Mobile Phone
+86 186 6311 6089
Call Us
+86 631 5651216
E-mail
gibson@sunfull.com

Five Most Common Types of Temperature Sensors

-Thermistor

A thermistor is a temperature sensing device whose resistance is a function of its temperature. There are two types of thermistors: PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) and NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient). The resistance of a PTC thermistor increases with temperature. In contrast, the resistance of NTC thermistors decreases with increasing temperature, and this type of thermistor seems to be the most commonly used thermistor.

 

-Thermocouple

Thermocouples are often used to measure higher temperatures and a larger temperature range. Thermocouples work on the principle that any conductor subjected to a thermal gradient produces a small voltage, a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect. The magnitude of the generated voltage depends on the type of metal. There are many types of thermocouples depending on the metal material used. Among them, alloy combinations have become popular. Different types of metal combinations are available for different applications, and users typically choose them based on the desired temperature range and sensitivity.

 

-Resistance temperature detector (RTD)

Resistance temperature detectors, also known as resistance thermometers. RTDs are similar to thermistors in that their resistance changes with temperature. However, instead of using special materials that are sensitive to temperature changes like thermistors, RTDs use coils wound around a core wire made of ceramic or glass. RTD wire is a pure material, usually platinum, nickel or copper, and this material has a precise resistance-temperature relationship that is used to determine the measured temperature. 

 

-Analog thermometer IC

An alternative to using thermistors and fixed value resistors in a voltage divider circuit is to simulate a low voltage temperature sensor. In contrast to thermistors, analog ICs provide an almost linear output voltage.

 

-Digital thermometer IC

Digital temperature devices are more complex, but they can be very accurate. Also, they can simplify the overall design because the analog-to-digital conversion happens inside the thermometer IC rather than a separate device such as a microcontroller. Also, some digital ICs can be configured to harvest energy from their data lines, allowing connections using only two wires (i.e. data/power and ground).


Post time: Oct-24-2022