Negative resistance curve tracer

Tracing the negative resistance characteristics of 2-terminal and 3-terminal devices often ended in failure due to jump phenomenon, hysteresis, and oscillation resulting from the tracing circuit. All of these problems are overcome in the curve tracer described in this paper. A detailed nonlinear dynamic circuit analysis is used to develop a simple method for quenching oscillations and other exotic phenomena. Our curve tracer is designed to trace either voltage-controlled or current-controlled negative resistance characteristics of both 2-terninal and 3-terminal devices. All six representations which completely characterized a 3-terminal or 2-port nonlinear resistor are allowed. In particular, using a novel approach for implementing a nullator and norator, transmission (chain) characteristics of 3-terminal and 2-port devices have been successfully traced for the first time.