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Temperature accuracy, resolution and operating range
Read the conditions attached to accuracy, update rate, response time and assembled-device ratings
Temperature sensor specifications answer different questions. Keep the conditions next to each value when comparing devices: a finer data increment does not, by itself, establish a smaller measurement error.
| Parameter | Meaning | Documented example |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | How finely the data can be represented. | Temperature/humidity sensor: 0.1°C temperature resolution. |
| Accuracy and conditions | The error specification under stated conditions. | The same sensor: ±0.5°C at 25°C. |
| Operating range | The specified environment for the assembled device. | Digital temperature sensor: -40°C to +80°C. |
| Update and response | Update interval and response to environmental change. | Temperature/humidity updates: 1 s; temperature response: ≤15 s at 1 m/s airflow. |
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Check the temperature range for the stated accuracy
The digital temperature sensor has an assembled-device operating range of -40°C to +80°C. Its ±0.5°C accuracy is specified over 0°C to +70°C. Record those conditions separately instead of extending that accuracy across the entire operating range.
Use the assembled-device rating
The same source lists a theoretical chip range of -55°C to +125°C. That is not the assembled-device rating. Use the stated complete-device range when selecting the product, including the probe and construction conditions.
Match the measurement to the task
A one-second update interval does not mean the sensor completes its response to every change in one second. State the actual temperature range, changes to identify, acceptable error and receiving device/software. Then compare measurement, supply, output and integration conditions together.