Thin film precision resistors have become core components in many fields with strict requirements for electronic parameters due to their high precision, low temperature drift, low noise, high stability, and good high-frequency characteristics. Its main application scenarios include:
High precision testing and measuring instruments:
Core function: It constitutes the reference voltage source, precision voltage divider, gain setting network, current detection, and signal conditioning circuit inside the instrument.
Application examples: digital multimeter, high-resolution oscilloscope, precision power supply, signal generator, data acquisition system, semiconductor parameter analyzer, etc.
Requirement: The extremely high measurement accuracy directly depends on the absolute accuracy and long-term stability of the resistance value. The low-temperature drift coefficient ensures accurate readings of the instrument at different ambient temperatures. The low noise characteristic ensures the signal-to-noise ratio of weak signal measurement.
Medical electronic devices:
Core function: Used for precision signal processing, sensor excitation, and signal conditioning in vital sign monitoring, diagnostic imaging equipment, and treatment equipment control circuits.
Application examples: electrocardiograph, electroencephalograph, blood glucose meter, blood analyzer, ultrasound equipment, X-ray machine control unit, implantable medical equipment (with extremely high requirements for stability and size), etc.
Requirement: High reliability and stability are crucial for patient safety. Accurate signal amplification and processing are crucial for the accuracy of diagnostic results. Low noise ensures the clarity of weak bioelectric signals. Usually, it is also necessary to meet biocompatibility and strict medical certification requirements.
Industrial Automation and Process Control:
Core function: Used in feedback control circuits, signal conversion, current detection, and setpoint adjustment in PLC modules, sensor transmitters, motor drivers, temperature controllers, and precision power supplies.
Application examples: high-precision pressure/temperature/flow transmitters, servo drive current detection, programmable logic controller analog I/O modules, industrial robot control systems, etc.
Requirement: Industrial environments often have temperature fluctuations, vibrations, and electromagnetic interference, requiring resistors to have excellent stability and reliability. Precision control circuits require low-temperature drift and high-precision resistors to ensure control accuracy and repeatability.
Aerospace and Defense Electronics:
Core role: Used in flight control systems, navigation systems (such as inertial navigation), radar systems, communication equipment, key signal chains in satellite payloads, filtering networks, precision attenuators, and power management.
Application examples: airborne computers, missile guidance systems, satellite communication repeaters, radar receiving front-end, avionics testing equipment, etc.
Requirement: Ultra high reliability and long-term stability under extreme environments (wide temperature, vacuum, radiation, high vibration) are the primary requirements. The low-temperature drift coefficient is particularly important for environments with drastic temperature changes. High precision and excellent high-frequency performance are the cornerstone of high-performance systems.
Communication infrastructure:
Core function: Used for impedance matching, power detection, bias networks, filters, and attenuators in base station equipment, optical network equipment, RF front-end modules, and testing equipment.
Application examples: 5G/6G base station transceiver unit, microwave RF module, fiber optic transceiver, network analyzer, spectrum analyzer, etc.
Requirement: High frequency applications require resistors to have excellent frequency response (low parasitic inductance and capacitance) and stable RF performance. The power detection circuit requires high-precision resistors to achieve accurate power measurement. The stability of the system requires resistors to have low noise and good long-term reliability.
Automotive electronics (high-end and new energy fields):
Core function: Used for signal conditioning, current detection (especially precision current diversion under high current), sensor interface, and reference voltage generation in advanced driving assistance systems, battery management systems, engine control units, and precision sensors.
Application examples: Battery cell voltage monitoring and current detection in electric vehicle BMS, laser radar/millimeter wave radar signal processing, high-precision position/pressure/temperature sensor interfaces, high-end in car infotainment systems, etc.
Requirement: The automotive environment has a wide temperature range and high vibration, requiring high reliability and low temperature drift. The high-voltage and high current detection of new energy vehicles requires high-precision and low temperature coefficient shunt resistors (often metal foil, but thin film technology is also developing). Safety critical systems require extremely high precision and stability of components.
High end audio equipment:
Core function: Used for professional audio interfaces, high fidelity amplifiers, digital to analog/analog-to-digital converters, I/V conversion in mixing consoles, gain setting in amplification stages, voltage divider networks, and filters.
Application examples: studio grade ADC/DAC, HiEnd grade headphone amplifier/power amplifier, professional mixing console channel bar, etc.
Requirement: Extremely low current noise and voltage noise are key to ensuring high signal-to-noise ratio and pure sound quality. Accurate resistance matching is crucial for the balance of stereo channels. Low temperature drift ensures consistent performance of the equipment at different operating temperatures. Good linearity reduces distortion.
The core value of thin film precision resistors lies in their excellent precision, stability (time/temperature), and low noise performance. Therefore, it is widely used in high-end electronic systems and instrument equipment where signal integrity, measurement accuracy, system reliability, or control accuracy are key factors for success. With the continuous improvement of electronic performance requirements due to technological development, the application scenarios of thin film precision resistors are still expanding.