New Industry Products

1W Current Sense Resistor for Automotive and Computer Applications

July 01, 2015 by Jeff Shepard

A new surface-mount Power Metal Strip® resistor featuring a high 1 W power rating in the compact 0805 package size has been added by Vishay Intertechnology. Designed to save space in automotive and computer applications, the Vishay Dale WSLP0805...18 combines its high power-to-footprint-size ratio with extremely low resistance values down to 0.005Ω.

The advanced construction of the WSLP0805...18 resistor incorporates a solid metal nickel-chrome or manganese-copper alloy resistive element with low TCR (< 20 ppm/degree C). This results in a high-power resistor in the 0805 package size that maintains the superior electrical characteristics of the Power Metal Strip construction. The device’s small size allows it to replace larger current sensing resistors, saving space on the circuit board that in turn will enable smaller and lighter products for the consumer.

Offering eight times the power dissipation of other devices in the 0805 package size, the WSLP0805...18 is well-suited for all types of current sensing and pulse applications, including switching and linear power supplies, instruments, power amplifiers, and shunts in automotive electronic controls such as engine, transmission, audio electronics, and climate controls; and dc-dc converters for servers, VRMs for notebook computers, and Li-Ion battery safety and management. For increased reliability, a reduced CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatch with the PCB reduces the possibility of solder joint cracks resulting from thermal cycles.

Like all Power Metal Strip resistors, the device released today features an all-welded construction that contributes to its superior electrical performance. A proprietary processing technique produces extremely low resistance values ranging from 0.005Ω to 0.01Ω, with tight tolerances down to ± 1.0%. The WSLP0805...18 provides very low inductance of 0.5nH to 5nH, an excellent response to 50MHz, low thermal EMF (< 3 μV/degree C), and a temperature range from -65 to +170 degrees C. The lead (Pb)-free device is RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.

Samples and production quantities of the new resistor are available now, with lead times of six to eight weeks for larger orders. Pricing for U.S. delivery starts at $0.155 per piece in 10,000-piece quantities.