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Hacking Nodal and Loop Analysis

Oliver Morland

Jan 9, 2017
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Jan 9, 2017
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Would love it if someone could give me some general advice on this question:
How do you decide whether its best to perform a loop analysis, or a nodal analysis on a circuit problem?
I'm a first year EEE student at University Of Sheffield.
 

Ratch

Mar 10, 2013
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Would love it if someone could give me some general advice on this question:
How do you decide whether its best to perform a loop analysis, or a nodal analysis on a circuit problem?
I'm a first year EEE student at University Of Sheffield.

Easy. Count the number of loops and nodes. Then use whatever is the smallest number. Each loop or node takes an equation, so fewer equations is easier.

Ratch
 

OBW0549

Jul 5, 2016
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Jul 5, 2016
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Would love it if someone could give me some general advice on this question: How do you decide whether its best to perform a loop analysis, or a nodal analysis on a circuit problem?
It's largely a matter of preference; go with whichever method seems most intuitive and straightforward.
 

Laplace

Apr 4, 2010
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As someone who uses only nodal analysis for all problems, I may not be a good source of unbiased advice. However, back when I was a first-year student it was difficult to grok nodal analysis, so all problems were solved with mesh currents. But now I can just look at a circuit and write the node equations without much thought, and with 99.99%+ accuracy. So here is the advice I would have liked to have given myself: Forget what the professor said and find/devise a method for writing node equations that is intuitive to yourself. A non-intuitive method is the mind killer; it leads to conceptual errors and simple mistakes. When analyzing circuits with active devices, usually it is the signal voltages that are important (not currents) so calculate with node voltages. Test points in a production circuit are there for measuring voltages. Soon you'll be getting a symbolic algebra package (like Maple), so the most important analysis criteria is to get the system of equations correct the first time - practice looking at a schematic and typing the circuit equations directly into your algebra package until the method is flawless.
 

The Electrician

Jul 6, 2012
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Jul 6, 2012
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If you really want to become proficient, solve problems with both methods; this gives you much practice. Solving with a second method provides a valuable check for your results which I find gives more confidence in the answer than just redoing the problem with the same method.
 
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