1. Thermistor properties

Non-linear resistors are components whose electrical resistance varies non-linearly with a physical variable such as temperature, electric field or light. In this article, we'll confine ourselves to components whose non-linearity is essentially linked to the influence of temperature: NTC (negative temperature coefficient) and PTC (positive temperature coefficient) thermistors.

• NTC thermistor: ceramic material whose electrical resistance decreases exponentially and monotonically with temperature. In other words, the material's resistance has a negative temperature coefficient with temperature (figure 1 ).

• PTC thermistor: ceramic material whose resistance rises sharply...