New Industry Products

4-Terminal 3W 0.001Ω Current-Sense Resistors in 1216 Case

November 17, 2016 by Jeff Shepard

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. today announced a new surface-mount Power Metal Strip® current sense resistor that provides a high power rating of 3W in the compact 1216 case size. The Vishay Dale WSK1216 features a Kelvin 4-terminal connection for increased measurement accuracy, while its extremely low resistance of 0.001Ω minimizes power losses to improve end product efficiency.

Providing a power density of 260 W/in², the WSK1216 allows designers to save board space in high-power circuits by utilizing the smallest resistor possible. The device's 4-terminal connection enables higher accuracy and a reduction in system errors compared with a 2-terminal device due to decreased temperature dependency.

The WSK1216's advanced construction incorporates a solid metal manganese-copper alloy resistive element with low TCR (< 20 ppm / degree C) and tolerances down to 1%. This results in a higher-power resistor in a smaller size that maintains the superior electrical characteristics of the Power Metal Strip construction. A proprietary processing technique produces a resistance value of 0.001Ω. The device provides low thermal EMF (< 3μV / degree C), very low inductance down to 0.5nH, a temperature range from -65 to +170 degrees C, and a maximum solder temperature up to 350 degrees C for 30 seconds.

The resistor released today is suited for all types of current sensing, voltage division, and high pulse load applications in power management for automotive electronic controls such as engine, transmission, anti-lock brake, intelligent parking brake, audio, and climate controls; and inverter controls for down-hole test and measurement equipment and commercial HVAC systems. The device is RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.

Samples and production quantities of the WSK1216 are available now, with a lead time of six to eight weeks for larger orders. Pricing for U.S. delivery only starts at $0.15 per piece in 10,000-piece quantities.