Chapter 8: Simple RC and RL

Circuits
EE 36 Electric Circuits 2
 Chapter Objectives
• RL and RC circuits are called first-order circuits. In this
chapter we will do the following:

– Develop vocabulary that will help us talk about the response of

a first-order circuit.
– Analyze first-order circuits with inputs that are constant after
some particular time, to.
– Introduce the notion of a stable circuit and use it to identify
stable first-order circuits.
– Analyze first-order circuits that experience more than one
abrupt change.
– Introduce the step function and use it to determine the step
response of a first-order circuit.
– Analyze first-order circuits with inputs that are not constant.
 First-Order Circuits
• The order of a differential equation is the
order of the highest order derivative.
• The order of the differential equation is
usually equal to the number of capacitors plus
the number of inductors in the circuit.
• Circuits that contain only one inductor and no
capacitors or only one capacitor and no
inductors can be represented by a first-order
differential equation. These circuits are called
first-order circuits.
 Source – Free RC Circuit
• Consider the circuit,
KCL ,
dv v
C  0
dt R
or
dv 1
 v0
dt RC
Rearranging the terms and simplifying,
dv 1
 v
dt RC
dv 1
 dt
v RC
 Source – Free RC Circuit
• From the given,
Taking the indefinite integral,
dv 1
 v   RC  dt
or
t
ln v   K
RC
ln v(0)  ln V0  K
v t Finally ,
ln v  ln V0  ln  
V0 RC t
v (t )  V0 e RC
v t
 e RC
V0
 Source – Free RC Circuit
• Graph of the voltage response in the simple
RC circuit,

t
v (t )  V0 e RC

• The rate at which the voltage decays is determined solely by the

product of the resistance and the capacitance.
 Source – Free RC Circuit
• Since the response is characterized by the
circuit elements and not by an external
voltage or current source, the response is
called the natural response of the circuit.

• Generally,
(t t0 ) / RC
v(t )  V0e , t  t0
CHAPTER 8

TIME CONSTANTS
 Time Constants
• Considering the circuit,

• Where the voltage response is,

t / RC
v  V0e
 Time Constants
• Graphs of v for different values for RC,
 Time Constants
• The current in i the circuit, is given as

V0 t / RC
i e
R
• The current decreases in the same manner as
the voltage
 Time Constants
• The time required for the natural response to
decay by a factor of 1/e is defined as the time
constant, τ

(t  ) / RC V0 t / RC (t  RC) / RC

V0e  e  V0e
e
• Which yields,
  RC
• Which has the units Ω-F = (V/A)(C/V)=(C/A) = s
 Time Constants
• The voltage response in terms of the time constant,
τ
t / 
v  V0e

• Knowledge of the time constant allows us to

predict the general form of the response.
• Another definition is that it is the time required for
the natural response to become zero if it decreases
at a constant rate equal to the rate of decay.
CHAPTER 8

SOURCE-FREE RL CIRCUIT
 Source – Free RL Circuit
• Consider the circuit,

The energy stored at t  0 ,

1 2
w L ( 0 )  LI 0
2

KVL , Rearranging the terms and simplifying,

di di R
L  Ri  0  i
dt dt L
or di R
  dt
di R i L
 i0
dt L
 Source – Free RL Circuit
• From the circuit,
Taking the indefinite integral,
di R
 i   L  dt
or
R
ln i   t  K
L
ln i (0)  ln I 0  K
i R
Finally , Or , ln i  ln I 0  ln  t
I0 L
 Rt t
i (t )  I 0 e L
i (t )  I 0 e 
i  Rt
e L
I0
 Source – Free RL Circuit
• Time Constant:   L / R
• Units: H /   (V  s / A)(V / A)  s
• Current Response:
 Source – Free RL Circuit
2 2 Rt / L
• Instantaneous Power: p(t )  Ri (t )  RI 0 e
2

