Meaning
Thermoelectric voltage generation occurs when junctions of dissimilar metals are exposed to a temperature gradient. Minimizing thermal emf is critical in precision low-level measurement systems where small voltage offsets can distort readings. This physical phenomenon, also known as the Seebeck effect, occurs in connectors, relay contacts, and solder joints on a printed circuit board.
It is managed by selecting materials with low thermoelectric coefficients and keeping the measurement junctions isothermal.
Offset Voltage
Measurement errors are introduced when temperature differences exist across a test fixture. The presence of thermal emf creates a parasitic DC voltage that adds directly to the signal being measured. This offset is particularly problematic when evaluating low-resistance shunts or thermocouple signals where the target voltage is in the microvolt range.
Material Selection
Connector pins and solder alloys are chosen to minimize the thermoelectric potential at the junctions. Designing to reduce thermal emf involves using gold-to-gold or copper-to-copper contacts wherever possible. Solder alloys containing specific percentages of silver and copper are selected to match the thermoelectric properties of the copper PCB traces.
Thermal Symmetry
Layout patterns are structured to keep critical differential signal paths at the same temperature. Preventing thermal emf requires placing matching components close to each other so that they experience identical thermal environments.
