Vishay Precision Group has announced that its Vishay Foil Resistors division has released the CSM3637P, a low-value current sense resistor with a power rating of 5W, maximum current handling up to 40A, and an absolute TCR of ±15ppm/°C maximum from -55 to +125°C. The resistance value range for the resistor is 3 to 100mΩ. According to the company, the power rating of the resistor is enabled by the installed heatsink on top of the resistive element, allowing better heat dissipation. The four-terminal device is also designed with its current leads separated from the voltage sensing leads, significantly reducing termination resistance, claims the company. The resistor's design in which the welded terminals make intimate contact with the chip enables a thermal EMF of less than 3μV/°C, thus minimising temperature differentials. The company claims that this construction reduces the "battery effect" or parasitic voltage, while protecting pure current-to-voltage conversion from such interference in DC applications. The resistor features a load-life stability of ±0.2% at +70°C for 2000h at rated power and a tolerance of ±0.1%. Its load-life stability makes it suitable for switching linear power supplies, power amplifiers, measurement instrumentation, bridge networks, and medical and test equipment.
