NTC Thermistors – Temperature Measurement with A Wheatstone Bridge

Thermistors for Temperature Measurement

NTC Thermistors provide an excellent solution in applications requiring accurate temperature

measurement. Because of their high sensitivity, NTC Thermistors are ideal for detecting small
changes in temperature. However, the characteristic curves for these thermistors are highly non-
linear. The resistance is generally an exponential function of the temperature, as shown in Equation
(1)

where R0 is the resistance at a reference temperature, T0, while ß is a constant, characteristic of the
material, T0, the reference temperature, is generally taken as 298 °K (25 °C).

If the user can measure the resistance electrically, solving for the temperature is easy with
the resistance versus temperature curve that Ametherm provides for a specified NTC thermistor.

However, if the thermistor is embedded in a circuit, the resistance changes are recorded in terms of
the corresponding voltage or current changes. In this case, the users will have to measure electrical
quantities (for example, voltage) first before calculating temperature from such electrical
maesurements.

 Figure 1: The Wheatstone Bridge

Why Wheatstone Bridge?

A Wheatstone bridge, also called a null comparator, is used for measuring accurate resistance.

In the Wheatstone bridge of Figure 1, R 1, R2, and R3 are known and Rx is the unknown resistance.
When the potential (voltage) P1 (see the figure) is the same as potential P2, the bridge is said to be
balanced.

In this condition, no current flows (as indicated by the “zero” reading of the meter) through
the galvanometer and the ratio of resistance in the Rl – R2 path must equal the ratio in the R3 –
Rx path.

The major challenge of accurate resistance measurement is to alleviate the loading effect of the
circuit by the meter.

Such an inaccuracy is caused by the drawing of power by the meter, although the amount of power
drawn is negligibly small, from the circuit, even if it has a very high-impedance (e.g 10 MΩ).

For accurate measurement of Rx, the Wheatstone bridge plays a great role, as the galvanometer, in
balanced condition, does not draw any power from the circuit. This increases accuracy by alleviating
the “loading” effect of the circuit by the meter.

The Wheatstone bridge is called a null comparator because it makes a measurement by comparing
two quantities, one of known value, the other unknown.

The unknown value is adjusted untill it equals the known value and the detector placed across them
gives a zero or null reading.

The following condition holds for the balanced Wheatstone bridge:

Measuring Temperature with The Wheatstone Bridge

For measuring temperature, a Wheatstone bridge is used in out of balance where the out-of-balance
voltage, ΔV, can be measured and related to the resistance of the thermistor. See this simple DC
bridge circuit as shown in Figure 2 that is used for such precision measurement using the thermistor.
A correct choice of resistors R2 and R3 will remove the mean DC value of ΔV.
Figure 2. Temperature Measurement Using Thermistors

Considering this circuit, we now derive the relation between T and .V. In general,

Assume R1 = R3. Then,

Rearranging for RT,

The relation between T and RT is given by,

or,

 
Substituting for RT from Equation 5, we have

If we further assume R1 = R2 = R3 = Rb, we have

>

Although T is not a linear function of voltage, for small ranges in temperatures, it can be considered
as linear and the error may be negligible in computing the temperature (See Figure 3). Ametherm
provides the value of R0 and ß of Equation 9.

Figure 3: Typical voltage temperature curve from the bridge circuit

Note:

Thermistors are also subject to self heating effects that is not discussed here. Choice of resistors in
the Wheatstone Bridge circuit depends on the application and on the temperature measurement
range.
Main advantage of using a Wheatstone bridge

Which is the main advantage of using a Wheatstone brdige (quarter bridge type) for a temperature
measurment circuit, so the variable resistor would be a NTC thermistor, instead of a simple one leg
circuit, with a resistor in series with the NTC?

1.) Using a wheatsone bridge is a differential measurement as opposed to a single ended

measurement against an absolute reference.

With the wheatstone bridge several things (potential errors) are canceled out including the bridge
excitation, and temperature errors in the 3 “fixed” bridge resistors due to their temperature
coefficients (assuming you use resistors with matched or similar coefficients).

2.) If you use a Wheatstone bridge, your measurement can be extremely precise for, or extremely
sensitive to, a given change in the thermistor’s resistance. If you use a simple voltage divider, it’s
much more difficult to achieve a similar level of precision or sensitivity for a given thermistor
resistance change.

If you use a Wheatstone bridge, your measurement can be extremely precise for, or extremely
sensitive to, a given change in the thermistor’s resistance. If you use a simple voltage divider, it’s
much more difficult to achieve a similar level of precision or sensitivity for a given thermistor
resistance change.

You guys make some really good points.

There's one feature I don't see mentioned here. With a Wheatstone bridge and a
differential measurement, you convert a sensor into a bipolar measurement (around 0V)
that's D.C. coupled, too. - SUPER handy for some applications.

If everything were ideal yes, but things are not ideal. A divider can't handle many real world effects
that introduce error (errors due to measurement currents, common mode noise, inexact voltage
supply, inexact resistances, etc). A wheatstone bridge can cancel out these errors.

Go back in time by 150 years or so. No voltage references, no op-amps, no transistors, no vacuum
tubes. Available battery sources were pretty crappy and their output voltage was NOT stable. How
would YOU go about measuring and matching resistors of varying values? IOW - the Wheatstone
bridge was an absolutely ground-breaking invention. BTW - still in use to this very day!

Detailed Explanation for the

This has nothing to do with math and everything to do with the imperfection of real
measurement gear.
Let's go with a strain gauge, 1001 ohms, in series with a 999 ohm strain gauge, and a 10V
supply. Voltage over the strain gauge is 10*1001/(1001+999)=5.005 volts. Most
measurement instruments aren't very trustworthy in that fourth digit, but that is where ALL
of our signal is, the 5V offset is useless and not proportional to strain, all we want is the
5mV on the end. The bridge subtracts off the 5V and we measure the 5mV accurately.

with a voltage divider, you measure a higher voltage, depending on your resistors. with a
wheatstone-bridge, your measurement is always around zero, which mean that you can
use more precise measuring devices. And with a wheaststone-bridge, you can use two or
four measurement-depending resistors and get a sensitive measurement device

https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricalEngineering/comments/nwhp7g/
why_is_the_wheatstone_bridge_configuration_almost/?rdt=36430&onetap_auto=true

https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/644618/what-is-the-point-of-a-wheatstone-bridge

Sensitivity of Bridge:

Change in Resistance to Change in Vo voltage