Lab Exercises

Now that you have all the pre lab calculations done, you are ready to see if Multisim and the
actual circuit will give you the same node voltages and mesh currents. While your calculations
were performed in the phasor domain, both Multisim and the oscilloscope display AC
waveforms in the time domain. Consequently, being able to go back and forth between the two
domains is important for this lab. If we understand what a node voltage is, and we know how to
build the circuit in Multisim and on the protoboard, then you just have to recall how to display
traces in Multisim and on the DSO. In Multisim, each virtual oscilloscope has a + lead and a
lead. To measure a node voltage, the + lead is placed on the node, and the lead is placed at the
0V reference. The procedure is the same when measuring node voltages with the DSO where the
little black alligator clip is the lead that is connected to the circuits 0V reference node .
Whether you are looking at Multisim or oscilloscope traces, you should get something that looks
like the traces in Figure 2 (not the actual values for Circuit 1 in Figure 1).

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

Figure 2. Time domain voltage traces like those displayed in Multisim and on the oscilloscope.
It is left as a pre-lab exercise for you to determine amplitudes and phases in Figure 2. Your job,
then, is to be able to go back and forth between your phasor domain results and the time domain
plots on the DSO and Multisim. For example, assume v1(t) in Figure 2 has a 0o phase constant.
Can you determine the phasors V1 and V2 from these traces? If you are not sure how to do that,
review your notes.
3.1

Multisim Simulation

Build Circuit 1 in Figure 1 in Multisim. Run a simulation and display traces for node voltages
Va, Vb and Vc. In all cases, the supply Vs defines t=0 and therefore the t time shifts used to
determine phase constants are relative to when Vs peaks. Record your node voltage results on
the data sheet in engineering (polar) notation.
The virtual oscilloscope in Multisim (as well as the DSO) can only display voltages,
consequently, you will have to calculate the mesh currents I1 and I2 using Ohms Law and your
node voltages. For example, Figure 3 shows how to calculate the current going from node e to
node g through an impedance Z.

Figure 3. Using node voltages and Ohms Law to determine the current through an impedance.

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

3.2

Oscilloscope Work

Build Circuit 1 on your protoboard. Use the oscilloscope to display Va, Vb and Vc. You will
have to display Va with Vb and then Va with Vc since the lab only has 2 channel oscilloscopes and
each station only has one oscilloscope. Vs. is the function generator output and its instrument
ground (the black alligator lead) defines the 0V reference node in your circuit.
Remember: the leads (black alligator clips) of the DSO and the Function Generator are
common (connected) via the ground plug of their 3 prong power cords. To avoid shorting the
Function Generator, all instrument black alligator clips need to be connected to the 0V reference
node in Circuit 1. Mentioning this here is a little redundant for this lab since you want to
measure node voltages anyway which, as you know, are voltages at nodes relative to the circuits
0V reference.
The oscilloscopes can only display voltages; consequently, mesh currents must be determined
from your node voltage measurements. Keep in mind that Ohms Law in DC and AC circuits
requires two node voltages to calculate a current as shown in Figure 3. Determine mesh currents
I1 and I2 from your node voltage measurements and record these results on the data sheet in
engineering notation.
As usual, your pre-lab results, Multisim results and measurements should be within 5% of each
other.

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx

EELE 202 Circuits for Engineering Lab, Spring 2014

Data Sheet for Lab AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis

Record all phasor voltages and currents in engineering (polar) notation.

Pre-Lab Result

Multisim Result

Measured (DSO) Result

Va

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Vb

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Vc

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

I1

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

I2

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

Note: Multisim and measured values for I1 and I2 will have to be calculated from measured
values for Va, Vb and Vc.

Lab Partners:

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Instructor/TA signoff: _____________________________________________________

EELE 202 Lab 6 AC Nodal and Mesh Analysis s14.docx