Thick Film and Thin Film Chip Resistors
Film technology products have developed sufficiently to replacing older carbon resistors. There are two common film types, thick film and metal or thin film, with thick film being the most prolific type of resistor used in electronic devices. These devices may look...
Metal Foil Resistors
Metal foil resistors offer unmatched performance for the highest precision applications, without compromising on accuracy, stability or speed. They are constructed by adhering a metal alloy foil, usually nickel/chromium (Nichrome) with some additives,to a ceramic...
Power and Heat Sink Dimensioning
In any system where heat dissipation could affect the components’ performance, understanding power dissipation for the purposes of selecting the right heat sink is very important. Let’s take a closer look at the power dissipation of resistors. Standard Conditions for...
Using Resistors in Medical Applications
Medical electronics equipment is no longer just found in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ surgeries. Neither is its use restricted to qualified practitioners. Instead designs have become smaller, more portable and easier to use to the point where now appliances like...
Using Resistors in LED Lighting Applications
The efficient and reliable operation of LED lighting is dependent on the right choice of current-limiting resistor. Not all resistors are the same and growth in new markets like high-power LED lighting is serving to highlight the importance of understanding all...
Using Resistors in Power Supplies
The subject of power supplies is potentially very broad and the application of resistors in power supplies is quite diverse. Here we will focus on power supply units (PSUs) designed for use in electronic appliances that nominally require fixed DC outputs ranging from...
Active shunts: The smart way to measure high currents in industrial and automotive applications
Authors: Phil Ebbert - VP Engineering at Riedon, Inc. Krunal Maniar - Business Development Manager at Texas Instruments To control energy flow and optimize efficiency in high-power industrial systems such as motor drives,...
Using Resistors as Heaters
Power resistors and resistance heaters share many common design considerations. In both products, good thermal design ensures low thermal resistance between the element and the exterior environment. Both must be rugged and reliable. Power resistors are often used in...
Appendix – A Resistor Primer
Resistance Resistance is one of three basic quantities in electrical or electronic circuits: Current is the flow of electrons through a circuit. It is the principle quantity because it does work, and accomplishes the desired results. We measure current in Amperes....
Why Thin Film is the Better Choice for Precision Chip Resistors
The difference between thin and thick film make this a natural choice. It is recommended to use thin film technology rather than thick film for 0.1% tolerance or better high precision products for better resistance consistency. From the perspective of product...