New Industry Products

Resistors for Current Sensing and Pulse Applications

September 14, 2016 by Jeff Shepard

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. today announced a new surface-mount Power Metal Strip® current-sense resistor with an extended power rating of 1.0W in the compact 0612 case size. For increased measurement accuracy, the Vishay Dale WSKW0612 features a welded copper terminal construction and a Kelvin 4-terminal connection that reduces TCR down to 75 ppm. The device offers low resistance values down to 0.001Ω to minimize excess power dissipation and improve end product efficiency.

Providing 4x the power of standard resistors in the 1206 footprint, the resistor released today allows designers to save board space and reduce costs by utilizing fewer and smaller components. The WSKW0612's welded terminals reduce terminal resistance for higher accuracy than clad or electroplated terminals, while the low TCR provided by its 4-terminal connection reduces system measurement errors compared with typical 2-terminal devices.

The device's advanced construction incorporates a solid metal nickel-chrome and manganese-copper resistive element with low TCR (<20 ppm/ degree C). This results in a pulse-withstanding, tight-tolerance resistor that maintains the superior electrical characteristics of the Power Metal Strip construction. A proprietary processing technique produces extremely low resistance values ranging from 0.001Ω to 0.003Ω, with tolerances of ±1.0% and ±5.0%. The device provides low thermal EMF (<3μV/ degree C) and a temperature range from -65 to +170 degrees C.

The WSKW0612 is suited for all types of current sensing and pulse applications in power management for cell phones; dc-dc converters for servers, voltage regulator modules for laptops, and Li-ion battery safety and management; industrial instrumentation and air conditioning inverters; and automotive electronic control such as engine, transmission, anti-lock brakes, audio, and climate controls. The device is RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.

Samples and production quantities of the new resistor are available now, with a lead time of six to eight weeks for larger orders.