Current resistors aren’t some new components in the market since they have been used in the past, and they are two-terminal passive components. High power resistors may look simple from the way they look, but you would know they are complicated when time to select the best comes. Among the several considerations when buying power resistors are their specifications.
If you thought that the power resistors are just used for only one or two purposes, it’s crucial to know they have several roles they play. One of the uses of power resistors is ensuring the current is limited as per the power requirements and that voltages are properly balanced. Many of the power resistors sold in the market are also effective in rhythm time control, signal attenuation, and capacitor bleeding.
You may be stuck and fail to know the type of power resistors you should choose if you were not able to get the right resistance values to guide you. You shouldn’t be among the people who don’t give power rating more attention when buying power resistors since this would cost you afterward. Some power resistors aren’t able to handle certain dissipation levels, and most of the people who experience this challenge are those who don’t read the gadget’s specifications.
Pulse loads matter a lot when buying power resistors, but it’s unfortunate that most people don’t give it much attention. Application sensitivity matters a lot when buying power resistors, and that’s why you shouldn’t pay for them before you have gone through their specified pulse performance. The power in some power resistors may fluctuate from time to time, and the only way to maintain its average level is by keeping the pulse levels and also duty cycles within the correct measures.
Self-heating or even heat from some other sources can cause the changes that a power resistor may have. If you care too much about the cost and probably go for the cheap power resistors, you may only realize that they provide inaccurate readings when you have already installed them. The temperature coefficient of resistance is a critical aspect to bear in mind when buying power resistors, and it’s recommended that you go the ones with low TCR.
Cooling the power resistors regularly is a highly recommended practice since it prevents these resistors from being defective after self-heating for a long time. It’s good to know how passive convection is important in the power resistors, it’s more effective if forced air is used. Any form of obstruction like the larger components is not allowed along the path where the cooling air would flow through. If the power resistors you get depend on the current levels and power, they may fail when unexpected.