Temperature Sensors
Thermistors, RTDs, thermocouples and digital ICs — how each measures temperature.
Easy
| Sensor | Range | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTC thermistor | −50 to 150 °C | ±0.5–1 °C | cheap, non-linear, very sensitive |
| RTD (Pt100/Pt1000) | −200 to 600 °C | ±0.1–0.3 °C | very stable, linear, needs excitation |
| Thermocouple (type K) | −200 to 1250 °C | ±1–2 °C | ~41 µV/°C, needs cold-junction compensation (MAX31855) |
| LM35 / TMP36 | −40 to 150 °C | ±0.5–2 °C | analog, 10 mV/°C |
| DS18B20, BME280 | −55 to 125 °C | ±0.5 °C | digital (1-Wire, I2C) |
NTC thermistors follow the Beta equation:
with in kelvin, the resistance at = 298.15 K (25 °C).
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