Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Getting Started with Circuit Analysis

Part II: Applying Analytical Methods for Complex Circuits

Part III: Understanding Circuits with Transistors and Operational Amplifiers

Part IV: Applying Time-Varying Signals to First- and Second-Order Circuits

Part V: Advanced Techniques and Applications in Circuit Analysis

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting Started with Circuit Analysis

Chapter 1: Introducing Circuit Analysis

Getting Started with Current and Voltage

Going with the flow with current

Recognizing potential differences with voltage

Staying grounded with zero voltage

Getting some direction with the passive sign convention

Beginning with the Basic Laws

Surveying the Analytical Methods for More-Complex Circuits

Introducing Transistors and Operational Amplifiers

Dealing with Time-Varying Signals, Capacitors, and Inductors

Avoiding Calculus with Advanced Techniques

Chapter 2: Clarifying Basic Circuit Concepts and Diagrams

Looking at Current-Voltage Relationships

Absorbing energy with resistors

Offering no resistance: Batteries and short circuits

Facing infinite resistance: Ideal current sources and open circuits

All or nothing: Combining open and short circuits with ideal switches

Mapping It All Out with Schematics

Going in circles with loops

Getting straight to the point with nodes

Chapter 3: Exploring Simple Circuits with Kirchhoff’s Laws

Presenting Kirchhoff’s Famous Circuit Laws

Kirchhoff’s voltage law (KVL): Conservation of energy

Kirchhoff’s current law (KCL): Conservation of charge

Tackling Circuits with KVL, KCL, and Ohm’s Law

Getting batteries and resistors to work together

Sharing the same current in series circuits

Climbing the ladder with parallel circuits

Combining series and parallel resistors

Chapter 4: Simplifying Circuit Analysis with Source Transformation and Division Techniques

