Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Temperature Errors in Linearizing Resistance Networks for Thermistors

  • Published:
International Journal of Thermophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is well known that a single negative-temperature-coefficient thermistor can be linearized over a narrow temperature range by connecting a single resistor in parallel with the thermistor. With the linearizing resistor properly chosen for the operating temperature, the residual errors are proportional to the cube of the temperature range and have a peak value of about \(0.2\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}\) for a \(30\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}\) range. A greater range of temperatures can be covered or greater linearity be achieved by cascading thermistor–resistor combinations. This paper investigates the limits of the linearity performance of such networks by using interpolation to model their behavior. A simple formula is derived for estimating the residual non-linearity as a function of the number of thermistors, the temperature range covered by the network, and the constant characterizing the exponential temperature dependence of the thermistors. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate the validity of the formula. Guidelines are also given for circuit topologies for realizing the networks, for optimizing the design of the networks, and for calculating the sensitivities to relative errors in the component values.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. C. Chen, Measurement 42, 1103 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. D.R. White, K. Hill, D. del Campo, C. Garcia Izquierdo, BIPM guide on secondary thermometry: thermistor thermometry, http://www.bipm.org/en/committees/cc/cct/publications-cc.html. Accessed 24 April 2015

  3. Seabird Electronics, Digital Oceanographic Thermometer SBE 38, http://www.seabird.com/pdf_documents/Datasheets/38BrochureApr09.pdf. Accessed 27 June 2013

  4. D.H. Sheingold, Non-linear Circuits Handbook (Analog Devices, Norwood, MA, 1974)

    Google Scholar 

  5. D. Patronis, S. Ghosh, C. Bakshi, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. IM-37, 66 (1988)

  6. B. Sundqvist, J. Phys. E Sci. Instrum. 16, 261 (1983)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Tegam Inc., Thermistor Thermometers Models 865 and 866, http://www.tegam.com/PDF_Files/Resources/TEG_865_866_DS.pdfdatasheet. Accessed 27 June 2013

  8. W.R. Beakley, J. Sci. Instrum. 28, 176 (1951)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. H.W. Trollander, in Temperature: Its Measurement and Control in Science and Industry, vol. 4, part 3, ed. by H.H. Plumb (ISA, Pittsburgh, 1972), pp. 2035–2049

  10. H.W. Trollander, R.W. Harruff, Extended range temperature sensing, US Patent 3,316,765, 2 May 1967

  11. Omega Engineering Inc., Linear thermistor components and probes, http://www.omega.com/Temperature/pdf/44200_44300_THERMIS_KITS.pdf. Accessed 27 June 2013

  12. C. Renneburg, T. Lehmann, in Proceedings of the 18th Conference on Circuit Theory and Design (2007). doi:10.1109/ECCTD.2007.4529745

  13. S.M. Sze, Physics of Semiconductors (Wiley, New York, 1981)

    Google Scholar 

  14. E.W. Cheney, Introduction to Approximation Theory (American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 1982), pp. 57–78

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. B. Gilbert, IEEE J. Solid State Circuits SC-33, 2 (1998)

  16. W.H. Press, B.P. Flannery, S.A. Teukolsky, W.T. Vetterling, Numerical Recipes (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986)

    Google Scholar 

  17. L.N. Lye, Linearized thermistor networks, U.S. Patent 3,652,921, 28 March 1972

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Dr. P. Saunders with helpful discussions and development of the non-linear fitting software.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand, Box 31310, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand

    D. R. White

Authors
  1. D. R. White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. R. White.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

White, D.R. Temperature Errors in Linearizing Resistance Networks for Thermistors. Int J Thermophys 36, 3404–3420 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-015-1968-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-015-1968-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation