Reference and Sense - Electronic Circuits III: Comparators and Interfaces Step by Step

A comparator compares two voltages, so the two input nodes must be computed before the decision. Exact arithmetic here means exact results for the stated model inputs; measured inputs still carry uncertainty and significant-figure limits.

highlighted = computed this step

The reference divider makes a fixed node

The reference divider uses equal resistors, so its output is 6 volts.

V_{\text{ref}} = 6\ \text{V}

The sensed divider makes a higher node

The sensed divider output is 8 volts.

V_{\text{sense}} = 8\ \text{V}