Electronic equipment, such as a TV or a computer, tend to use complicated circuit boards in order to offer all the features these and other types of electronic devices provide. However, because these features are largely controlled by the circuit board, a circuit board is typically subdivided into many different sections. While chips and other processors provide the different functions and features, these chips and processors will require power, and that is where a current sense resistor can come in handy.
The reason why a low or high power resistor my be needed is quite simple. Different processors or chips that control different functions require different power levels. Those functions that require higher levels of power will need the necessary power and they cannot operate properly on lower levels. However, operations that may only require small amounts of current will be, in essence, force fed higher levels of power, because the higher power functions will dictate the level of current a circuit board will receive. However, with this abundance of current, certain processors that only need limited amounts of power could be damaged. That is where things like surface mount resistors help.
In essence, these precision resistors adsorb excess current. This keeps enough current running through a high powered system to keep all the features running, but it prevents issues where too much current runs through a low power system.
With higher current discrepancies, a resistor may heat up. When the resistor reaches a certain temperature, the heat is typically expelled through a vent, or it can be channeled out of a circuit board area by ventilation fans that are routinely placed in and around a circuit board.
The higher the resistors capacity, the hotter a resistor will get and the more need there is for ventilation. However, in many instances, small resistors will typically be all that will be necessary. As current supplies need to be extremely accurate, sometimes only small current regulation will be needed, and these small resistors don’t produce a great deal of heat.
Since most of the features of electronic devices emanate from a dedicated circuit board, it’s important to make sure that current is properly regulated. Since not every component of a circuit board requires equal levels of power, resistors are an excellent option to handle this conundrum. Whether it’s a small resistor to regulate a small difference in current or there is a huge discrepancy in current that requires a significant resistor, this is the only option. Without resistors, circuit boards would overload and the electronic device would be worthless. However, with the simple addition of resistors to regulate current, circuit board function will go on without incident.