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How To Specify A Custom Power Resistor

When a standard power resistor will not match the demands of a particular application a custom power resistor can be one solution. To ensure the resistor performs to specification over its full in service life close co-operation is required between the system design engineer and the application specific resistor manufacturer during the component design phase.

Why Resistors Fail Under High Energy Pulse Conditions

When trying to select the correct thick film resistor it is important to understand why resistors fail under pulse conditions. High energy pulses may occur in a wide variety of applications. They may be predictable or random events. It is important to understand the nature of the pulse event, the application and environmental conditions and select a resistor accordingly.

Thick film resistors fail under pulse conditions because they are unable to dissipate the heat generated in the resistor device by the electrical energy of the pulse.

Resistor Obsolescence And How To Spot Counterfeit Resistors

It may seem unlikely given their relatively low value compared to other components but counterfeit resistors continue to be a problem in the electronic component supply chain. Failure to spot a counterfeit device, before it is installed in the end equipment, can have catastrophic consequences.

How To Specify Custom Heater Resistors

Heater resistors are used in a wide variety of applications from simple demisting elements in car windscreens to complex medical applications where demand is increasing for custom heater resistors to satisfy the requirements of demanding and diverse medical applications. In this post, we discuss the information required by a specialist resistor manufacturer to design and deliver an application specific heater resistor.

Thick Film Bleeder Resistor Selection

A bleeder resistor is a safety device designed to prevent electric shock to system maintenance and service personnel. Correct bleeder resistor selection is vital to ensure electric charge stored in a system is dissipated when equipment is turned off. Bleeder resistors are common in power supplies, braking systems and many other power applications.

Thick Film High Voltage Resistors vs Wirewound - A Comparison

Two of the most common resistor technologies are thick film and wirewound. In this post we compare thick film high voltage resistors with their wirewound competitors discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Thick film high voltage resistors are manufactured by depositing a resistance film pattern onto a flat substrate (usually Alumina). The assembly is then fired at high temperature. The resistor elements are often applied in spiral patterns and consist of metal alloy or oxide particles, functional elements and a glass particle binder.

Network Resistor Design Considerations

To achieve maximum system performance, in a range of applications, resistor networks or arrays with low TCR, close ratio tolerances and long term in circuit stability are required. In this post, we consider the key network resistor design and manufacturing issues the system designer should consider.

Application Specific Power Resistor Manufacturing Limitations

When considering a custom resistor for any demanding application it is important to recognise resistor manufacturing limitations that may force design compromises.

Snubber Resistor Design For Motor Control Applications

The purpose of snubber circuits is the suppression of voltage spikes that otherwise may damage sensitive electronic components.

Thick Film Resistor In Radar Applications

RADAR systems may be complex but their operation relies on a range of relatively simple resistor components. Resistors are used in pulse forming, sensing, switching, current limiting and RF termination applications, among others.

In the late 1800’s Heinrick Hertz proved that radio waves travel in a straight line and are reflected by a metal object. In RADAR equipment a pulse of high frequency radiation is emitted, based on the time and direction of the returning pulse the distance and direction of a metallic object may be calculated.

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