{"id":8234194,"date":"2026-10-24T17:28:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T17:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/?post_type=scn_guide&#038;p=8234194"},"modified":"2026-10-24T17:29:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T17:29:32","slug":"pt100-vs-thermocouple","status":"publish","type":"scn_guide","link":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/","title":{"rendered":"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"scn-guide\">\n<h1>PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor<\/h1>\n<p class=\"g-lead\">PT100s and thermocouples are the most common ways to measure temperature in industry. This guide explains how they work, how accurate they are and how to choose the sensor, wiring and thermowell.<\/p>\n<div class=\"g-short\"><b class=\"t\">Short answer<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>PT100<\/b> \u2013 accurate and stable, usually up to 600 \u00b0C. The first choice in process plants, food, heating and ventilation.<\/li>\n<li><b>Thermocouple<\/b> \u2013 handles higher temperatures, above 1,000 \u00b0C, and responds quickly. Accuracy is lower.<\/li>\n<li><b>Accuracy<\/b> \u2013 a class A PT100 is within \u00b10.35 \u00b0C at 100 \u00b0C. A class 1 type K thermocouple is within \u00b11.5 \u00b0C.<\/li>\n<li><b>Wiring<\/b> \u2013 connect a PT100 with three or four wires. Otherwise you also measure the cable resistance.<\/li>\n<li><b>Transmitter<\/b> \u2013 a transmitter converts the signal to 4\u201320 mA or IO-Link, which copes with long cables.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>How PT100s and thermocouples work<\/h2>\n<p>A <b>PT100<\/b> is a resistance temperature detector (RTD). A platinum resistor has 100 \u03a9 at 0 \u00b0C, and its resistance rises by about 0.39 \u03a9 per degree. At 100 \u00b0C it is 138.5 \u03a9. The instrument passes a small current through the resistor and calculates the temperature. A PT1000 works the same way but has 1,000 \u03a9 at 0 \u00b0C. The characteristics are defined in IEC 60751.<\/p>\n<p>A <b>thermocouple<\/b> is two wires of different metals welded together at the tip. When the tip and the other end, the reference junction, are at different temperatures, a small voltage appears \u2013 about 41 \u00b5V per degree for type K. The instrument measures the reference junction temperature and corrects for it, known as cold junction compensation. The types are defined in IEC 60584-1.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp\" alt=\"Principle: in a PT100 the resistance of the platinum element rises with temperature. In a thermocouple two different metals produce a voltage that depends on the temperature difference between the hot junction and the reference junction.\" width=\"1520\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>A PT100 measures resistance; a thermocouple measures a voltage that depends on the temperature difference.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>PT100 or thermocouple \u2013 which should you choose?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"g-tbl\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Property<\/th>\n<th>PT100<\/th>\n<th>Thermocouple<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">Temperature<\/td>\n<td>Usually \u2212200 to +600 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>Up to about 1,700 \u00b0C depending on type<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">Accuracy<\/td>\n<td>High: class A \u00b10.35 \u00b0C at 100 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>Lower: type K class 1 \u00b11.5 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">Stability<\/td>\n<td>Very good over time<\/td>\n<td>Drifts more, especially at high temperatures<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">Response time<\/td>\n<td>Longer, the element is larger<\/td>\n<td>Short, the tip can be very thin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">Cable<\/td>\n<td>Standard copper cable with 3 or 4 wires<\/td>\n<td>Compensating cable of the same type<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">Price<\/td>\n<td>Slightly more expensive element<\/td>\n<td>Low-cost element<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Rule of thumb: when accuracy and stability matter most and the temperature is below a few hundred degrees, choose a PT100. Above 600 \u00b0C, for fast processes or when the sensor must be very small, choose a thermocouple.