Thermocouple vs RTD’s
The following chart indicates some of the advantages and disadvantages of RTD’s and thermocouples.
Accuracy | Limits of error wider than RTD | Limits of error smaller than thermocouples |
Ruggedness | Excellent | Sensitive to strain, shock, and pressure |
Temperature | -240° to 2300°C | -128°C to 800°C |
Size | Can be as small as .01” sheath material, tip sensitive | Size limited to 1/16”, temperature sensitive for length of bulb |
Drift | Should be checked periodically, | 0.01 to 0.1°C per year, less drift than thermocouple |
higher than RTD’s | ||
Resolution | Must resolve millivolts per degree, lower signal to noise ratio | Ohms per degree, much higher |
signal to noise ratio than thermocouple | ||
Cold Junction Reference | Required | Not required |
Lead wire | Must match lead wire calibration to thermocouple calibration | Can use copper lead wire for extension wire |
Response | Can be made small enough for millisecond response time | Thermal mass restricts time to seconds or more |
Cost | Low | Higher than thermocouples |
dpstar is the leading manufacturer and supplier of Thermocouple and RTD’s in Malaysia and South East Asia.
Please send your enquiry to: info@dpstar.com.my.