Current-voltage characteristic

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A current-voltage characteristic is a chart showing the relationship between the DC current through an electronic device and the DC voltage across its terminals. Electrical engineers use these charts to determine basic parameters of a device and to model its behavior in an electrical circuit. Engineers commonly refer to characteristic chart as I-Vs after the standard symbols for current and voltage.

The transconductance and Early voltage of a transistor are examples of parameters traditionally measured with the assistance of an I-V chart, or laboratory equipment that traces the charts in real time on an oscilloscope.

The simplest example involves a resistor. According to Ohm's Law there is a linear relationship between the applied voltage and the resulting electrical current which is augmented by environmental factors such as temperature or material characteristics of the resistor to produce a non-linear curve.


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