<\/p>\n<h2>Accuracy classes and thermocouple types<\/h2>\n<p>IEC 60751 divides PT100 and PT1000 elements into tolerance classes. The tolerance applies to the element itself, not the whole measuring chain. Here t is the temperature in \u00b0C:<\/p>\n<div class=\"g-tbl\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Class<\/th>\n<th>Tolerance<\/th>\n<th>At 100 \u00b0C<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">AA<\/td>\n<td>\u00b1(0.1 + 0.0017\u00b7|t|) \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>\u00b10.27 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">A<\/td>\n<td>\u00b1(0.15 + 0.002\u00b7|t|) \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>\u00b10.35 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">B<\/td>\n<td>\u00b1(0.3 + 0.005\u00b7|t|) \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>\u00b10.8 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">C<\/td>\n<td>\u00b1(0.6 + 0.01\u00b7|t|) \u00b0C<\/td>\n<td>\u00b11.6 \u00b0C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Each class only applies within a set range, which is narrower for thin-film elements than for wire-wound ones. Class A, for example, applies from \u221230 to +300 \u00b0C for thin film and from \u2212100 to +450 \u00b0C for wire-wound elements. The term 1\/3 DIN means one third of the class B tolerance.<\/p>\n<h3>Common thermocouple types<\/h3>\n<div class=\"g-tbl\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Type<\/th>\n<th>Material<\/th>\n<th>Suits<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">K<\/td>\n<td>NiCr\u2013NiAl<\/td>\n<td>General purpose up to about 1,200 \u00b0C: furnaces, exhaust, heat treatment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">N<\/td>\n<td>NiCrSi\u2013NiSi<\/td>\n<td>Up to about 1,200 \u00b0C, more stable than K at high temperatures<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">J<\/td>\n<td>Fe\u2013CuNi<\/td>\n<td>Up to 750 \u00b0C, common in plastics machinery<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">T<\/td>\n<td>Cu\u2013CuNi<\/td>\n<td>Low temperatures, refrigeration and food<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"n\">R, S, B<\/td>\n<td>Platinum\u2013rhodium<\/td>\n<td>Up to 1,600\u20131,700 \u00b0C: glass, steel and ceramics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2>2-wire, 3-wire or 4-wire?<\/h2>\n<p>A PT100 measures resistance, so the cable resistance ends up in the reading too. With a 2-wire connection and ten metres of cable with 0.5 mm\u00b2 conductors, the error is almost 2 \u00b0C.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f2-en.webp\" alt=\"Two-, three- and four-wire connection of a PT100 to an instrument. With more wires the cable has less effect on the reading.\" width=\"1520\" height=\"480\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>The more wires, the less the cable affects the reading.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li><b>2-wire<\/b> \u2013 the simplest. Only for short cables or PT1000s.<\/li>\n<li><b>3-wire<\/b> \u2013 the industry standard. The instrument measures one conductor and subtracts it, provided the conductors are equal.<\/li>\n<li><b>4-wire<\/b> \u2013 two wires carry the current, two measure the voltage. The cable has no effect. For laboratories and calibration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thermocouples are not affected by cable resistance in the same way. Instead, the cable must be of the same type as the thermocouple all the way to the instrument. A joint with ordinary copper cable becomes a new measuring point.<\/p>\n<h2>Response time, thermowells and transmitters<\/h2>\n<p>Response time is often given as t0.5 or t0.9: the time until the sensor shows 50% or 90% of a temperature step. It depends more on the thermowell and medium than on the element. Flowing liquid gives a short response time, still air a long one.<\/p>\n<p>A <b>thermowell<\/b> protects the sensor from pressure, flow and wear and lets you replace it without draining the process. The immersion depth must be sufficient. A common rule of thumb is at least ten times the well diameter, otherwise the well conducts heat away and the sensor reads wrong.<\/p>\n<p>A <b>temperature transmitter<\/b> in the connection head or on a DIN rail converts the signal to 4\u201320 mA, IO-Link or fieldbus. The alternative is a PLC analogue input that reads PT100s and thermocouples directly, or a temperature relay that alarms at a limit.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"g-pit\">\n<li><b>Wrong thermocouple cable.<\/b> Joints with copper cable or compensating cable of the wrong type can cause errors of several degrees.<\/li>\n<li><b>2-wire connection on long cables.<\/b> The cable resistance adds to the reading. Use three or four wires, or a transmitter close to the sensor.<\/li>\n<li><b>Too little immersion.<\/b> The sensor picks up the ambient temperature through the thermowell and reads wrong, especially in small pipes.<\/li>\n<li><b>The class only covers the element.<\/b> Transmitters and input cards have their own errors. Calculate for the whole chain and calibrate it as a whole when accuracy matters.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Where are temperature sensors used?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Food and pharma<\/b> \u2013 hygienic PT100s for pasteurisation, cleaning-in-place and cold stores.<\/li>\n<li><b>Factories and machines<\/b> \u2013 oil and cooling-water temperature, bearings and motor windings.