How 4-terminal resistors work and how contact resistance are eleminated? Can someone explain me precisely how these kind of resistances are eleminated? Many thanks and have a nice day!!!!
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Four-terminal sensing measures voltage across the resistor
Contact resistance isn't eliminated with four terminal resistors, it is mitigated. Basically, there are four connections directly on the sense resistor, one pair carry the working current, the other pair normally have a high resistance measuring circuit on them, an amplifier or voltmeter, that draws a current very much less than the working current. This, therefore, will measure the voltage directly across the resistor, ignoring the voltage drop across any leads and terminals to which the resistor may be connected. Contact resistance is a whole new subject, around mechanical and electro-chemical issues for starters. Some useful sites below. http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_8/9.html http://www.mouser.com/pdfDocs/Ohmite_CSResistors.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-terminal_sensing Cheers, Richard
