RTDs
Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) are a type of temperature sensor that operates on the principle that electrical resistance of a material changes with temperature. The sensing element in RTD temperature sensors is typically made from a pure material, most commonly platinum, due to its linear resistance-temperature characteristics and its high positive temperature coefficient, meaning that its resistance increases with temperature.
There are two main types of RTDs: wire-wound and thin-film. Wire-wound RTDs consist of a fine wire wrapped around a ceramic or glass core. Thin-film RTDs, on the other hand, consist of a very thin layer (thin film) of platinum deposited on a ceramic substrate, forming a resistance wire in an electrical circuit pattern. Thin-film elements are generally more robust and less susceptible to mechanical strain than their wire-wound counterparts, and their manufacturing process allows for mass production, which makes them more economical.
RTDs have a wide temperature range and offer high accuracy for temperature measurements, which makes them ideal for a variety of industrial applications. They are, however, more expensive and complex to use than other types of temperature sensors, such as thermocouples.
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