<\/li>\n<li><b>Energy<\/b> \u2013 district heating, heat pumps, transformers and generators in hydro and wind power.<\/li>\n<li><b>Furnaces and metals<\/b> \u2013 type K, N or S thermocouples in hardening furnaces, foundries and glassworks.<\/li>\n<li><b>Vehicles and mobile machines<\/b> \u2013 exhaust, coolant and hydraulic oil temperature.<\/li>\n<li><b>Laboratories and medical technology<\/b> \u2013 4-wire PT100s for accurate measurement and calibration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Temperature sensors from SCN<\/h2>\n<p>We carry temperature sensors for liquids and gases in pipe systems from Wenglor, temperature relays from Tele Haase and I\/O modules from Yaskawa and Moxa that read PT100s and thermocouples directly. Tell us the temperature, medium and signal, and we will help you choose.<\/p>\n<h3>Examples from our range<\/h3>\n<div class=\"g-prod\"><a class=\"g-pc\" href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product\/fxtt001\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FXTT001.jpg\" alt=\"Wenglor FXTT001 Temperature Sensor\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><span class=\"g-pb\">Wenglor<\/span><span class=\"g-pn\">FXTT001 Temperature Sensor<\/span><span class=\"g-pw\">Measures liquids and gases in closed pipe systems. Switching outputs or an analogue signal are set via IO-Link, IP68 and IP69K.<\/span><\/a><a class=\"g-pc\" href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product\/g2tf-g2tmpt100-temperature-monitors\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/tele-haase-temp-main.webp\" alt=\"Tele Haase G2TF \/ G2TMPT100 temperature monitors\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><span class=\"g-pb\">Tele Haase<\/span><span class=\"g-pn\">G2TF \/ G2TMPT100 temperature monitors<\/span><span class=\"g-pw\">DIN-rail monitor for PT100 sensors with multifunction thresholds, or for up to six PTC sensors in motor windings.<\/span><\/a><a class=\"g-pc\" href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product\/m31-1cd50\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/VIPA_M31-1CD50_3D.jpg\" alt=\"Yaskawa M31-1CD50\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><span class=\"g-pb\">Yaskawa<\/span><span class=\"g-pn\">M31-1CD50<\/span><span class=\"g-pw\">Four analogue inputs for Pt100 and Pt1000 in 2-, 3- or 4-wire connection and for type J, K, N, T and other thermocouples.<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"g-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product-category\/products\/sensors\/temperature-sensors\/\">Temperature sensors<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product-category\/products\/components\/monitoring-relays\/\">Monitoring relays<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product-category\/products\/control-systems\/plc-systems\/micro-plc\/\">Micro PLC<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product-category\/products\/sensors\/condition-monitoring-sensors\/\">Condition monitoring sensors<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/product-category\/products\/sensors\/\">Sensors<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"g-cta\">\n<p>Not sure about sensor type, class or wiring? Ask one of our engineers \u2013 you get an answer within 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/contact\/\">Ask an engineer<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>What is the difference between a PT100 and a PT1000?<\/summary>\n<p>Both are platinum resistors to IEC 60751, but a PT1000 has 1,000 \u03a9 at 0 \u00b0C. Cable resistance therefore matters less, and a PT1000 works better with 2-wire connection. The instrument must be set to the right type.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How do I check a PT100 with a multimeter?<\/summary>\n<p>Measure the resistance between the wires. At 0 \u00b0C it should be 100 \u03a9 and at 20 \u00b0C about 108 \u03a9. A very high value points to a broken wire, a value near zero to a short circuit.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Which thermocouple type should I choose?<\/summary>\n<p>Type K is the general-purpose choice up to about 1,200 \u00b0C. Type N is more stable at high temperatures, type T suits low temperatures and types R, S and B the very highest.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What does 1\/3 DIN mean?<\/summary>\n<p>A PT100 with one third of the class B tolerance, roughly \u00b1(0.1 + 0.0017\u00b7|t|) \u00b0C. It corresponds to class AA in IEC 60751.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Why is my thermocouple reading wrong?<\/summary>\n<p>Common causes are the wrong compensating cable, reversed polarity, the wrong thermocouple type set in the instrument or a sensor aged by high temperature.