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handbook of modern sensors

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478 16 Temperature Sensors<br />

Fig. 16.12. Transfer functions <strong>of</strong> PTC<br />

and NTC thermistors as compared with<br />

an RTD.<br />

sulting in a rise in resistance, <strong>of</strong>ten several orders <strong>of</strong> magnitude. A typical transfer<br />

function curve for the PTC thermistor is shown in Fig. 16.12 in a comparison with the<br />

NTC and RTD responses. The shape <strong>of</strong> the curve does not lend itself to an easy mathematical<br />

approximation; therefore, manufacturers usually specify PTC thermistors<br />

by a set <strong>of</strong> numbers:<br />

1. Zero power resistance, R 25 ,at25 ◦ C, where self-heating is negligibly small.<br />

2. Minimum resistance R m is the value on the curve where the thermistor changes<br />

its TCR from positive to negative value (point m).<br />

3. Transition temperature T τ is the temperature where resistance begins to change<br />

rapidly. It coincides approximately with the Curie point <strong>of</strong> the material. A typical<br />

range for the transition temperatures is from −30 ◦ Cto+160 ◦ C (Keystone Carbon<br />

Co.).<br />

4. TCR is defined in a standard form:<br />

α = 1 R<br />

R<br />

T . (16.38)<br />

The coefficient changes very significantly with temperature and <strong>of</strong>ten is specified<br />

at point x (i.e., at its highest value), which may be as large as 2/ ◦ C (meaning the<br />

change in resistance is 200% per ◦ C).<br />

5. Maximum voltage E max is the highest value the thermistor can withstand at any<br />

temperature.<br />

6. Thermal characteristics are specified by a thermal capacity, a dissipation constant<br />

δ (specified under given conditions <strong>of</strong> coupling to the environment), and a thermal<br />

time constant (defines speed response under specified conditions).

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