6.002.

1x
Circuits and Electronics 1
Lumped Element Abstraction
Consider The Big Jump
from physics
to EECS
V

Suppose we wish to answer this question:

What is the current through the bulb?

Reading: Skim through Chapter 1 of A&L 7

 I?
We could do it the Hard Way
V
Apply Maxwells
Differential form Integral form

B B
Faradays E = E dl = t
t
q
Continuity J = J dS = t
t
q
Others E = E dS = 0
0 l
l
l l
l l 8
Instead, there is an Easy Way
First, let us build some insight:

Analogy

I ask you: What is the acceleration?

You quickly ask me: What is the mass?
I tell you:
You respond:

Done ! ! ! 9
Instead, there is an Easy Way
F a?

In doing so, you ignored

l the objects shape
l its temperature
l its color
l point of force application
l

Point-mass discretization

10
The Easy Way
Consider the filament of the light bulb.
A

We do not care about

l how current flows inside the filament
l its temperature, shape, orientation, etc.

We can replace the bulb with a

discrete resistor
for the purpose of calculating the current. 11
The Easy Way A

Replace the bulb with a B

discrete resistor
for the purpose of calculating the current.

12
The Easy Way
A
I
A + V
R I=
V R

B
B
In EECS, we do things
the easy way

R represents the only property of interest!

Like with point-mass:
F
replace objects with their mass m to find a =
m 13
V-I Relationship
A I
+ V
R and I=
V R

B
R represents the only property of interest!

R relates element V and I

V
I= called element v-i relationship
R
14
R is a lumped element abstraction for the bulb.

15
Lumped Elements

Lumped circuit element

described by its vi relation
Power consumed by element = vi

Resistor Voltage source

i i
+ i + i
v v +" "V
- -
v v
16
Demo Lumped element examples
whose behavior is completely
only for the
sorts of captured by their VI relationship.
questions we
as EEs would
like to ask!

Demo
Exploding resistor demo
cant predict that!
Pickle demo
cant predict light, smell
17
Not so fast, though
A

Bulb
B filament

Although we will take the easy way using lumped abstractions

for the rest of this course, we must make sure (at least for
the first time) that our abstraction is reasonable.

In this case, ensuring that V I

are defined for the element 18
I must be defined. I
A +
V

black box

19
 SA
I must be defined. True when IA
I into S A = I out of S B
q
True only when = 0 in the filament! SB
t
IB

q
I A = IB only if =0 So, are we stuck?
t
Were engineers! So, lets make it true! 20
 I
V Must also be defined. A +
V

VAB defined when

B B
=0
t
So VAB = AB E dl outside elements

e i x A .1
se ppend
A
A&L So lets assume this too!

Also, signal speeds of interest should be way lower than speed of light
21
Welcome to the EECS Playground
The world
The EECS playground
Our self imposed constraints in this playground
B Outside Where
=0
t good
q Inside elements things
=0 Bulb, wire, battery happen
t

22
 Lumped Matter Discipline (LMD)
Or self imposed constraints:

B
= 0 outside
t
q
More in = 0 inside elements
Chapter 1 t bulb, wire, battery
of A & L

Connecting using ideal wires lumped elements

that obey LMD to form an assembly results in
the lumped circuit abstraction 23
 So, what does LMD buy us?
Replace the differential equations with simple algebra using
lumped circuit abstraction (LCA).
a
For example:
R1 R4
R3
V+" b d
"
R2 R5

c
What can we say about voltages in a loop under the lumped matter discipline?

Reading: Chapter 2.1 2.2.2 of A&L 24

What can we say about voltages in a loop under LMD?
a

R1 R4
R3
V+" b d
"
R2 R5

Remember, this is not

Kirchhoffs Voltage Law (KVL): true everywhere, only in
our EECS playground
The sum of the voltages in a loop is 0. 25
What can we say about currents? a

R1 R4
R3
V+" b d
"
R2 R5

26
What can we say about currents? I ca
S
I da
a

I ba

Kirchhoffs Current Law (KCL):

The sum of the currents into a node is 0.

simply conservation of charge

27
KVL and KCL Summary
KVL:

KCL:

28
Summary Lumped Matter Discipline LMD:
Constraints we impose on ourselves to simplify our
analysis
B
t
=0 Outside elements
q
=0 Inside elements
t
wires resistors sources
Also, signals speeds of interest should be way
lower than speed of light
Allows us to create the lumped circuit abstraction

Remember, our EECS playground

29
Summary

i
+
v Lumped circuit element
-

power consumed by element = vi

30
Summary
Review
Maxwells equations simplify to algebraic KVL and
KCL under LMD.
KVL:
j j = 0
This is amazing!
loop
KCL:
jij = 0
node 31