The electronics industry has evolved at a remarkable rate over the past two decades. New techniques and advances have helped shrink equipment size and have put pressure on manufacturers of discrete components, such as manufacture resistors, to develop devices that approach the ideal in performance.
Naturally, not every engineer needs an entire high-performance package for their circuitry. Resistors with much poorer specifications can be used satisfactorily in many applications, so the question of need is divided into four basic categories:
Existing applications that can be upgraded by relying on the total performance package of Bulk Metal Foil resistors, like MPR series, MVR series.
Existing applications that require one or more, but not necessary all, of the performance parameters to be “industry best.”
State-of-the-art circuitry that can only be developed now because of the availability of improved specifications for precision resistors.
Purposeful pre-planning use of precision resistors to allow for future upgrading (e.g., cost savings can be realized by having the circuit accuracy maintained by the resistors rather than by the active devices, which would greatly increase cost for only slightly better levels of performance).
The need for a single parameter must be weighed against the economics of the whole package. It could cost less to use a resistor with superior overall performance specifications, because the need for compensating circuitry (and the cost of the associated components plus their assembly) may be eliminated.
Cost savings may also be achieved by concentrating precision in the resistors rather than in the active devices, because active devices have greater cost per marginal performance improvement than the resistors do. Another question that might be posed is: “Would utilizing a higher-performance resistor in order to upgrade equipment performance enhance market acceptance of the equipment?” Microhm Electronics makes ready all kinds of resistors for customers' various application.
