RTD Sensing Elements, Pt100, Thermistors
Platinum sensing RTD elements, Pt100, Pt1000 and more, thermistors and assemblies for industrial and laboratory use and more
Standard Accuracy Ceramic Wire Wound Platinum RTD Elements
High Accuracy Ceramic Wire Wound Platinum Pt100 Elements
Thin Film Platinum RTD Element (Pack of 5)
Individually Available Thin Film Platinum RTD Elements
Technical Learning
Differences Between 2, 3, and 4-Wire RTDs
Resistance Temperature Devices (RTDs) are widely used in industrial and commercial applications due to their accuracy and stability. However, RTD wire configuration can significantly impact measurement precision. Selecting the right configuration ensures optimal performance, minimizes errors, and enhances system reliability.
RTDs are typically manufactured in three different wiring configurations: 2-wire, 3-wire, and 4-wire. Each configuration is designed to compensate for lead wire resistance to varying degrees, impacting measurement accuracy. The 2-wire setup is the simplest but most susceptible to errors...
Origin Story of the RTD / Pt100
The same year (1821) that Thomas Seebeck made his discovery about thermoelectricity (Seebeck effect, see thermocouples), Sir Humphrey Davy announced that the resistivity of metals showed a marked temperature dependence. Fifty years later, Sir William Siemens proffered the use of platinum as the element in a resistance thermometer. His choice proved most propitious, as platinum is used to this day as the primary element in all high-accuracy resistance thermometers, Pt100, Pt1000 etc.
In fact, the Platinum Resistance Temperature Detector, or RTD Pt100, is used today as an interpolation standard from the oxygen point (-182.96°C) to the antimony point (630.74°C)...