Randy,

Have you considered using multiple identical resistors to reduce the variance? Depending on who you believe, you can reduce the variance of the overall resistance by SQRT(N) where N is the number of resistors in series/parallel. Its not that easy to create a good search query for this but here is one such explanation:

http://paulorenato.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109:combining-resistors-to-improve-tolerance&catid=4:projects&Itemid=4

Ideally they should all come from the same batch - ie. manufactured by the same machine from the same batch of materials. Obviously there's no way to guarantee that without close liaison with the manufacturer (you did want 10 million parts at $.10 each didn't you!) but hopefully a set of resistors which come off the same reel would come close.

The absolute value isn't important however, but 'statistical gain' will also apply to the TCR and stability of the overall divider. The following assumes that both factors are similarly improved by SQRT(N), but in fact they may be rather better than that.

That80€ or $108 for one sealed Vishay foil divider will buy a lot of lower spec parts:

Approx 12558 x Susumu RR0510P .5%, 25ppm 0402 (Digikey, $86/10k). 6279 in series and parallel in each leg of the 1:1 divider<http://media.digikey.com/photos/Susumu%20Photos/RR%200402%20SERIES.jpg> might reduce the variance to 25ppm/SQRT(6279) = .32ppm. Can't see any spec for stability, but it may also improve similarly. Would take a while to solder them onto stripboard though!

Slightly more sensible might be 1078 x TE Connectivity RP73 1%, 10ppm 1206 (Digikey, $100.18/1K). Stability .5% (no qualifers in datasheet)
 => 10ppm/SQRT(539) = .43ppm, stability => 215ppm

Or 372 x KOA Speer RN731JTTD4021B5 .1%, 5ppm (Mouser, $29/100). Stability not on data sheet but typical endurance is +/- .02% for 1000 hrs @ 70C on/off 1.5hours/.5hours. => 5ppm/SQRT(138) = .37ppm, endurance => 14.7ppm (Stability should be rather better than that). Note that the Mouser part no. is for a 25ppm part but their manufacturer's part number is the 5ppm part as is the description. Also, the price is way too high for 25ppm parts.

Or 28 x Susumu RG2012L .01%, 2ppm (Digikey, $39.6/10). Stability not quoted but typical Load Life is .01% (1000 x 1.5hours on/.5hours off at 85C)
=> 2ppm/SQRT(14) = .53ppm, endurance => 27ppm

You could also use multiple resistor networks. Eg:

104 x Susumu RM2012B-103/103-PBVW10 .1%, 5ppm tracking, 2 resistors/device (Digikey $104/100). Stability not quoted, endurance 500ppm (1000 x 1.5hours on/.5hours off at 85C)
=> 5ppm/SQRT(104) = .49ppm, endurance => 49ppm

35 x TT Electronics SFN08B4701CBQLF7, .25%, 5ppm tracking 7 resistors/device (Digikey, $76/25) . Stability not quoted, high temperature exposure < 1000ppm
=> 5ppm/SQRT(122) = .52ppm

33 x TT Electronics 668A1001DLF .5%, 5ppm tracking 8resistors/device (Digikey, $82/25). Stability not quoted, load life < 1000ppm
=> 5ppm/SQRT(33 * 4) = .45ppm

16 x Vishay DFN .1%, 3ppm tracking with 4 resistors/device (Digikey, $5.24/1). Shelf life ratio stability is specced at 20ppm (1 year at 25C). (That may be a typical rather than a maximum - your parts may all be much worse than typical). The 3ppm tracking TCR may also be a typical figure as its headlined in a section titled 'TYPICAL PERFORMANCE' but in the specification table its not qualified with '(typical)' as they sometimes do in other datasheets. Its hard to tell.
=> 3ppm/SQRT(32) = .53ppm shelf life stability => 3.5ppm

5 x Vishay DSMZ metal foil dividers, .5ppm tracking max (probably performs rather better than this over restricted temperature range, but don't believe the Vishay typical figure of < .1ppm/C) (Digikey, $22.93/1). Shelf life ratio stability not quoted but 'typical limit' for Load Life ratio stability is 50ppm (2000 hours at 70C). Who knows what a typical limit is? Again, probably best to treat Vishay 'typical' figures with a pinch of salt given the experience of another poster on volt-nuts.
=> .5ppm/SQRT(5) = .22ppm, load life => 22ppm

Interestingly Digikey quote a price of only $5400 for 1k parts for the similar DSM divider (1ppm tracking), which is a huge difference from $22.93. Might be worth considering a bulk buy if there enough volt-nuts with the same problem. They aren't stocked though so that price might not be 'real'. However: 20 x Vishay DSM dividers, 1ppm (Digikey, $5400/1000) Load life ratio stability 'typical limit' 50ppm
=> 1ppm/SQRT(20) = .22ppm, load life => 11ppm

Multiple LT5400 networks could also be used and may give the best results, but the much larger absolute tolerance, +/-15% would cause those with the highest value for series connected/lowest for parallel to dominate and reduce the statistical improvement. Do your own calculations.