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PT100s and thermocouples are the most common ways to measure temperature in industry. This guide explains how they work, how accurate they are and how to choose the sensor, wiring and thermowell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":8234089,"template":"","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"pt100 vs thermocouple","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"hide","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"hide","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_scn_guide_cats":[12197],"_scn_guide_sectors":[1011,1080],"_scn_guide_type":"tech","_scn_guide_order":32,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8234194","scn_guide","type-scn_guide","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor | SCN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor | SCN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-24T17:29:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1520\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/\",\"name\":\"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor | SCN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-24T17:28:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-24T17:29:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp\",\"width\":1520,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Principle: in a PT100 the resistance of the platinum element rises with temperature. In a thermocouple two different metals produce a voltage that depends on the temperature difference between the hot junction and the reference junction.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/guides\\\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"SCN\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Sensor Control Nordic\",\"alternateName\":\"SCN\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/SCN-logo-scaled.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/SCN-logo-scaled.png\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":632,\"caption\":\"Sensor Control Nordic\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scn.eu\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/sensor-control-nordic-ab\"],\"location\":[{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Walsall\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"46 Hall Lane, Walsall Wood\",\"addressLocality\":\"Walsall\",\"postalCode\":\"WS9 9DP\",\"addressCountry\":\"GB\",\"addressRegion\":\"West Midlands\"},\"telephone\":\"+44 1634 300 900\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Stockholm\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Gustav III:s Boulevard 32\",\"addressLocality\":\"Solna\",\"postalCode\":\"169 73\",\"addressCountry\":\"SE\"},\"telephone\":\"+46 8 668 21 00\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Malm\u00f6\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"R\u00f6nnviksgatan 13\",\"addressLocality\":\"Malm\u00f6\",\"postalCode\":\"213 74\",\"addressCountry\":\"SE\"},\"telephone\":\"+46 40 688 02 00\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Sundsvall\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Trafikgatan 11\",\"addressLocality\":\"Sundsvall\",\"postalCode\":\"856 44\",\"addressCountry\":\"SE\"},\"telephone\":\"+46 60 740 75 81\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Helsinki\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Huopalahdentie 24A\",\"addressLocality\":\"Helsinki\",\"postalCode\":\"00350\",\"addressCountry\":\"FI\"},\"telephone\":\"+358 20 734 8600\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Tallinn\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Narva mnt 5\",\"addressLocality\":\"Tallinn\",\"postalCode\":\"10117\",\"addressCountry\":\"EE\"},\"telephone\":\"+372 651 4550\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Oslo\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Kristoffer Robins vei 13\",\"addressLocality\":\"Oslo\",\"postalCode\":\"0978\",\"addressCountry\":\"NO\"},\"telephone\":\"+47 23 88 89 62\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN R\u00f8dekro\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"H\u00e6rvejen 8\",\"addressLocality\":\"R\u00f8dekro\",\"postalCode\":\"6230\",\"addressCountry\":\"DK\"},\"telephone\":\"+45 78 74 65 00\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Madrid\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Paseo de la Castellana, 200\",\"addressLocality\":\"Madrid\",\"postalCode\":\"28046\",\"addressCountry\":\"ES\",\"addressRegion\":\"Comunidad de Madrid\"},\"telephone\":\"+34 93 641 59 97\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SCN Tarnowskie G\u00f3ry\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"ul. Ma\u0142a 1B\",\"addressLocality\":\"Tarnowskie G\u00f3ry\",\"postalCode\":\"42-605\",\"addressCountry\":\"PL\"},\"telephone\":\"+48 511 199 460\"}],\"email\":\"sales@scn.eu\",\"areaServed\":[\"SE\",\"NO\",\"DK\",\"FI\",\"EE\",\"GB\",\"PL\",\"ES\"],\"knowsLanguage\":[\"en\",\"sv\",\"da\",\"fi\",\"nb\",\"et\",\"pl\",\"es\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor | SCN","description":"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor | SCN","og_description":"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.","og_url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/","og_site_name":"SCN","article_modified_time":"2026-10-24T17:29:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1520,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/","url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/","name":"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor | SCN","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp","datePublished":"2026-10-24T17:28:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-24T17:29:32+00:00","description":"PT100 vs thermocouple: compare range, IEC 60751 accuracy classes, thermocouple types, 2-, 3- and 4-wire connection and response time. A guide from SCN.