THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
B. Sc. in Electrical & Computer Engineering

ECNG 1006
Laboratory Exercise 2
Natural Responses of RC,
RC, RL and RLC
Circuits

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Contents
1.

General Information ................................................................................................................ 3

2.

Lab Learning Outcomes .......................................................................................................... 4

3.

Pre-Lab .................................................................................................................................... 4

4.

3.1.

Required Reading Resources .......................................................................................... 4

3.2.

Pre-Lab Exercise............................................................................................................. 5

In-Lab ...................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1.

5.

In-Lab Procedure ............................................................................................................ 8

Post-Lab................................................................................................................................. 11
5.1.

Assignment ................................................................................................................... 11

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

List of Figures

Figure 1: Circuit to Produce the Natural Response of a RC circuit................................................ 6

Figure 2: Circuit to Produce the Natural Response of a RL Circuit ............................................... 6
Figure 3: Circuit to Produce the Natural Response of a RLC Circuit ............................................ 7
Figure 4: Switching circuit.............................................................................................................. 9

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

ECNG1006
Laboratory Project and Design I
http://myelearning.sta.uwi.edu/
Semester II; 2008 / 2009

1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Lab # :
Name of the Lab:

Lab Weighting:

10%

Delivery mode:

Lecture:

Lab:

Venue for the Lab:

Year 1 Laboratory

Lab Dependencies

The theoretical background to this lab is provided in ECNG1006

Theoretical content link:
Pre-Requisites ECNG 1012
Co- Requisites ECNG 1015
To undertake this lab, students should be able to:
Use basic laboratory equipment
Use the Matlab Simulation tool for the solution of differential
equations.

Recommended
prior knowledge
and skills:

Course Staff

Natural Responses of RC, RL and RLC Circuits

Estimated total hours for
completion of pre, in and post
lab exercises
Yes
Yes

Position/Role

9 hours

E-mail

Dr. Ronald De Four

Course Lecturer

Ronald.DeFour@sta.uwi.edu

Juliet Romeo-Joseph

Engineering Practice Coordinator

Juliet.Romeo@sta.uwi.edu

Adelle Joseph

Course Coordinator

Adelle.Joseph@sta.uwi.edu

Jeevan Persad

Lab Demonstrator

Jeevan Persad@sta.uwi.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

2. LAB LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the lab assignment, students will be able to:
1. Apply basic laboratory tools and a knowledge of the fundamental principles of
electrical and computer engineering to the behavior of energy storage
electronic components under ac as well as dc excitation in series RC, RL and
RLC circuits in order to:
a) observe their natural responses
b) determine their time constants
c) develop the voltage differential equations associated with these circuits
2. Apply mathematical simulation tools for the numerical solution of differential
equations. (Programming in Matlab and use of Eulers method for the
numerical solution of differential equations)

Cognitive
Level
Application

Application

3. PRE-LAB
Due Date:
Submission
Procedure:
Estimated time to
completion:

February 13, 2009 @ 4:00 pm

Submit to Ms. Adelle Joseph in the Power Simulation Lab
3 hours

3.1. Required Reading Resources

Inductors and capacitors have the ability to store electrical energy. It is important to determine
the voltages and currents that arise in circuits composed of resistors, and either inductors or
capacitors, when energy is released or acquired by the inductor or capacitor as a consequence of
an abrupt change in the DC voltage or current in the circuit. The description of the voltages and
currents in this type of circuits is done in terms of differential equations of first order as well as
second order (RLC).
The currents and voltages that arise when the energy stored in an inductor or capacitor is
suddenly released to the resistors in the circuit are referred to as the natural response of the
circuit. The behavior of these currents and voltages depend only on the nature of the circuit, and
not on external sources of excitation.

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

3.2. Pre-Lab Exercise

3.2.1.

Give a thorough explanation of the operation of the circuits in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

3.2.2.

Draw diagrams showing how you will connect the oscilloscope to measure the voltage
across the energy storage devices and the current flowing through these devices for
Figures 1, 2 and 3.

3.2.3.

Using the fact that the input square wave to the circuit switches the transistor from
saturation to cutoff, solve the voltage differential equations analytically for the voltage
across the capacitor in the circuit of Figure 1. Two solutions are required, one for the
transistor operating in the cutoff and the other in saturation region. The solutions must
be a function of the initial conditions.

Ignore the 100 resistors in the development of the differential equations.

3.2.4.

Solve the voltage differential equations analytically for the current in the circuit of
Figure 2. Two solutions are required, one for the transistor operating in the cutoff and
the other in saturation region. The solutions must be a function of the initial conditions.

3.2.5.

Solve the voltage differential equations analytically for the current in the circuit of
Figure 3. Find the solution for the transistor operating in the cutoff and the saturation
regions.