• Energy absorbed by resistor: w()  1 LI 0 2

2
CHAPTER 8

RESPONSE TO A CONSTANT
FORCING FUNCTION
 Response to a constant forcing function
• Consider the driven RC network:
 Response to a constant forcing function
• For t > 0:
dv v
Nodal Equation: C   I0
dt R
dv 1 I0
 v
dt RC C
Separating the variables
dv v  RI 0

dt RC
dv 1
 v  RI 0   RC  dt
t
ln(v  RI 0 )   K
RC
 Response to a constant forcing function
• For t > 0:
K is the constant of integration:
t
ln(v  RI 0 )   K
RC
Rewriting the equation:
t
 K
v  RI 0  e RC

Solving for v:
t

v  Ae RC
 RI 0

Exponential function Constant function

Response to a constant forcing function
From the equation:
t

v  Ae RC
 RI 0

Exponential function Constant function

t

vn  Ae RC
v f  RI 0

Natural response Forced response

Response to a constant forcing function
Natural and Forced response:
t

v  Ae RC
 RI 0

v f  RI 0 Forced response

t

vn  Ae RC Natural response
Response to a constant forcing function
Complete response:
t

v  Ae RC
 RI 0
 Response to a constant forcing function
– Evaluating the constant, A:
t

v  Ae RC
 RI 0

• At t=0+, observe that the constant A is now

determined not only by the initial voltage (or energy)
on the capacitor but also by the
0 forcing function Io

v(0)  V0  Ae RC
 RI 0

or V0  A  RI 0 A  V0  RI 0
t

• Therefore, v(t )  RI 0  (V0  RI 0 )e RC
CHAPTER 8

THE GENERAL CASE

 The General Case
• All equations of the previous sections are special
cases of a general expression given by,
dy
 Py  Q
dt
Where:
y = unknown variable such as v or i
P and Q are constants
dv 1
• Source-free RC circuit  v0
dt RC
dv 1 I0
• Forced RC circuit  v
dt RC C
di R
• Source-free RL circuit  i0
dt L
 The General Case
dy
• Solving for y in  Py  Q
dt

• We have, y  e  Pt  Qe Pt dt  Ae  Pt
Where:
A = constant of integration
Q = function of time or a constant

• In the important DC case, where Q is a

constant:  Pt Q
y  Ae 
P
y  yn  y f
CHAPTER 8

SINGULARITY FUNCTIONS
 Complex using Step functions
• Definition:
– Forcing functions whose values change abruptly
(e.g. voltage or current sources suddenly inserted
in switched circuits)
 The Unit Step Function
• The unit step function is the function equal to
zero for all negative values of its argument and
equal to 1 for all positive values of its
argument.
• Denoted as u(t), u (t )  0, t 0
 1, t 0
• Graphically,
 Voltage step sources
• The unit step function may be used to
represent voltages or current with finite
discontinuities
• Voltage step source of V volts is represented
by the product Vu(t)

Voltage step source of V volts Equivalent circuit

 Current step sources
• Current step source of V volts is represented
by the product Iu(t)

Current step source of V volts Equivalent circuit

Voltage and current step generators

Network with V applied at t=0

Network with I applied at t=0

 The Unit Step Function delayed
• Generally, u (t  t 0 )  0 , t  t0
• Graphically,  1, t  t0

Graph of step function u(t-to)

• A pulse signal has a constant nonzero value for

a time duration of Δt = t - to
Exercise:
• Using unit step functions, write an expression
for the current i(t), that satisfies
i (t )  0 , t  10 ms
  2 A, 10  t  20 ms
 4 A, 20  t  40 ms
 0, t  40 ms

• Answer:
 2 u ( t  0 . 01 )  6 u ( t  0 . 02 )  4 u ( t  0 . 04 ) A
Exercise:
• Square wave

First Pulse Second Pulse Third Pulse

 The Step Response
• the response of a circuit having only one input
which is a unit step function.
• can be a voltage or current
• initial energies are zero -   t  0

Graph of step function u(t-to)