Team Chuabacca

Members: Justine Ebersole and Adam McBride
Adviser: Dr. Christopher Elmer
Shepherd University


Welcome to Team Chuabacca's home page for Chua's Circuit Research. Chua's Circuit is a simple, yet wonderful demonstration of classic chaos theory behavior. Created back in 1983 by Leon Chua, the circuit has become a paradigm around the world.



Image taken from:   http://www.esat.kuleuven.be/sista/chaoslab/pictures.html



There are three main components required to construct the chaos-producing device:
  1. Three or more energy-storing elements
  2. At least one active resistor
  3. At least one nonlinear element

The real beauty of the circuit is that it is created from easy to obtain, off the shelf components. These are readily made available at any Radio Shack or through an electronics catalog.

  • Energy Storing Components - For our project we will use capacitors.
  • Resistor - In our circuit we will use a combination of fixed and variable resistors. One Variable resistor will allow us to change a parameter in the active circuit and see the chaotic behavior
  • Nonlinear Element - The circuit board contains this nonlinear element, but what is it really? Well quite simply it's a couple resistors and an operational amplifiers arranged in a specific way to give us this nonlinear behavior.
        *Note about the Nonlinear Element - Typically referred to as Chua's Diode, there are a number of ways to create the necessary behavior. Our team just happens to use an Op. Amp approach.