Surface Mount Resistor or SMD is one of the electric components that is used regularly in electronic devices. It works on the Surface Mount Technology and comes in different sizes, each one having a different resistance value. Let us learn more about the surface mount resistors and their uses and advantages.
Surface mount technology resister in simple words
In simple words, a Surface Mount Device is an electric component that utilizes the surface mount technology. This resistor can be described as a small rectangular device with a ceramic body and silver edges. These are used on the printed circuit boards that are a part of most of the electronic devices in today's times.
The SMT meets the demand of the manufacturers of the printed circuit boards that require smaller components that are cheaper and efficient. To know more about SMT, you may check out this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-mount_technology
The SMD resistors do not have wires. They have terminations that are stuck to the pads on the PCBs. This means that there is no need to punch holes on the boards to install a resistor. Each SMD is marked with a code that is usually three-digit or four-digit long.
The first two numbers are the resistance, and the third and fourth number will be the multiplier. These numbers are used to find out the resistance of the SMD.
Advantages and functions of SMD resistors
There are various advantages of the SMD resistors. These include:
- Small in size: The SMDs are very small in size, and hence they save a lot of space. To take up an example, these can be used in smaller sized flash drives which are the size of your thumb. With the use of these, the size of the electric device becomes smaller.
- Higher component density: High component density means that more components can be placed in a smaller area of per unit area. Also, since there is no need to punch holes in the PCB, these can be installed on either side of the board to save space and give better resistance.
- Simpler and faster to assemble: These are quite simple to assemble as they have to be placed with the help of molten solder, which automatically aligns the solder pads with each other. There is also a very small chance of errors when it comes to placement of the SMDs on the board.
- Cost-friendly: The parts are also cheaper than the other resistors, which makes the cost of the entire electric device also cheaper.
The surface mount resistors are the smaller versions of the normal resistors and hence have the same functions as them. They are used to control the current in any circuit. It helps in energy transfer and also in the division of the current.
Things to consider while buying surface mount resistors
When you buy these SMDs, there are certain things that you should consider. They are as follows:
Resistance value
The first thing you need to consider is the resistance value. Calculate the resistance value based on the device for which the resistor is needed. The wrong resistance value can lead to faulty devices. Here is a link to help you calculate the resistance value of the SMDs.
Power handling
The second factor is power handling. Much like the resistance value, this is also an important value to consider. Hence only go for the devices that have the power handling capacity that you require.
Price
The price is the last thing you should consider. Even though these components are cheaper than most of the resisters out there, you still do not need to shell additional money. Make sure you do your market research before spending money on them.
Manufacturer
The third thing is the manufacturer. The construction of the devices is also particularly important. Hence, for the surface mount technology resistor, make sure that you always go with trusted manufacturers. There are a lot of online and offline dealers that you can choose from that offer good quality products.
This article includes everything that you need to know about the surface mount resistors and their uses. You can easily buy them online as well as offline stores and use them in a variety of devices. Make sure that the placement on the printed circuit board is correct, or they might be inclined to short-circuiting and damaging the entire board.
