Paper-thin 10K NTC thermistor in the US

[Derek Hawkins]

Still looking for a source of the above in the USA. Posted the same thing
last June and got the following links;

http://www.rapidelectronics.co.uk/sensors_61-0430.htm

http://www.semitec.co.jp/english/indexe.htm

Spoke to a Semitec rep here in the US asking about distributors and was told
that they were the only source. Asked if I could purchase 25.....Never got a
reply. Spoke to Digikey and their reply was that they don't carry that type
because there is insufficient demand for it. These are the same parts we see
in just about any device monitoring temperature in PCs these days.....Those
very popular fan speed controllers that also monitor temps for example with
their tiny barely readable displays.

For crying out loud, do I have to purchase these things from the UK? Or does
anyone know of a retail source in the US?

 

[Fred Bloggs]

Still looking for a source of the above in the USA. Posted the same thing
last June and got the following links;

http://www.rapidelectronics.co.uk/sensors_61-0430.htm

http://www.semitec.co.jp/english/indexe.htm

Spoke to a Semitec rep here in the US asking about distributors and was told
that they were the only source. Asked if I could purchase 25.....Never got a
reply. Spoke to Digikey and their reply was that they don't carry that type
because there is insufficient demand for it. These are the same parts we see
in just about any device monitoring temperature in PCs these days.....Those
very popular fan speed controllers that also monitor temps for example with
their tiny barely readable displays.

For crying out loud, do I have to purchase these things from the UK? Or does
anyone know of a retail source in the US?

I get a search hit on the same thing from Selco in Orange, CA:
http://www.eepn.com/Locator/Products/ArticleID/27959/27959.html

 

[Derek Hawkins]

Thank you, thank you, thank you......I'll call them on Monday and hear their
story.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

I get a search hit on the same thing from Selco in Orange, CA:
http://www.eepn.com/Locator/Products/ArticleID/27959/27959.html

Heh, they claim the thermistors are only 500 microns thick, but I bet
they measure more like half a mm. Paper is about 0.1mm.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[Arie de Muynck]

"Spehro Pefhany" :

Heh, they claim the thermistors are only 500 microns thick, but I bet
they measure more like half a mm.

I suppose you're from the non-metrical side of the pond ;-)


Regards,
Arie de Muynck

 

[Derek Hawkins]

Paper is about 0.1mm.

I would imagine that paper comes in various thickness. Whatever, using the
few thermistor samples here and a feeler gauge (albeit mechanical), these
are less than 1/64" thick. In fact there appears to be no difference in
thickness between them and your typical copy/laser paper using the same
gauge (below the resolution of the gauge unfortunately).

Still, the big downside to all this is that of all the popular retail
electronics suppliers only Allied seems to deal with Selco and they don't
stock that part. No doubt I'll be told minimum production run quantities.
Hopefully, they will part with enough samples unlike the Semitec people.

Heh, they claim the thermistors are only 500 microns thick, but I bet
they measure more like half a mm. Paper is about 0.1mm.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

http://www.speff.com

 

[Derek Hawkins]

and a feeler gauge

Feeler gauge? What was I talking about? Make that an el cheapo caliper.
Somebody with a digital caliper can check a piece of laser printer paper to
get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

 

[Myron Samila]

Feeler gauge? What was I talking about? Make that an el cheapo caliper.
Somebody with a digital caliper can check a piece of laser printer paper to
get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

If I didn't have a broken leg right now, I could get up and go into my race shop and get a
digital caliper (very accurate one I might add) and tell you.

But, I'm stuck, stranded, ahhhhhh.

I think a cheap caliper (I have those too) won't tell you much. I use my digital one for
just about everything, and best of all, it does both inch and metric (I bet most do
anyhow.)

 

[Tim Auton]

Feeler gauge? What was I talking about? Make that an el cheapo caliper.
Somebody with a digital caliper can check a piece of laser printer paper to
get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

What's wrong with a good old mechanical micrometer?


Tim

p.s. I do mean the device, not the US corruption of micrometre.

 

[DarkMatter]

Still looking for a source of the above in the USA. Posted the same thing
last June and got the following links;

http://www.rapidelectronics.co.uk/sensors_61-0430.htm

If it is a UK product, by it THROUGH the UK. Doh!

http://www.semitec.co.jp/english/indexe.htm

Spoke to a Semitec rep here in the US asking about distributors and was told
that they were the only source. Asked if I could purchase 25.....Never got a
reply.

That's because they want customers that are buying into thousands or
million piece orders. Contact someone that you know in the industry
that buys at this level. They will send a short order to any "big"
customer in hopes of bigger sales later. With you, the guy knew that
it was a one time deal, not worth his companies time to package up 25
for someone they'll never hear from again.

Spoke to Digikey and their reply was that they don't carry that type
because there is insufficient demand for it.

No shit.

These are the same parts we see
in just about any device monitoring temperature in PCs these days.....Those
very popular fan speed controllers that also monitor temps for example with
their tiny barely readable displays.

Yes, and the makers of such devices buy tens of thousands of pieces
at a time.

For crying out loud, do I have to purchase these things from the UK?

