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Small-signal model
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<p>Small-signal modeling is a common analysis technique in <a href="/facts/Electronics_engineering/WCSVulpu">electronics engineering</a> used to approximate the behavior of <a href="/facts/Electronic_circuit/IRfQ6Cc2">electronic circuits</a> containing <a href="/facts/Nonlinear_device/CenJ4IkU">nonlinear devices</a> with <a href="/facts/Linear_equations/JfCgALwf">linear equations</a>. It is applicable to electronic circuits in which the AC <a href="/facts/Signal_(electrical_engineering)/41YqUJ8c">signals</a> (i.e., the time-varying currents and voltages in the circuit) are small relative to the DC <a href="/facts/Bias_(electrical_engineering)/lK0e6hbK">bias</a> currents and voltages. A small-signal model is an AC <a href="/facts/Equivalent_circuit/IxE5vpGR">equivalent circuit</a> in which the nonlinear circuit elements are replaced by linear elements whose values are given by the first-order (linear) approximation of their characteristic curve near the bias point. </p>