EEB 311/331: ELECTRICAL NETWORK THEORY
LABORATORY NO. 1: TRANSIENT RESPONSE
The goal of this laboratory is to reinforce your understanding of the transient response of DC circuits. We
will accomplish this using series and parallel RLC circuits. For each of these tasks, except Task No. 4,
you must develop an analytic expression for the voltage or current, demonstrate your analytic result
matches your Multisim simulation of the circuit. You can reference results in your textbook or other
textbooks. However, be sure to include enough details that the analysis can be understood.
In your lab report, include a description of your analysis, plots of the expected outcomes, and plots of
what you observe. The lab should be done individually and you have submit all the multisim files.
Task 1: Series RC and RL Circuits
Assume the switch, S1, is closed at t = 0. Following the steps
above, design the circuit shown in Figure 1 (e.g., find the
values of R1 and C1) such that the voltage across the capacitor,
VC1 reaches 90% of its final value within 100 msec. Plot the Figure 1. A series RC circuit is shown.
resulting voltage as a function of time for the range [0, 1 sec], Assume zero initial conditions.
validating your design.
Similarly, for the circuit shown in Figure 2, design the circuit
such that the current through the inductor, I L1, reaches 90% of
its final value within 100 msec. Plot the resulting current as a
function of time for the range [0, 1 sec].
Task 2: Parallel RC and RL Circuits
Figure 2. A series RL circuit is shown.
Assume zero initial conditions.
Repeat the steps in Task No. 1 for the parallel RC and RL
circuits shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4. Assume the switch, S1,
has been connected for a very long time and is opened at t=0.
As before, plot the voltage across the capacitor and the current
through the inductor.
Task 3: Series and Parallel RLC Circuits
In Figure 5 and Figure 6, series and parallel RLC circuits are
shown. In lecture, we discussed that each of these circuits can Figure 3. A parallel RC circuit is shown.
exhibit three types of behavior: Case 1: overdamped; Case 2: Assume switch S1 has been connected for
underdamped; and Case 3: critically damped. For this task, we a long time and is opened at t=0.
will focus on the voltage across the capacitor. Again, we will
use a 90% criterion: design the circuit so that the voltage
reaches 90% of its final value at 100 msec.
However, repeat this process for each of the three cases for each
circuit. Plot your results in a way that clearly demonstrates you
have met your design constraints. For the underdamped case,
Figure 4. A parallel RL circuit is shown.
use the envelope of the waveform for the 90% criterion.
Assume switch S1 has been connected for
a long time and is opened at t=0.
Lab No. 9: Transient Response Page 2 of 2
Figure 5. A series RLC circuit is shown. Assume zero
initial conditions and that switch S1 is closed at t=0. Figure 6. A parallel RLC circuit is shown. Assume
switch S1 has been connected for a long time and is
opened at t=0.
Task 4: Impulse Response
For this task, we will use the design of your circuits in Task No. 3 that achieves an underdamped
response. Replace the combination of the voltage source, series resistance and switch with a pulse
generator. Generate a periodic pulse train that has a frequency of 1 second and a duty cycle of 10% (e.g.,
switches from 0 to 1 V at t=0, and holds that value for 100 msec, then repeats this every 1 second).
Finally, analyze and explain the results you are seeing. Do they make sense? If so, why? Explain these
results in qualitative terms, but use the knowledge you have gained from the first three tasks to explain
how the components are charging, discharging, and corrupting the pulsed input.
Summary:
In this laboratory, we have demonstrated how to characterize the transient behavior of circuits. We have
demonstrated very simple, but useful configurations of RC, RL and RLC circuits.
In Task No. 4, we have given you a glimpse of things to come. The pulse train you are applying to the
circuit could very well represent the problem of transmitting a digital signal over a long cable or
equivalent communications channel. The circuit can be viewed as a filter and can represent a model of
how the communications channel distorts the pulse. What can we do to overcome this? What aspects of
the pulse cause the distortion?
In EEB 331 (this course), you will also learn that as we shorten the duration of the pulse and increase its
amplitude the output you are observing, in the limit, becomes the circuit’s impulse response. We can
determine a lot about the behavior of the circuit from its impulse response (including the frequency
response of the system). The methods for measuring the impulse response (Task No. 4) and the step
responses (Tasks No. 1-3) are very practical ways to measure and characterize the behavior of a circuit or
system.
Your submission should be a complete lab report.
