BulkMetalFoilResistors

Current Sense

14 February 2011

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

CurrentSense
Theartofcurrentsensingcallsforavarietyofsolutionsbasedon
applicationrequirements
CurrentsensingisbestachievedwithaKelvinconnection,which
removestheunwantedinfluencesofleadresistanceandlead
sensitivitytotemperature
Otherrequirementssuchashighstabilityandshortthermal
stabilizationtimewhenthepowerchangesmaydictateaspecial
resistordesign
Highprecisionresistorsusedforcurrentsensingareusuallylow
ohmicvaluedevicessuitableforfourterminalconnections

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

CurrentSense
Twoterminals,calledcurrentterminals,areconnectedtoconduct
electricalcurrentthroughtheresistor,whilevoltagedropVis
measuredontheothertwoterminals,calledsenseorvoltage
dropterminals

AccordingtoOhmslawthesensedvoltagedropVdividedbythe
knownresistanceRgivesthesensedcurrentI

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

CurrentSense
Theaccuracyofmeasurementdependsonthestabilityofohmic
resistanceRbetweenthenodes,i.e.thepointsofconnectionofthe
senseleads
Sincethevoltageleadsfeedintoaninfiniteresistancecircuit(Zin)
thereisnocurrentflowingthroughthevoltageterminalsand
therefore,noIRdropinthevoltagesenseleads

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

WhyuseKelvinconnections?
Thisarrangement,calledaKelvinconnectionor4terminal
connection,isrequiredintheselowohmicvalueresistorsto
measureaprecisevoltagedropacrosstheresistiveelement
The4terminalconfigurationeliminatestheIRdroperrorvoltage
thatwouldbepresentinthevoltagesenseleadsifastandardtwo
terminalresistorwereused
Incurrentsenseresistorsthecontactresistanceandthe
terminationsresistancemaybegreaterthanthatoftheresistive
elementitselfsoleadconnectionerrorscanbesignificantifonlytwo
terminalconnectionsareused

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

WhyuseKelvinconnections?
Ofthecommonlyusedmethodsofmeasuringthemagnitudeof
electricalcurrent,thiscurrentsensingresistormethodprovidesthe
mostprecisemeasurement
AccordingtoOhmslaw,V=IR,thevoltagedropmeasuredacrossa
resistorisproportionaltothecurrentflowingthroughtheresistor
WiththeknownandstablevalueoftheresistanceR,thevoltage
dropsensedontheresistorindicatestheintensityofthecurrent
flowingthroughit(indirectmeasurement)

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

CurrentSensingApplications
Applicationsrequiringaccuracyandrepeatabilityunderstressconditions
suchasthefollowing:

Switchingandlinearpowersupplies
Precisioncurrentsensing
Powermanagementsystems
Feedbackcircuits
Poweramplifiers
Measurementinstrumentation
Precisioninstrumentationamplifiers
Medicalandautomatictestequipment
Satellitesandaerospacesystems
Commercialandmilitaryavionics
Testandmeasurementequipment
Electronicscales
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Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

CurrentControl
Currentcontrolrequirementscanbeeitherdynamicorsteadystate
andoneintuitivelyexpectsthesteadystaterequirementstohave
thesimplersolution
Dynamicrequirementsaremoredemandingbecausethecurrentis
constantlychangingandthetimeresponseofthecurrentsensing
resistoranditsattendantcircuitrymustbefastenoughtofollowthe
changes
Considerationsofaccuracy,temperaturesensitivityandshortorlong
termdriftmayallplayarollintheselectionofanappropriate
currentsensor

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

RealLifeCurrentSenseResistor
Assuminganidealcurrentsenseresistorthatdoesntchangeits
resistancevaluewhenthereisachangeinthemagnitudeofthe
currentorachangeinenvironmentalconditions,liketheambient
temperatureorselfheating,themeasuredvoltagedropwillyielda
precisevalueofthecurrent:I=V/R
Butwitharealliferesistor,suchasametalfilmresistorora
manganinbar,achangeincurrentintensity(andinthedissipated
power)willcauseachangeintheresistor'svaluewhichwillinvolvea
thermaltransientperiodtakingafewsecondsorlongertostabilize

Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

RealLifeCurrentSenseResistor
Therefore,thekeytoafastandprecisemeasurementofcurrentis
theuseofareallifecurrentsensingresistorwhichapproaches,as
closelyaspossible,anidealresistor
Thatis,aresistorthatisnotinfluencedbychangesinthemagnitude
ofthecurrentflowingthroughitnorbychangesinambient
temperatureoranyotherenvironmentalcondition

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Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

CurrentSensorsKeyFeatures
Temperaturecoefficientofresistance:
To0.05ppm/C(0 to+60C)
To0.2ppm/ C ( 55Cto+125C,+25C ref.)
Value range starts from 0.5 m
Kelvin connection
Resistance tolerance : from 0.01% (100 ppm)
Loadlifestability:to0.005%(70C,2000hatratedpower)
End of life tolerance (Total error budget): <0.1%

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Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

InherentCharacteristicsofFoilResistors
VFRresistorsarenotrestrictedtostandardvalues,specificasrequired
values(suchas100.1234 vs.100)canbesuppliedatnoextracostor
deliverytime
Electrostatic discharge (ESD): at least to 25 kV
Rise time: 1 ns, effectively no ringing
Thermalstabilizationtime<1s
(nominalvalueachievedwithin10ppmofsteadystatevalue)

Noninductive, noncapacitive design

Voltage coefficient: 0.1ppm/V
Current noise: 0.010 V RMS/V of applied voltage (< 40 dB)
Thermal EMF: <0.1 V/C
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Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

FoilCurrentSenseResistors

Foracompetelistofourcurrentsensorspleasereferto:
http://www.vishaypg.com/foilresistors/powercurrentsensors/

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Product/Division
Vishay Foil Resistors
Name

Forfurtherinformationpleasecontactour
ApplicationEngineeringdepartmentat:
foil@vishaypg.com
www.vishayfoilresistors.com
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