Editing Equivalent circuit (section)

{{short description|Theoretical circuit which behaves like a given circuit}}

In [[electrical engineering]], an '''equivalent circuit''' refers to a theoretical [[electrical network|circuit]] that retains all of the electrical characteristics of a given circuit. Often, an equivalent circuit is sought that simplifies calculation, and more broadly, that is a simplest form of a more complex circuit in order to aid [[Network analysis (electrical circuits)|analysis]].<ref name="Johnson (2003a)">{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=D.H.|title=Origins of the equivalent circuit concept: the voltage-source equivalent|journal=Proceedings of the IEEE|year=2003a|volume=91|issue=4|pages=636–640|doi=10.1109/JPROC.2003.811716|hdl=1911/19968|url=http://www.ece.rice.edu/~dhj/paper1.pdf|hdl-access=free}}</ref> In its most common form, an equivalent circuit is made up of linear, passive [[Electrical element|element]]s. However, more complex equivalent circuits are used that approximate the nonlinear behavior of the original circuit as well. These more complex circuits often are called ''macromodels'' of the original circuit. An example of a macromodel is the Boyle circuit for the 741 [[operational amplifier]].<ref name=Dorf>{{cite book 
|author=Richard C. Dorf
|title=The Electrical Engineering Handbook
|year= 1997  
|publisher=CRC Press
|location=New York 
|isbn=978-0-8493-8574-2 
|pages=Fig. 27.4, p. 711
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qP7HvuakLgEC&q=741+op+amp+%22boyle+model%22&pg=PA710 
|no-pp=true}}
</ref>