Power resistors control current flow in circuits, dissipate voltage, reduce electrical noise, and protect delicate elements. They come in various materials and sizes and can be adjusted to provide different levels of resistance. Choosing the wrong resistor can damage the circuit and device.
Found in virtually any electrical device that contains a controlled circuit, a power resistor is used to control the current flowing through a circuit. A power resistor works to dissipate voltage for instruments in some circuits that require less energy than others. Resistors basically protect delicate elements within a circuit by lowering the amount of voltage or current supplied to them. A power resistor can also aid in the process of reducing electrical noise generated by introducing energy into a circuit and can create tolerance and stability throughout the circuit by helping to distribute the power signal where it needs to be.
Resistors are made from a variety of materials and come in many sizes, depending on the resistance requirements of the application in which they are being used. Some resistors can also be a simple wire, when the wire is made from naturally strong material such as nickel-chromium alloy. They can also look very similar to filament fuses, although they typically contain no glass parts.
Usually visible as small multi-colored cylinders with a wire sticking out of each end, a power resistor can be formatted into any type of printed circuit board. This means that a power resistor can be used in a printed circuit board or integrated circuit. The size of a resistor is directly determined by the resistance requirements of the circuit, as the resistor must be large enough to avoid overheating while performing its duties.
If the wrong resistor is placed within a circuit and is unable to successfully supply the required resistance, it could overheat over time and become damaged, not performing its function properly. If this occurs, each unit in the continuous sequence of the circuit can become overloaded and overheated, damaging the entire circuit and rendering the electronic device malfunctioning or even useless. If the resistor is too large for the amount of resistance it needs to provide, it could under-power the circuit, also causing the device to fail due to a power failure.
Resistors can also come in an adjustable form, which reduces the possibility of overheating or underpowering the circuit in which they are placed. These types of resistors usually have multiple connection terminals to provide different levels of resistance based on the needs of the circuit. The amount of resistance supplied can be changed by simply changing the position of the connection points on the multipoint terminal for the resistor.
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