Lecture 2-1.

Basic circuit elements

Yoonkey Nam

How do we use circuit models

in bioengineering field?

Excitable cell membrane model

Core-conductor model: axon model

Electrical model for single excitable fiber

Electrical stimulation of excitable cells

Electrode model:
Electrode-tissue interface

Instrumentation systems
Biological system

Body

Tissue

Cell

Biomolecules

Sensor

Analog circuits

Analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

Display

Control & Feedback

7

Digital signal
processing (DSP)

Data
storage

Digital-to-analog
converter (DAC)

LAN

Instrumentation for measurement

Brain / neurons
sensor
signal amplifier
signal filter
DAQ
DSP / Display

Instrumentation for stimulation

Electric signal

generator
actuator
nerve tissue

Both cases (measurement & stimulation)

can be further generalized

Brain / neurons

sensor

signal amplifier

Electric signal

generator

actuator

nerve tissue
signal filter

computer display

Try to divide into two parts ...

Two big parts: Source vs. Load

signal or energy

generating or supplying

parts
signal or

energy flow
signal or energy

receiving or consuming

parts

Can you model the following

cases with sources and loads?

Bioinstrumentation model
Source vs. Load
signal or energy

generating or supplying

parts

signal or

energy flow

signal or energy

receiving or consuming

parts

Pulse

generator

(source)

nerve

tissue

(load)

Some examples
Signal source and receiving or processing load

- Voice amplifying microphone system

- In ECG monitoring system, body is a ECG signal source and
amplifier/filter and display units are signal processing load

Energy source and consuming load

- MP3 player circuits and battery

- Power plant and buildings

- Beating heart and blood vessel network

- In DBS system, electrical pulse generator is delivering
sufficient electrical energy (source) to the surrounding nerve
tissues (load) which consumes the energy

Electronic devices and their symbols

Actives

Passives

Sources

Discretes

Independent sources
Provide current or voltage independently
These are popular symbols

Voltage

source

Current

source

DC source

AC source

Loads: Receive voltage or current signals and

consume energy

Can you name these ? Do you know how they look like?
17

A generic two-terminal network element

i(t)

Terminal 1
+
v(t) = v(terminal 1) - v(terminal 2)
Terminal 2

Two measurable quantities

Voltage

Current

dU
v(t) =
dq

dq
i(t) =
dt

1 V = 1 J/C

1 A = 1 C/sec

Energy per unit charge

Flow rate of electric charge

Conservation of charge

i1(t)

i2(t)
i1(t) = i2(t)
No net charge accumulation

Voltage and current sign convention

a

+ 3A is flowing from a to b

+

!

i(t)

= - 3A is flow from b to a

v(t)

!

+ 3A

b
Remember the sign convention

Remember the sign convention

If you write the voltage

between a and b as
vab = + v(t)

a
+

!

v(t)

!

i(t)

then the resulting current

convention should be
iab = + i(t)

v - i characteristics
Every circuit element impose some kind of
constraint between v(t) and i(t)
resistor (R)
capacitor (C)

v(t) = R i

1
v(t) =
C

di
v(t) = L
dt

inductor (L)

i(t)dt

More complicated devices

Transistor: Three terminal device !
(Collector)
(Collector)

IC
IB

(Base)

+

VCE

-

(Base)

+
VBE
(Emitter)

IC = IB
IC = IE

IE

(Emitter)
First, define v and i

Second, write a device equations

VBE > 0.7 (V)

Circuit elements, symbols, v-i relation

Resistor

Inductor

Capacitor
+

v(t) = R i(t)

di
v(t) = L
dt

dv
i(t) = C
dt

Resistance
Resistance

R: ohm []

line slope

v(t)

i(t)

v(t) = R i(t)

Conductance

G = R-1 [S]
For a given cross-sectional area(A),
length(L), and resistivity(), what is R ?

Resistor
Figure 224 Typical xed resistors.

Figure 227 Typical wirewound power resistors.

28

Variable resistors

Figure 235 Typical potenDometers and two construcDon views.

Why do we need a variable resistor?

Inductance
i(t)
+

!

v(t)

!

Current flow(i) at a coil induces

flux() by magnetic field
(t) = L x i(t)
L (inductance) : Henry [H]
d
di
v(t) = (t) = L
dt
dt

When time-varying current is applied, non-zero

voltage can be induced

Understanding the voltage drop at

inductor
Inductor is made of a metal wire

Ideal metal has zero resistance (R = 0)

For any constant current (i), v = R x i = 0

It is not possible to have non-zero voltage at the inductor
except the following special case:

Time VARYING CURRENT flow!

v = L x (di/dt)

Time varying current(i(t)) will make non-zero v!

Most common time-varying current is sinusoids: i(t) = A cos(wt)

Inductor

32

Figure 147 Some common types of transformers.

Capacitance

+

!

v(t)

!

i(t)

Q
C=
V
How much charge can be accumulated
at a parallel metal plate separated by a
dielectric, when a voltage is applied?

d
dv
i(t) = Q = C
dt
dt
When time varying voltage is
applied, non-zero current can flow

Understanding the current flow at

capacitor
Capacitor is made of two metal plates separate by insulating
materials (dielectric material such as air)

Ideal dielectric material has infinite resistance

For any constant voltage (v), i = v / R = 0

It is not possible to have non-zero current at the capacitor except
the following special case:

Time VARYING VOLTAGE!

i = C x (dv/dt)

Time varying voltage(v(t)) will make non-zero i!

Most common time-varying voltage is sinusoids: v(t) = A cos(wt)

Capacitor
Mica capacitor
r = 5.0
1 pF ~ 0.1 F
100 V ~ 2500 V (dc)
Figure 98 ConstrucDon of a typical radial-lead mica capacitor.

PlasDc-lm capacitor
polycarbonate, propylene,
polyester, polystyrene, ...
Less than 1 F (typical)
Max 100 F
Figure 912 Basic construcDon of axial-lead tubular plasDc-lm dielectric capacitors.

36

Ceramic Capacitors

r = 1200
1 pF ~ 2.2 F
Max 6000 V (dc)

Figure 910 Examples of ceramic capacitors.

Electrolyte Capacitors

Polarized
(+)/(-) leads
1 F ~ 200,000 F
Breakdown at 350 V

Variable capacitor

Figure 917 Trimmer capacitors.

Comments on R, L, C
Resistor: v = R x i

For a given terminal current, the voltage drop depends on the
resistance

Inductor: v = L x (di / dt)

For a given time-varying current, the voltage drop depends on the
inductance

Capacitance : i = C (dv / dt)

For a given time-varying voltage, the amount of current that flows in
the terminal depends on the capacitance

In one aspect, R, L, C all do similar thing!

They determine the current or voltage of the element

They determine(resist or impede) the current flow for a given
voltage

A strict concept of impedance will be introduced later in this course