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/scn-guide-temperatur-f1-en.webp","width":1520,"height":512,"caption":"Principle: in a PT100 the resistance of the platinum element rises with temperature. In a thermocouple two different metals produce a voltage that depends on the temperature difference between the hot junction and the reference junction."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/guides\/pt100-vs-thermocouple\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"PT100 vs thermocouple \u2013 how to choose a temperature sensor"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/","name":"SCN","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/#organization","name":"Sensor Control Nordic","alternateName":"SCN","url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SCN-logo-scaled.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SCN-logo-scaled.png","width":2560,"height":632,"caption":"Sensor Control Nordic"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/sensor-control-nordic-ab"],"location":[{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Walsall","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"46 Hall Lane, Walsall Wood","addressLocality":"Walsall","postalCode":"WS9 9DP","addressCountry":"GB","addressRegion":"West Midlands"},"telephone":"+44 1634 300 900"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Stockholm","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Gustav III:s Boulevard 32","addressLocality":"Solna","postalCode":"169 73","addressCountry":"SE"},"telephone":"+46 8 668 21 00"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Malm\u00f6","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"R\u00f6nnviksgatan 13","addressLocality":"Malm\u00f6","postalCode":"213 74","addressCountry":"SE"},"telephone":"+46 40 688 02 00"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Sundsvall","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Trafikgatan 11","addressLocality":"Sundsvall","postalCode":"856 44","addressCountry":"SE"},"telephone":"+46 60 740 75 81"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Helsinki","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Huopalahdentie 24A","addressLocality":"Helsinki","postalCode":"00350","addressCountry":"FI"},"telephone":"+358 20 734 8600"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Tallinn","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Narva mnt 5","addressLocality":"Tallinn","postalCode":"10117","addressCountry":"EE"},"telephone":"+372 651 4550"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Oslo","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Kristoffer Robins vei 13","addressLocality":"Oslo","postalCode":"0978","addressCountry":"NO"},"telephone":"+47 23 88 89 62"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN R\u00f8dekro","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"H\u00e6rvejen 8","addressLocality":"R\u00f8dekro","postalCode":"6230","addressCountry":"DK"},"telephone":"+45 78 74 65 00"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Madrid","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Paseo de la Castellana, 200","addressLocality":"Madrid","postalCode":"28046","addressCountry":"ES","addressRegion":"Comunidad de Madrid"},"telephone":"+34 93 641 59 97"},{"@type":"Place","name":"SCN Tarnowskie G\u00f3ry","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"ul. Ma\u0142a 1B","addressLocality":"Tarnowskie G\u00f3ry","postalCode":"42-605","addressCountry":"PL"},"telephone":"+48 511 199 460"}],"email":"sales@scn.eu","areaServed":["SE","NO","DK","FI","EE","GB","PL","ES"],"knowsLanguage":["en","sv","da","fi","nb","et","pl","es"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scn_guide\/8234194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scn_guide"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/scn_guide"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scn_guide\/8234194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8234212,"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scn_guide\/8234194\/revisions\/8234212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8234089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scn.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8234194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}