Introduction: Get to Know Chip Resistance

About: ElecFreaks is an open design house founded in March 2011. Our goal is to create rapid prototypes and give small-batch manufacture solution for makers and startups. With over 50% staff as engineers and expanded…

In our latest blog "How to identify Color Circle Resistance Value", we have talked about how to read color circle resistance value. Beside color circle resistance, there are more resistance categories. In this blog, we are going to know some chip resistances.

Step 1: Introduction

Chip resistance is a kind of SMD components. Chip resistance has characters of small volume, light weight, high installation density, strong shock resistance and anti-interference, good high frequency capability, etc.. It is widely used to computers, mobiles, electronic dictionaries, medical electronic products, videos, electronic power meters and VCD machines and so on.

Usually, SMD components can be divided into 3 forms: rectangular, cylindrical and abnormity. And according to category, it can be divided into resistance, capacitance, inductor, crystal transistors and small integrated circuit, etc.. The nominal method of SMD components is different from ordinary components. In the following article, we are going to talk about the nominal method of chip resistance.

Step 2: Category

1. Number Nominal Method (Frequently used for ordinary chip resistance)

Number Nominal Method is to mark 3 numbers on the surface of resistance body to show its resistance value. The first and second number are valid number, and the third number represents the quantity of "0" behind valid numbers. And the third number will not be an alphabet. For example, "472" is for "4700Ω", "151" is for "150Ω".

Resistance:10Ω

If it is decimals, then use "R" to represent decimal point for a number place. And the other two numbers are valid numbers. For example, "2R4"is for "2.4Ω", "R15"is for "0.15Ω".

Step 3: Category

2. Color Circle Nominal Method(Normally used for cylindrical resistance)

Chip resistance mostly adopts four circles( sometimes three circles) to mark its resistance value like ordinary resistance. The first and second circle are for valid numbers, and the third circle is for magnification(Figure 1 is the color circle code list).For example, "brown, green,black" represents "15Ω", "blue, grey, orange, silver" is for "68KΩ", tolerance ±10%.

Step 4: Category

3. E96 Number Code and Alphabet Nominal Method

Number Code and Alphabet Nominal Method adopts three characters to mark resistance value, that is " two numbers with an alphabet". The two numbers stand for E96 series resistance code. The third character is for magnification represented by an alphabet. For example, "51D" is for " 332X103" , "249Y" is for "249X10-2; 2.49Ω".

These are the nominal methods for chip resistance. If you would like to know more about resistance, you can go on follow up our blogs or leave your comments to us. For more interesting and useful blogs, please see our website: www.elecfreaks.com .