Its interesting that all these different components end up providing pretty much the same performance for the same cost - in other words the cost is inversely proportional to the TCR^2

My gut feeling is that the tracking TCR will improve rather better than the SQRT(N) calculated, if they do indeed come from the same batch, as I would expect them to have similar absolute TCRs. Thus you might be able to get away with rather less parts to achieve < 1ppm. The SQRT(N) factor comes from assuming that the variation in the value is random, and I believe, has a particular distribution (Guassian or normal?). Component specifications are often derived from the distribution parameters measured from a large set of production samples, with the max/min values determined from a multiple (typically 6?) of the standard deviations of the distribution? The worst case specifications for TCR and stability may (I don't know, just hypothesizing) be derived very differently. For example, the TCR may be affected not only by the characteristics of the bulk resistive material, but also due to stresses on the element due to thermal expansion of the substrate/packaging. It may be that the former is almost identical for all components from the batch, but the latter is less predictable. The specification max/min would have to allow for the worst cases which might be due to a relatively few which for some reason (microcracking in the substrate perhaps) have much larger variance from the majority. The distribution of TCRs from a set of resistors could be very skewed with long tails and the SQRT(N) reduction in variance may be well off the mark.

Stability is more difficult because the shelf life stability is rarely specified, but is likely to be the closest to your usage. For reference, the Vishay DFSMZ datasheet specifies ratio stability of .015% for 2000 hour at 70C and .002% for shelf life ratio stability. The 7.5X difference might be useful for estimating shelf life stability for resistors that only quote load life or endurance specs. But it might not! I'm not sure that the endurance spec is very useful either as it subjects the resistor to a large number of large temperature cycles which won't be anywhere near your usage.

I would expect the long term tracking stability to be much better than (worst case datasheet stability)/SQRT(N) as I would expect the vast majority to age in similar ways, if not by the same magnitude. Whilst the specs show stability to be +/- xx% I would expect that most will age in the same way - probably slowly increasing resistance over time. I also expect there are experienced posters here who know otherwise! Similarly to TCR, it could be that for example, the stability of most resistors in a batch may be quite good, but the specs reflect that a few may be much worse due to random faults in individual samples - such as defects in the protective coating of the element allowing corrosion to occur in a few samples. You'd need a very good understanding of the factors that determine the resistor stability to calculate the overall stability of multiple resistors.

I would expect similar factors to apply to ratio tracking due to humidity changes. No doubt there is some useful information out their in application notes/research papers on the variance in long term stability between resistors of various types (and maybe even for parts taken from the same batch) just waiting for some interested volt-nut to discover?

The fewer the parts, the more chance of statistical outliers reducing the improvement over a single part, but you could test each divider for the best matching, if you've got a decent meter, fairly easily by applying a voltage from a stable, low noise source (a battery would be good if its temperature is kept very stable), and measure the voltage at the centre tap. Then put the resistor network in a plastic bag and immerse it in boiling water to raise the temperature by 75C or so; .5ppm tracking would give 9.4uV/V maximum change; you'd probably need to reverse the meter leads a few times to null out thermal EMFs. Alternatively measure the voltage difference between the divider under test and another driven by the same voltage source and kept at a stable temperature - ie. in a bridge configuration. A simple high gain amplifier (say 1000x) with adjustable offset would allow testing with a more realistic lower temperature difference of say 20C and/or a cheap meter.

Accuracy is not particularly important - you probably don't need to know the temperature tracking coefficient to better than 20%.

Component layout would need to ensure any thermal gradients apply equally to both legs of the divider by interleaving upper and lower resistors.

Tony H

On 17/07/2014 16:26, Randy Evans wrote:
Frank,

The high cost is my concern, although high performance demands high price
typically.  I am trying to double the voltage reference from either an
LM399 or LTZ1000, hence the need for precision matched resistors for a x2
non-inverting amplifier (using a LT1151 precision op amp).  An alternative
I am investigating is using the LTC1043 in a voltage doubling circuit as
shown in Linear Technology app note AN 42, page 6, Figure 16.  It states
that Vout = 2xVin +/- 5 ppm.  I am less concerned about the absolute
accuracy than I am about the long term stability.  I assume that a high
quality capacitor is required (low leakage, low ESR, low dielectric
absorbtion, etc.) but the circuit does not appear to be dependent on the
absolute value of the capacitors.  I'm not sure if the two 1uF caps  need
to be matched.  If they do then that would be a show stopper.

Does anyone have any experience using the LTC1043 in such a circuit?

Thanks,

Randy


On Wed, Jul 16, 2014 at 9:40 PM, Frank Stellmach <[email protected]
wrote:
Randy,

resistor matched in T.C. are extremely expensive, as the manufacturer (or
yourself) would have to select these from a batch of many samples.

reistors with very small T.C. (<1ppm/K) would do the job also, but they
also need to be stable over time, in shelf life opereation mode, i.e.
P<10mW.

That means, you need those hermetically sealed VHP202Z from Vishay, T.C.
is typically < 1ppm/K and they are stable to < 2ppm over 5years. But they
cost already 80€ each, depending on tolerance.

I made a longterm observation of these and found these parameters
confirmed.

Frank
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