Load line (electronics)

In graphical analysis of nonlinear electronic circuits, a load line is a line drawn on the current–voltage characteristic graph for a nonlinear device like a diode or transistor. It represents the constraint put on the voltage and current in the nonlinear device by the external circuit. The load line, usually a straight line, represents the response of the linear part of the circuit, connected to the nonlinear device in question. The points where the characteristic curve and the load line intersect are the possible operating point(s) (Q points) of the circuit; at these points the current and voltage parameters of both parts of the circuit match. The example at right shows how a load line is used to determine the current and voltage in a simple diode circuit. The diode, a nonlinear device, is in series with a linear circuit consisting of a resistor, R and a voltage source, VDD. The characteristic curve (curved line), representing the current I through the diode for any given voltage across the diode VD, is an exponential curve. The load line (diagonal line), representing the relationship between current and voltage due to Kirchhoff's voltage law applied to the resistor and voltage source, is Since the same current flows through each of the three elements in series, and the voltage produced by the voltage source and resistor is the voltage across the terminals of the diode, the operating point of the circuit will be at the intersection of the curve with the load line. In a circuit with a three terminal device, such as a transistor, the current–voltage curve of the collector-emitter current depends on the base current. This is depicted on graphs by a series of (IC–VCE) curves at different base currents. A load line drawn on this graph shows how the base current will affect the operating point of the circuit. The load line diagram at right is for a resistive load in a common emitter circuit. The load line shows how the collector load resistor (RL) constrains the circuit voltage and current.