Automotive grade shunt resistors reduce component counts and increase measurement accuracy

Vishay Intertechnology has introduced new Automotive Grade Power Metal Plate shunt resistors providing a 20W power rating in a 3939-sized package with Kelvin terminals. With high power density, the Vishay Dale hybrid-mount WFPA3939 and WFPB3939 are intended to release space, reduce component counts, and improve measurement accuracy in automotive, industrial and AMS applications.

The devices provide a construction that includes an improved thermal management design using a copper heat spreader, resulting in 20W power in the 3939 package size that keeps the superior electrical characteristics of the shunt construction. The AEC-Q200 qualified devices enable designers to employ a single high power resistor in place of multiple low power devices in parallel, decreasing measurement errors and board space demands, while allowing the design of smaller and lighter end products.

The devices offer a proprietary processing technique that provides remarkably low resistance values from 2mOhm to 8mOhm, with tolerances down to ±1%. The devices are excellent for all types of current sensing and pulse applications in automotive electronic power steering systems, brushless DC motor controls, and battery management for electric and hybrid vehicles; large motor drives, high power inverter/converter controls, and high power current sensing modules for industrial applications; and power supplies for instrumentation and AMS applications.

The resistors highlight a solid metal manganese-copper and nickel-chromium alloy resistive element with low TCR (±20ppm/C), low inductance values of <10nH, low thermal EMF down to < 2µV/C, and an operating temperature range of -65C to +170C. The devices are RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.