Equivalent Circuits: Preparing for the Transformation

Transforming Sources in Circuits

Converting to a parallel circuit with a current source

Changing to a series circuit with a voltage source

Divvying It Up with the Voltage Divider

Getting a voltage divider equation for a series circuit

Figuring out voltages for a series circuit with two or more resistors

Finding voltages when you have multiple current sources

Using the voltage divider technique repeatedly

Cutting to the Chase Using the Current Divider Technique

Getting a current divider equation for a parallel circuit

Figuring out currents for parallel circuits

Finding currents when you have multiple voltage sources

Using the current divider technique repeatedly

Part II: Applying Analytical Methods for Complex Circuits

Chapter 5: Giving the Nod to Node-Voltage Analysis

Getting Acquainted with Node Voltages and Reference Nodes

Testing the Waters with Node-Voltage Analysis

What goes in must come out: Starting with KCL at the nodes

Describing device currents in terms of node voltages with Ohm’s law

Putting a system of node voltage equations in matrix form

Solving for unknown node voltages

Applying the NVA Technique

Solving for unknown node voltageswith a current source

Dealing with three or more node equations

Working with Voltage Sources in Node-Voltage Analysis

Chapter 6: Getting in the Loop on Mesh Current Equations

Windowpanes: Looking at Meshes and Mesh Currents

Relating Device Currents to Mesh Currents

Generating the Mesh Current Equations

Finding the KVL equations first

Ohm’s law: Putting device voltages in terms of mesh currents

Substituting the device voltages into the KVL equations

Putting mesh current equations into matrix form

Solving for unknown currents and voltages

Crunching Numbers: Using Meshes to Analyze Circuits

Tackling two-mesh circuits

Analyzing circuits with three or more meshes

Chapter 7: Solving One Problem at a Time Using Superposition

Discovering How Superposition Works

Making sense of proportionality

Applying superposition in circuits

Adding the contributions of each independent source

Getting Rid of the Sources of Frustration

Short circuit: Removing a voltage source

Open circuit: Taking out a current source

Analyzing Circuits with Two Independent Sources

Knowing what to do when the sources are two voltage sources

Proceeding when the sources are two current sources

Dealing with one voltage source and one current source

Solving a Circuit with Three Independent Sources

Chapter 8: Applying Thévenin’s and Norton’s Theorems

Showing What You Can Do with Thévenin’s and Norton’s Theorems

Finding the Norton and Thévenin Equivalents for Complex Source Circuits

Applying Thévenin’s theorem

Applying Norton’s theorem

Using source transformation to find Thévenin or Norton

Finding Thévenin or Norton with superposition

Gauging Maximum Power Transfer: A Practical Application of Both Theorems

Part III: Understanding Circuits with Transistors and Operational Amplifiers

Chapter 9: Dependent Sources and the Transistors That Involve Them

Understanding Linear Dependent Sources: Who Controls What

Classifying the types of dependent sources

Recognizing the relationship between dependent and independent sources

Analyzing Circuits with Dependent Sources

Applying node-voltage analysis

Using source transformation

Using the Thévenin technique

Describing a JFET Transistor with a Dependent Source

Examining the Three Personalities of Bipolar Transistors

Making signals louder with the common emitter circuit

Amplifying signals with a common base circuit

Isolating circuits with the common collector circuit

Chapter 10: Letting Operational Amplifiers Do the Tough Math Fast

The Ins and Outs of Op-Amp Circuits

Discovering how to draw op amps

Looking at the ideal op amp and its transfer characteristics

Modeling an op amp with a dependent source

Examining the essential equations for analyzing ideal op-amp circuits

Looking at Op-Amp Circuits

Analyzing a noninverting op amp

Following the leader with the voltage follower

Turning things around with the inverting amplifier

Adding it all up with the summer

What’s the difference? Using the op-amp subtractor

Increasing the Complexity of What You Can Do with Op Amps

Analyzing the instrumentation amplifier

Implementing mathematical equations electronically

Creating systems with op amps

Part IV: Applying Time-Varying Signals to First- and Second-Order Circuits

Chapter 11: Making Waves with Funky Functions

Spiking It Up with the Lean, Mean Impulse Function

Changing the strength of the impulse

Delaying an impulse

Evaluating impulse functions with integrals

Stepping It Up with a Step Function

Creating a time-shifted, weighted step function

Being out of step with shifted step functions

Building a ramp function with a step function

Pushing the Limits with the Exponential Function

Seeing the Signs with Sinusoidal Functions

Giving wavy functions a phase shift

Expanding the function and finding Fourier coefficients

Connecting sinusoidal functions to exponentials with Euler’s formula

Chapter 12: Spicing Up Circuit Analysis with Capacitors and Inductors

Storing Electrical Energy with Capacitors

Describing a capacitor

Charging a capacitor (credit cards not accepted)

Relating the current and voltage of a capacitor

Finding the power and energy of a capacitor

Calculating the total capacitance for parallel and series capacitors

Storing Magnetic Energy with Inductors

Describing an inductor

Finding the energy storage of an attractive inductor

Calculating total inductance for series and parallel inductors

Calculus: Putting a Cap on Op-Amp Circuits

Creating an op-amp integrator

Deriving an op-amp differentiator

Using Op Amps to Solve Differential Equations Really Fast

Chapter 13: Tackling First-Order Circuits

Solving First-Order Circuits with Diff EQ

Guessing at the solution with the natural exponential function

Using the characteristic equation for a first-order equation

Analyzing a Series Circuit with a Single Resistor and Capacitor

Starting with the simple RC series circuit

Finding the zero-input response

Finding the zero-state response by focusing on the input source

Adding the zero-input and zero-state responses to find the total response

Analyzing a Parallel Circuit with a Single Resistor and Inductor

Starting with the simple RL parallel circuit

Calculating the zero-input response for an RL parallel circuit

Calculating the zero-state response for an RL parallel circuit

Adding the zero-input and zero-state responses to find the total response

Chapter 14: Analyzing Second-Order Circuits

Examining Second-Order Differential Equations with Constant Coefficients

Guessing at the elementary solutions: The natural exponential function

From calculus to algebra: Using the characteristic equation

Analyzing an RLC Series Circuit

Setting up a typical RLC series circuit

Determining the zero-input response

Calculating the zero-state response

Finishing up with the total response

Analyzing an RLC Parallel Circuit Using Duality

Setting up a typical RLC parallel circuit

Finding the zero-input response

Arriving at the zero-state response

Getting the total response

Part V: Advanced Techniques and Applications in Circuit Analysis

Chapter 15: Phasing in Phasors for Wave Functions

Taking a More Imaginative Turn with Phasors

Finding phasor forms

Examining the properties of phasors

Using Impedance to Expand Ohm’s Law to Capacitors and Inductors

Understanding impedance

Looking at phasor diagrams

Putting Ohm’s law for capacitors in phasor form

Putting Ohm’s law for inductors in phasor form

Tackling Circuits with Phasors

Using divider techniques in phasor form

Adding phasor outputs with superposition

Simplifying phasor analysis with Thévenin and Norton

Getting the nod for nodal analysis

Using mesh-current analysis with phasors

Chapter 16: Predicting Circuit Behavior with Laplace Transform Techniques

Getting Acquainted with the Laplace Transform and Key Transform Pairs

Getting Your Time Back with the Inverse Laplace Transform

Rewriting the transform with partial fraction expansion

Expanding Laplace transforms with complex poles

Dealing with transforms with multiple poles

Understanding Poles and Zeros of F(s)

Predicting the Circuit Response with Laplace Methods

Working out a first-order RC circuit

Working out a first-order RL circuit

Working out an RLC circuit

Chapter 17: Implementing Laplace Techniques for Circuit Analysis

Starting Easy with Basic Constraints

Connection constraints in the s-domain

Device constraints in the s-domain

Impedance and admittance

Seeing How Basic Circuit Analysis Works in the s-Domain

Applying voltage division with series circuits

Turning to current division for parallel circuits

Conducting Complex Circuit Analysis in the s-Domain

Using node-voltage analysis

Using mesh-current analysis

Using superposition and proportionality

Using the Thévenin and Norton equivalents

Chapter 18: Focusing on the Frequency Responses

Describing the Frequency Response and Classy Filters

Low-pass filter

High-pass filter

Band-pass filters

Band-reject filters

Plotting Something: Showing Frequency Response à la Bode

Looking at a basic Bode plot

Poles, zeros, and scale factors: Picturing Bode plots from transfer functions

Turning the Corner: Making Low-Pass and High-Pass Filters with RC Circuits

First-order RC low-pass filter (LPF)

First-order RC high-pass filter (HPF)

Creating Band-Pass and Band-Reject Filters with RLC or RC Circuits

Getting serious with RLC series circuits

Climbing the ladder with RLC parallel circuits

RC only: Getting a pass with a band-pass and band-reject filter

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Practical Applications for Circuits

Potentiometers

Homemade Capacitors: Leyden Jars

Digital-to-Analog Conversion Using Op Amps

Two-Speaker Systems

Interface Techniques Using Resistors

Interface Techniques Using Op Amps

The Wheatstone Bridge

Accelerometers

Electronic Stud Finders

555 Timer Circuits

Chapter 20: Ten Technologies Affecting Circuits

Smartphone Touchscreens

Nanotechnology

Carbon Nanotubes

Microelectromechanical Systems

Supercapacitors

The Memristor

Superconducting Digital Electronics

Wide Bandgap Semiconductors

Flexible Electronics

Microelectronic Chips that Pair Up with Biological Cells