Thermistors

Thermistors are temperature-sensitive resistors that change their resistance

value with temperature. There are two main types of thermistors: NTC
(Negative Temperature Coefficient) and PTC (Positive Temperature
Coefficient). NTC thermistors decrease their resistance as the temperature
increases, while PTC thermistors increase their resistance as the temperature
increases.

Thermistors are available in a variety of materials, sizes, and values. The most
commonly used today are the rectangular surface mount (SMD) thermistors,
but also the good old axial thermistor is still used extensively in through-hole
designs. The shape and size of surface mount thermistors are standardized, with
most manufacturers using the JEDEC standards. The size of SMD thermistors
is indicated by a numerical code, such as 0402. This code contains the length
and width of the package.

TDK Electronics is one of the leading manufacturers of thermistors and they

offer a wide range of SMD NTC thermistors for various applications. You can
search for the optimal NTC thermistors for you based on the characteristics of
the product and external dimensions. TDK also provides material data sheets
for their products which contain information about the materials used in their
products.

The size of axial thermistors is not as standardized as the SMD thermistors, and
different manufacturers often use slightly different dimensions. Furthermore,
the size of an axial thermistor depends on the power rating and the type of
thermistor such as NTC or PTC.