Vishay Launches Z-Foil Surface-Mount Current Sensing Chip Resistor

Vishay Intertechnology has introduced its VCS1625Z high-precision Z-Foil surface-mount current sensing chip resistor. The device provides an industrial-grade absolute TCR of ±0.05ppm/°C from 0°C to +60°C and ±0.2ppm/°C from -55°C to +125°C, +25°C ref., a power coefficient ("ΔR due to self heating") of ±5ppm at rated power, and a tolerance of ±0.2%. While typical current sensing resistors offer a load-life stability of ≥0.5% through a 1000-hour workload, the VCS1625Z features an improved load-life stability of ±0.02% at +70°C for 2000 hours at rated power. The VCS1625Z resistor is built on Vishay's "Z- Foil" technology, which provides a significant reduction of the resistive components sensitivity to ambient temperature variations (TCR) and applied power changes (PCR). Z-Foil improves stability by an order of magnitude compared to any other resistor technology, allowing designers to guarantee a high degree of accuracy in fixed-resistor applications.



The device allows designers to achieve much better performance by combining a range of ultra-high-precision specifications in a single device. In addition to its low TCR, tight tolerance, and excellent load life stability values, the VCS1625Z offers a 0.5-W power rating at +70°C; current noise of <-40dB; and thermal EMF of 0.05μV/°C. The resistor features a non-inductive (<0.08μH), non-capacitive design, and a 4-Kelvin connection for increased accuracy. Typical applications for the VCS1625Z include precision current sensing, switching and linear power supplies, weigh scales, feedback circuits, precision voltage dividers, power management systems, and amplifiers in test and measurement instrumentation; laboratory, medical, and weapons systems; electron beam applications; satellites and aerospace systems; and commercial and military avionics. The samples and production quantities of the VCS1625Z are available now, with lead times of 72 hours for samples, and three weeks for standard orders.