Skip to Content

 15kΩ 
 Temperature sensors 

Stable NTC thermistor for accurate temperature sensing in control systems and industrial environments.

 Maximum precision
+/- 0,20°K

 Minimum temperature
-50°C

 Maximum temperature
+150°C

 Minimum dimensions
2 x 10

Response time

Fast

 Drift

Low

 Self-warming
Low

Price
Low

What is a 15KΩ sensor ?Operating principleTechnical SpecificationsWiring ConfigurationSelf-warmingApplication areas

What is a 15KΩ sensor ?

The NTC 15 kΩ is a thermistor with a nominal resistance of 15,000 Ω at 25 °C, offering high stability and very low power consumption.

The higher the nominal resistance, the lower the measurement current — which significantly limits self-heating, even in continuous measurements.

This sensor is often used in low-power devices, portable instruments, or long-term acquisition systems.

Operating principle

As with all NTC thermistors, the resistance decreases with temperature according to the exponential law:

R(T) = R₂₅ × e^{β (1/T - 1/T₂₅)}

where. :

  • R₂₅ = 15000 Ω 
  • β ≈  3900 
  • T in Kelvins

This equation can be linearized using the simplified β formula or the Steinhart–Hart equation for accurate calculations.

Technical Specifications

Parameter
 Typical value

Nominal resistance (25 °C)

 15 000 Ω ±1 %
Constant β 3500–3900 K

Sensitive material

Metallic oxide (Mn, Ni, Co)

Type of case Epoxy / glass / pearl

Maximum measurement current

0.1 to 0.2 mA

Response time

0.3 to 1 s

Linearity

Exponential (non-linear)

Operating temperature

−50 → +150 °C

Lifetime

100,000 thermal cycles

Wiring Configuration

Used in a classic voltage divider bridge on a microcontroller, the 15 kΩ NTC can be read directly via the ADC for continuous and stable measurements.

 +Vcc
   │
  [Rfixe]
   │────► ADC (µC)
  [NTC 15kΩ]
   │
  GND

Self-warming

Thanks to a high resistance, the dissipation is extremely low.

Even under continuous reading, the self-heating remains below 0.02 °C — ideal for long-term precision measurements.

Application areas

🔋 Battery-powered autonomous systems / Long-duration IoT

🌡️ High-precision environmental sensors

🧠 Wearable instruments and medical devices

⚙️ Ambient or surface measurement (contact)

🏭 Thermal compensation in electronic modules


Should I choose a 15KΩ sensor ?

Strengths points

  • 🔋 Ultra-low consumption
         → With a resistance of 15 kΩ, the measurement current is very low, ideal for battery-operated devices and standalone systems.
  • 🎯 Very good thermal stability
         → Its drift is less than 0.05 K/year, ensuring stable and reproducible measurements even after several years of use.
  • 💧 Excellent behavior in continuous measurement
         → Thanks to its low self-heating (<0.02 °C), it can operate in continuous reading without compromising accuracy.
15kΩ Sensors

Weaknesses points

  • 📉 Less sensitive to rapid fluctuations
    → Its high resistance reduces the current flowing through, which slightly slows down the thermal response in certain dynamic applications.
  • 🌡️ Lower resolution at high temperature
    →Above 100 °C, the R/T curve becomes flatter, resulting in slightly lower accuracy without software compensation.
  • 🧩 Classical non-linearity of NTC
    → Requires a conversion table or a Steinhart–Hart formula for accurate temperature calculation.

Useful information

Here is some useful information regarding the 15KΩ sensors.

(NTC 15 kΩ at 25 °C, beta constant = 3950 K)

Temperature (°C) Resistance (Ω) Temperature (°C) Resistance (Ω)
−50 374 127 60 4 398
−40 237 052 70 3 308
−30 152 533 80 2 532
−20 100 624 90 1 953
−10 67 260 100 1 518
0 45 690 110 1 175
10 31 425 120 921
20 22 111 130 726
25 15 000 140 578
30 10 294 150 463
40 7 143 160 373
50 5 047 170 301

💡 Between 0 °C and 100 °C, the resistance is divided by about 30 — an exponential decay characteristic of an NTC β ≈ 3950.

Class / Tolerance
 Tolerance at 25 °C (R25)
 Max error on T° (−40 → +125 °C)
 Typical usage
±1 % ±150 Ω ±0,2 K Industrial or medical applications
±2 % ±300 Ω ±0,4 K Precise environmental measurement
±3 % ±450 Ω ±0,6 K Regulation Electronics
±5 % ±750 Ω ±1 K Security systems / home automation
🔹 Sealed glass models are recommended for superior stability and an annual drift of < 0.05 K.


Complete equation:

1/T = A + B · ln(R) + C · [ln(R)]³


Typical coefficients for NTC 15 kΩ (β = 3950 K):

  • A = 1.4051 × 10⁻³
  • B = 2.369 × 10⁻⁴
  • C = 1.019 × 10⁻⁷


🔹 Example 1: Temperature from R

R = 10,294 Ω

ln(10294) = 9,24

1/T = 1,4051e−3 + 2,369e−4 (9,24) + 1,019e−7 (9,24)³ = 3,04e−3

T = 1 / 3,04e−3 = 329,0 K = 55,9 °C

✅ Measured temperature: ≈ 56 °F


🔹 Example 2: Resistance from T

T = 80 °C = 353.15 K

R = R₂₅ · e^(β(1/T − 1/T₂₅))

R = 15000 · e^(3950 × (1/353,15 − 1/298,15)) = 2532 Ω

✅ Expected resistance: ≈ 2.53 kΩ

The NTC 15 kΩ is wired as a standard voltage divider.

Its high resistance allows for the use of larger reference values, limiting the measurement current for low-power devices.

🔹 Typical components

Component
 Function
NTC 15 kΩ Temperature sensor
R fixed (15 kΩ)
 Reference resistance
Microcontroller (ADC)
 Analog reading and conversion
100 nF capacitor
 Filtering
Power Supply 3.3 / 5 V
 Source stable
🔹 Functional diagram (ASCII)
  +3.3V / +5V
       │
     [Rfixe]
       │────► ADC (microcontroller input)     
	​[NTC 15kΩ]
       │
      GND
💡 The microcontroller calculates the temperature from the measured voltage, according to the characteristic curve or the Steinhart–Hart equation.

 We integrate any sensor into any probe 

Smooth tube probe

 Smooth tube 

Waterproof probe

 Waterproof

Bayonet probe

 Bayonet

Slot probe

 Slot

Ambient probe

 Atmosphere

Connection head probe

Termal block

Stick-in probe

Stick-in

Thread probe

Thread

Contact probe

Contact

Jacketed probe

Jacketed

PCBA Design

PCBA design

Winding probe

Winding

More than 1,000,000 probes delivered in 2025

Contact us for a personalized offer

Contact Us

Need a 15KΩ sensor?

Whether you need a few parts for a prototype or several hundred for a production line, we support you at every step.

Submit