Potentiometer history process and its types

Potentiometer is a kind of adjustable electronic component. Its English word is rheostat. Rheostat consists of a resistor body and a rotating or sliding system. When a voltage is applied between two fixed electric shocks of the resistor body, the position of the contact on the resistor body is changed by rotating or sliding the system, and a position of the movable contact can be obtained between the movable contact and the fixed contact. Certain relationship voltage. Potentiometer is essentially a sliding rheostat, there are several styles, generally used in the speaker volume switch and laser head power size adjustment.

Potentiometer development history:

The earliest potentiometers date back to the Wheatstone variable resistors of 1843, which are used primarily to regulate or control the current.

In the 20th century, radio appeared in the 1920s. Under the guidance of electron-based electronic devices, variable resistors or potentiometers had a synthetic carbon film type and wirewound type, in which the wirewound potentiometer was able to dissipate large power and High reliability in high voltage circuits.

In the 40's, precision potentiometers with precise linear laws were developed and used exclusively for electronic analog computers.

The appearance of transistors in the 1950s required potentiometers to develop in the direction of low resistance and low contact noise to accommodate transistor circuits. Because the transistor circuit is for current amplification, the tube circuit is for voltage amplification.

Later, the development of high-impedance solid-state electronic devices made potentiometers develop in the direction of high resistance and low contact resistance. At this time, high power became less important. Solid state electronic devices, due to their low circuit losses, allow the use of larger trimming potentiometers.

Until the 1960s, the United States developed a conductive plastic potentiometer. At present, further improvements are being made in the use of new plastic materials and process technologies. Now conductive plastic potentiometers are mainly used in LSI and digital instrument products, and gradually enter the automotive industry. In the UK, a number of new conductive polymers have been developed specifically for conductive plastic potentiometer tracks, some of which have successfully passed the British BS CECC test standard. Japan and other countries are also actively conducting the development of conductive polymers to further improve the quality of conductive plastic potentiometers and reduce their manufacturing costs.

Potentiometer type:

Wirewound potentiometer: with high precision, good stability, low temperature coefficient, reliable contact and other advantages, and high temperature resistance, power load capacity. Disadvantages are that the resistance range is not wide enough, the high frequency performance is poor, the resolution is not high, and the high resistance value of the wirewound potentiometer is easy to break, the volume is larger, and the price is higher.

Synthetic carbon film potentiometer: It has the characteristics of wide resistance range, good resolution, simple process and low price, but it has large dynamic noise and poor moisture resistance.

Organic solid potentiometer: wide resistance range, high resolution, good heat resistance, strong overload capacity, good wear resistance, high reliability, but poor resistance to hot flashes and dynamic noise.

Conductive plastic potentiometer : Wide resistance range, high linear accuracy, high resolution, and long wear life.

Metal glass glaze potentiometer : It has the advantages of organic solid potentiometers, and its ability to withstand temperature, humidity, and load impact has been improved, and it can work reliably under harsh environmental conditions.