Cost-Effective Silicon Thermistors Get Into The High-Volume Act

April 12, 2004

A linear and highly accurate silicon family of thermistors, dubbed SiMISTOR, bears a price point that makes them available to high-volume cell-phone, computing, consumer, and industrial applications. At costs as low as 35 cents each, Andigilog's...

Roger Allan

The thermistors feature ±1°C accuracy at 25°C, just 0.8°C nonlinearity, and an extremely linear output ramp signal. They operate over the temperature range of −40°C to 125°C, run from a single supply of 2.7 V to 6 V, and consume just 14 µA (asM121/122) and 35 µA (asM120). Calibration is done during manufacturing. Also, the devices feature low self-heating of 0.2°C maximum in still air. Slope and offset choices are available for optimal system accuracy over temperature.

The asM120 operates with either a traditional series resistor or a current source and has a 2-V sensor offset at 0°C and an output temperature slope of 10 mV/°C. The asM121/122 don't require the resistor and have a specific pin for output temperature. They feature offsets and output temperature slopes of 500 mV and 600 mV at 0°C and 10 mV/°C and 15 mV/°C, respectively.

Each SiMISTOR thermistor comes in a plastic quad flat no-lead (QFN) package with a maximum height of 0.8 mm. The asM120 is a two-lead version (1.3 by 0.9 mm), and the asM121/122 are three-lead versions (1.2 by 1.5 mm). Samples are available now, and production begins in the second quarter.

In 1000-unit lots, pricing is $0.49 each for the asM120 and $0.35 each for the asM121/122. An evaluation kit comes at no additional cost.

Andigilog www.andigilog.com (602) 940-620

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About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.