Ultra-precision current sense resistors deliver a wide operating temperature range

Rhopoint Components has announced the availability of Alpha Electronics’ RBF ultra-precision current sense resistor series from VPG Foil Resistors.

Current sense resistors (shunt resistors) are vital in electronic circuit design. They are specialised resistive components utilised to measure the amount of current flowing through a circuit, an essential parameter in many electrical systems.

Typical applications are renewable energy systems, including solar inverters and wind power monitors, power supplies and converters, pulse protection circuits and overcurrent detection, battery management systems, motor control applications and LED lighting.

The VPG Foil Resistors RBF series provides low resistances of between 0.01Ω and 1Ω, all in a small two-terminal flip-chip package (where the component is mounted upside down onto a substrate). This facilitates a more compact design and enhanced performance than conventional wire bonding methods. Flip chip technology is widely used in high-performance electronics due to its thermal and electrical performance advantages.

Employing VPG Foil Resistors’ Bulk Metal foil resistor technology, the resistors can provide low tolerances down to ±0.5% and a low TCR of ±10ppm/C (between -25C and +125C) within the resistance range of 0.1Ω to 1Ω.

The rise in temperature of the resistor surface can be optimised by using a metal board. This keeps the temperature rise very low, allowing an increased power rating of the parts, i.e., 2W at +70C.