Is that really such a bitch? They were cheaply priced even.
Sheesh.

Or does
anyone know of a retail source in the US?

Retail? The electronics component supply industry has very few
"retail" outlets. Most of them are into large scale manufacturing
orders.

Again... you need to get friendly with someone you know that
actually does this level of purchasing from these vendors.

Or bite the friggin' bullet and order them from overseas.

Sheesh, you could have been back in service by now.

 

[DarkMatter]

Feeler gauge? What was I talking about? Make that an el cheapo caliper.
Somebody with a digital caliper can check a piece of laser printer paper to
get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

A matchbook cover is around 30 mils. copy paper is like ten mils
max.

 

[DarkMatter]

I think a cheap caliper (I have those too) won't tell you much. I use my digital one for
just about everything, and best of all, it does both inch and metric (I bet most do
anyhow.)

I have a mechanical caliper that resolves to one one hundredth of a
millimeter. That's pretty friggin small. Well under half a
thousandth of an inch.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

I would imagine that paper comes in various thickness. Whatever, using the
few thermistor samples here and a feeler gauge (albeit mechanical), these
are less than 1/64" thick.

That would be 0.4mm, which is less that their 0.5mm number, but in the
same neck of the woods.

In fact there appears to be no difference in
thickness between them and your typical copy/laser paper using the same
gauge (below the resolution of the gauge unfortunately).

Do you know how to read a vernier? In any case, my Mitutoyo on fairly
typical 22lb HP bond shows 0.1mm. My mechanical digital vernier
micrometer reads 0.0041" = 0.10mm.

That's a 4:1 difference between the two. Some odd card stock (heavier
than paper) measures about 0.21mm with the calipers. The cardboard box
that the Quickbooks program came in measures more like 0.48mm thick.

Still, the big downside to all this is that of all the popular retail
electronics suppliers only Allied seems to deal with Selco and they don't
stock that part. No doubt I'll be told minimum production run quantities.
Hopefully, they will part with enough samples unlike the Semitec people.

Yes, hopefully.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that DarkMatter <DarkMatter@thebaratthe
endoftheuniverse.org> wrote (in <17gk40pp7ff4ecpp1v4hn7c4c50or9ot01@4ax.
com>) about 'Paper-thin 10K NTC thermistor in the US', on Sat, 6 Mar
2004:

I have a mechanical caliper that resolves to one one hundredth of a
millimeter. That's pretty friggin small. Well under half a thousandth
of an inch.

It's 0.3937.. of a thou. So under, but not all that well under. Of
course, it's ten micrometers as well. (;-)

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

What's wrong with a good old mechanical micrometer?

Absolutely nothing, and for less than $15 US you can get a quite
usable Chinese-made 0-1" micrometer, which is well worth having
around. However- calipers are useful for quick sloppy measurements
(but still good enough for most purposes) that cover a wide range (my
Mitutoyo is a small one and goes up to 6"/150mm). They can measure
inside dimensions as well, and typically have a bit more throat than
micrometers (in keeping with their lower resolution and accuracy, they
don't need to be as rigid). I think they are good enough for verifying
component lead diameters for PCB design, checking small PCB and case
dimensions, and that sort of thing.

For electronics types, I think an electronic digital caliper should be
the first purchase (after a good ruler), and a micrometer (mechanical,
mechanical digital or electronic) a second. Certainly the small
Chinese ones are cheap enough that it doesn't much matter, but getting
an expensive boxed set of Starrett micrometers to cover up to 6" can
probably wait..

I don't think mechanical dial or vernier calipers are worth buying
these days. The electronic digital type does metric/imperial and
avoids possible errors in reading the vernier scale. Still, using a
magnifier on my old Japanese mechanical vernier calipers, I can read
the paper thickness as 0.004" or 0.1mm (it's got both scales). An
ancient Goodell-Pratt mechanical micrometer (no vernier) gives about
0.004" too.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[Derek Hawkins]

That would be 0.4mm

BTW, my POS caliper says tissue paper is 0" thick.

That would be 0.4mm, which is less that their 0.5mm number, but in the
same neck of the woods.


Do you know how to read a vernier? In any case, my Mitutoyo on fairly
typical 22lb HP bond shows 0.1mm. My mechanical digital vernier
micrometer reads 0.0041" = 0.10mm.

That's a 4:1 difference between the two. Some odd card stock (heavier
than paper) measures about 0.21mm with the calipers. The cardboard box
that the Quickbooks program came in measures more like 0.48mm thick.


Yes, hopefully.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

http://www.speff.com

 

[Derek Hawkins]

Retail? The electronics component supply industry has very >>few "retail"
outlets.

Maybe, but we all know who they are in the US. At least one should be
stocking that part or similar by now. Granted it's a new form factor but
it's around long enough. At least the Britts though so. BTW, the part in
question is made in Japan.

Don't think you got the whole picture but that's probably my fault. I seldom
visit these news groups.

 

[Jim Weir]

A piece of copy paper and a #2 pencil???

Jim


"Derek Hawkins" <[email protected]>
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

->Still looking for a source of the above in the USA.