3.2.6.

Using all the solutions obtained for sections 3.2.3, 3.2.4 and 3.2.5, produce plots using
Matlab. Label these plots appropriately and print them. Walk with these plots for the lab
exercise.

3.2.7.

Explain the meaning of time constant and give examples of its usefulness.

3.2.8.

Determine the time constant of the circuits of Figures 1 and 2.

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Figure 1: Circuit to Produce the Natural Response of a RC circuit

Figure 2: Circuit to Produce the Natural Response of a RL Circuit

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, WEST INDIES
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Figure 3: Circuit to Produce the Natural Response of a RLC Circuit

4. IN-LAB
Allotted Completion 3 hours
Time:
1) One oscilloscope with a pair of required test leads.
Required lab
2) One function generator with a pair of leads not less than 30 cm
Equipment:
long.
3) One power supply with a pair of leads about 30 cm long.
4) One multimeter with leads
5) One solderless breadboard
6) One LCR meter
7) Resistors (3 x100 , 1 x 5k, 1x10k,)
8) Capacitors (1 x 0.0.022F , 1 x 0.0.011F )
9) Inductors (1 x 0.5 H)
10) Transistor( 2N3904)

4.1. In-Lab Procedure

BEFORE YOU ENERGIZE A CIRCUIT, PLEASE HAVE IT CHECKED BY THE TA.
4.1.1.

Setting up the Circuit

i. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 4, with output terminals a and b open circuited.
Set the signal generator to produce a 2 Vpk-pk 1kHz square wave.

ii. Connect channels 1 and 2 of the oscilloscope to simultaneously display the input
waveform, Vs and the output waveform, Vab. If the Vab waveform does not reach to the
0V level when it swings from the 10V level, then gradually increase the magnitude of
Vs until it does so. This ensures that the transistor swings from off to the fully on state.

Lab # 2: Natural responses of RC, RL and RLC Circuits

Figure 4: Switching circuit

4.1.2.

RC Natural Response
i. Using the LCR meter, measure and record the value of the 10 k resistor and the 0.022
F capacitor.

ii. Connect the 10 k resistor in series with the 0.022 F capacitor across the output
terminals a and b as shown Figure 1. Using the oscilloscope, simultaneously display
Vab & Vc as well as Vab & Vr.
iii. Draw the general shape of the waveforms Vab & Vc then draw, Vab & Vr on separate
axes. Take note of the maximum and minimum points of the waveforms. Draw the
graphs on graph paper and label them appropriately.

iv.

4.1.3.

Repeat the above procedure for a resistor of 5 k and a capacitor of 0.011 F.

RL Natural Response
i. Using the RLC meter, measure and record the value of the inductor.

ii. Connect the 10 k resistor in series with the inductor across the output terminals ab as
shown in Figure 2. Using the oscilloscope, simultaneously display Vab & VL as well as
Vab & Vr.

Lab # 2: Natural responses of RC, RL and RLC Circuits

iii. Draw the general shape of the waveforms Vab & VL then draw, Vab & Vr on separate
axes. Take note of the maximum and minimum points of the waveforms. Draw the
graphs on graph paper and label them appropriately.

4.1.4.

RLC Natural Response

i. Connect the 10 k resistor in series with the 0.022 F capacitor and the inductor across
the output terminals ab as shown in Figure 3. Using the oscilloscope, simultaneously
display Vab & Vc, Vab & Vr, and Vab & VL. Observe the shapes of these waveforms.

ii. Draw the general shape of the waveforms Vab & Vc, Vab & Vr, and Vab & VL. Take
note of the maximum and minimum points of the waveforms. Draw the graphs on
graph paper and label them appropriately.

Proceed to post-lab exercise.

10

Lab # 2: Natural responses of RC, RL and RLC Circuits

5. POST-LAB
Due Date:
Submission
Procedure:
Deliverables:

Friday 6th March, 2009 @ 4 PM

Submit to Mr. Lawrence Hutchinson in the Year 1 Lab
 Signed Plagiarism Declaration Form
 Typewritten responses to the assignment questions ONLY, bound
in a folder.

5.1. Assignment
For the RC, RL and RLC circuits in Figures 1, 2 and 3:
5.1.1.

Determine the time constant.

5.1.2.

Provide an analytical solution of the circuit differential equation.

5.1.3.

Provide the following plots on the same graph and explain in detail any differences
among them.
a)

the current through the circuit obtained in the laboratory

b) the analytical solution of the differential equation for the circuit

c)
5.1.4.

the numerical solution of the differential equation of the circuit

Summarize your results in a discussion.

End of Lab # 2: Natural Response of

RC, RL and RLC Circuits

11