What Is a Braking Resistor?
A Braking Resistor, also known as a thin film resistor, is an electronic component used to limit current and generate specific electrical signals within an electrical circuit.
Braking Resistors consist of a thin film of conductive metal or alloy deposited on an insulating substrate. There are two main types of Braking Resistors: metal thin film resistors and silicon thin film resistors.
Metal thin film resistors have a thin metal film, typically made of alloys such as nickel-chromium, deposited on an insulating substrate like glass or ceramics. The length, width, and thickness of this thin film are adjusted to control the resistance value. When current flows through, the resistance of the metal thin film limits the current. On the other hand, silicon thin film resistors have a fine resistance layer formed on a silicon wafer.