What is a Ni100 sensor ?
The Ni100 is a pure nickel resistance probe, with a nominal resistance of 100 Ω at 0 °C.
Its temperature coefficient (α ≈ 0.00618 °C⁻¹) is higher than that of platinum, giving it superior sensitivity to small thermal variations.
It is an excellent compromise between accuracy, cost, and response speed, particularly for air conditioning systems, ventilation, and surface thermal control applications.
Operating principle
The Ni100 sensor operates based on the variation of the resistivity of pure nickel as a function of temperature.
This relationship is nearly linear between −60 °C and +180 °C :
R(T) = R₀ (1 + αT + βT²)
avec :
R₀ = 100 Ω
α = 6,18 × 10⁻³
β = 1,4 × 10⁻⁵
This simplified equation is sufficient for the majority of HVAC and industrial applications.
Technical specifications
| Parameter |
Typical Value |
| Nominal resistance at 0 °C | 100 Ω |
| Temperature coefficient (α) | 0,00618 °C⁻¹ |
| Measurement range | −60 °C to +180 °C |
| Linearity | Very good |
| Element material | Platinium pur (99,99 %) |
| Typical measuring current | 0,1 to 0,5 mA |
| Response time | 0,3 s (Ø3 mm) |
| Long-term drift | < 0,1 °C/year |
Wiring configuration
| Type |
Description | Precision |
2-wire |
Sufficient for short distances. | ✅ Good |
3-wire |
Compensate for the losses in the cable. | 🏆 Excellent |
4-wire |
Useless in the majority of cases. | 💡 Very precise |
Self-heating
The Ni100 generates a moderate voltage for a low current (0.1–0.3 mA), keeping self-heating below 0.05 °C.
Application areas
🌡️ HVAC and climate control
⚙️ Industrial thermal regulation systems
🧊 Surface or liquid temperature monitoring
🚗 Low-cost embedded measurements
🧰 General laboratory devices