THERMISTOR

PASSIVE COMPONENT
CIRCUIT SYMBOLS
2 types of Thesmistor:

– NTC(Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistor

reduce or decrease their resistive value as the operating
temperature increases.
– PTC(Positive Temperature Coefficient) thermistor
are resistors with a positive temperature coefficient,
which means that the resistance increases with
increasing temperature.
As can be seen from the figure, the NTC
thermistors have a much steeper resistance-
temperature slope compared to platinum
alloy RTDs, which translates to
better temperature sensitivity.
As can be seen from the figure, switching PTC
thermistors have a slightly negative temperature
coefficient up to the point of minimum resistance.
Above this point, it experiences a slightly positive
coefficient up to the moment it reaches it’s transition
temperature – TC. This temperature is called the
switch, transition or Curie temperature.
THERMISTOR FORMULA

𝑇2 𝑥 𝑇1 𝑅1
𝐵𝑇1/𝑇2 = 𝑥 𝑙𝑛
𝑇2 − 𝑇1 𝑅2
Where:
– 𝑇1 is the first temperature point in Kelvin
– 𝑇2 is the second temperature point in Kelvin
– 𝑅1 is the thermistors resistance at temperature T1 in Ohms
– 𝑅2 is the thermistors resistance at temperature T2 in Ohms
EXAMPLE:
A 10kΩ NTC thermistor has a B value of 3455 between the temperature range of
25 to 100oC. Calculate its resistive value at 25oC and at 100oC.
Giving the following two point characteristics graph of:
:
– these points can be plotted as shown to give a more accurate characteristics
curve for the 10kΩ NTC Thermistor which has a B-value of 3455.
Since the relationship between resistance and temperature
(the R-T curve) is highly nonlinear, certain approximations
have to be utilized in practical system designs.

– First Order of Approximation:

– Where k is the negative temperature coefficient, ΔT is the temperature

difference, and ΔR is the resistance change resulting from the change in
temperature. This first-order approximation is only valid for a very narrow
temperature range, and can only be used for such temperatures where k is
nearly constant throughout the whole temperature range.
Beta Formula
Another equation gives satisfying results, being accurate to ±1°C over
the range of 0°C to +100°C. It is dependent on a single material
constant β which can be obtained by measurements. The equation can
be written as:

– Where R(T) is the resistance at the temperature T in Kelvin, R(T0) is

a reference point at temperature T0. The Beta formula requires a
two-point calibration, and it is typically not more accurate than
±5°C over the complete useful range of the NTC thermistor.
Stein-Hart Equation
The best approximation known to date is the Steinhart-
Hart formula, published in 1968:

– Where ln R is the natural logarithm of the resistance at temperature T in Kelvin,

and A, B and C are coefficients derived from experimental measurements.
These coefficients are usually published by thermistor vendors as part of the
datasheet. The Steinhart-Hart formula is typically accurate to around ±0.15°C
over the range of -50°C to +150°C, which is plenty for most applications. If
superior accuracy is required, the temperature range must be reduced and
accuracy of better than ±0.01°C over the range of 0°C to +100°C is achievable.
Using a Thermistor to
Measure Temperature.
– As a thermistor is an active type of a sensor, that is, it requires an
excitation signal for its operation, any changes in its resistance as a
result of changes in temperature can be converted into a voltage
change.
– A constant voltage is applied across the resistor and thermistor
series circuit with the output voltage measured across the
thermistor.
– If for example we use a 10kΩ thermistor with a series resistor of
10kΩ, then the output voltage at the base temperature of 25oC
will be half the supply voltage.
Using a Thermistor to
Measure Temperature.
– As a thermistor is an active type of a sensor, that is, it requires an
excitation signal for its operation, any changes in its resistance as a
result of changes in temperature can be converted into a voltage
change.
– A constant voltage is applied across the resistor and thermistor
series circuit with the output voltage measured across the
thermistor.
– If for example we use a 10kΩ thermistor with a series resistor of
10kΩ, then the output voltage at the base temperature of 25oC
will be half the supply voltage.
Thermal Time Constant

– The thermal time constant indicates a time required for a thermistor to

respond to a change in its ambient temperature.
When the ambient temperature is changed from T1 to T2, the relationship
between the time elapsed during the temperature change t (sec.) and the
thermistor temperature T can be expressed by the following equation.

– τ (tau in sec.) in the equation denotes the thermal time constant.

Now, assuming t and τ (tau) are equal (t = τ), the equation can be
expressed as follows.

This shows that the constant τ (sec.) is defined as a time for the thermistor to reach
63.2% of the total difference between its initial and final body temperatures.
The thermistor body temperature does not reach its ambient temperature when a
time period defined by τ is elapsed.
The temperature change rate at n times the constant τ (sec.) is as follows, showing
that the thermistor body temperature reaches its ambient temperature
approximately within 7 times the constant.
Thank You 