Surface Temperature
Sensor
(Order Code STS-BTA)
The Surface Temperature Sensor is designed for use in
situations in which low thermal mass or flexibility is
required. Special features include an exposed thermistor
that results in an extremely rapid response time.
Typical uses for the Surface Temperature Sensor include the following:
Skin temperature measurements
Human respiration studies
Specific heat experiments
Heat transfer experiments
Friction and energy studies
Note:
Vernier products are designed for educational use. Our products are not
designed nor are they recommended for any industrial, medical, or commercial
process such as life support, patient diagnosis, control of a manufacturing
process, or industrial testing of any kind.
What's Included
Vernier Surface Temperature Sensor
Compatible Software and Interfaces
See
www.vernier.com/manuals/sts-bta
for a list of interfaces and software compatible
with the Surface Temperature Sensor.
Getting Started
1. Connect the sensor to the interface (LabQuest Mini, LabQuest 2, etc.).
2. Start the appropriate data-collection software (Logger
Pro
, Logger Lite,
LabQuest App) if not already running, and choose New from File menu.
The software will identify the sensor and load a default data-collection setup. You
are now ready to continue your experiment.
If you are collecting data using a Chromebook™, mobile device such as iPad
®
or
Android™ tablet, or a Vernier wireless sensor or interface, please see the following
link for up-to-date connection information:
www.vernier.com/start/sts-bta
Using the Product
Connect the sensor following the steps in the Getting Started section of this user
manual.
The Surface Temperature Sensor is for use in air and water only. For temperature
measurements in harsher environments that require a more durable probe, we
recommend our Stainless Steel Temperature Probe (order code TMP-BTA).
Videos
View videos related to this product at
www.vernier.com/sts-bta
Calibration
It should not be necessary to perform a calibration when using this sensor. It is
calibrated before it ships. However, you can calibrate the sensor using Logger
Pro
3.3. or newer.
Note:
Calibration can only be done on computers running
Logger
Pro
. For more information, see
www.vernier.com/til/1310
Specifications
Temperature range
–25 to 125°C (–13 to 275°F)
Maximum temperature that the
sensor can tolerate without damage
150°C
13-bit resolution
0.04°C (–25 to 0°C)
0.02°C (0 to 40°C)
0.05°C (40 to 100°C)
0.13°C (100 to 125°C)
0.08°C (–25 to 0°C)
12-bit resolution
0.08°C (–25 to 0°C)
0.03°C (0 to 40°C)
0.1°C (40 to 100°C)
0.25°C (100 to 125°C)
10-bit resolution
0.32°C (–25 to 0°C)
0.12°C (0 to 40°C)
0.4°C (40 to 100°C)
1.0°C (100 to 125°C)
Temperature sensor
20 k
Ω
NTC Thermistor
Accuracy
±0.2°C at 0°C, ±0.5°C at 100°C
Response time
(time for 90% change in reading)
50 seconds (in still air)
20 seconds (in moving air)
Probe dimensions: probe length
(handle plus body)
15.5 cm
How the Sensor Works
This probe uses the 20 k
Ω
NTC Thermistor, which is a variable resistor. When the
temperature increases, the resistance decreases non-linearly. The best-fit
approximation to this nonlinear characteristic is the Steinhart-Hart equation. At
25°C, the resistance is approximately 4.3% per °C. The interface measures the
resistance value,
R
, at a particular temperature and converts the resistance using the
2