Temperature is the most often-measured environmental quantity. This might be expected since most physical, electronic, chemical, mechanical and biological systems are affected by temperature. Some processes work well only within a narrow range of temperatures; certain chemical reactions, biological processes, and even electronic circuits perform best within limited temperature ranges. When these processes need to be optimized, control sys-tems that keep temperature within specified limits are often used. Temperature sensors provide inputs to those control systems.
Many electronic components can be damaged by exposure to high temperatures, and some can be damaged by exposure to low temperatures. Semiconductor devices and LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) are examples of com-monly-used components that can be damage by temperature extremes. When temperature limits are exceeded, action must be taken to protect the system. In these systems, temperature sensing helps enhance reliability.
One example of such a system is a personal computer. The computer’s motherboard and hard disk drive gener-ate a great deal of heat. The internal fan helps cool the system, but if the fan fails, or if airflow is blocked, sys-tem components could be permanently damaged. By sensing the temperature inside the computer’s case, high-temperature conditions can be detected and actions can be taken to reduce system temperature, or even shut the system down to avert catastrophe.

CONTENTS
1. Introduction to this Handbook .............................................................. 1
2. Temperature Sensing Techniques.......................................................... 1
RTDs........................................................................................................... 1
Thermistors ................................................................................................... 2
Thermocouples................................................................................................ 3
Silicon Temperature Sensors ................................................................................. 4
3 National’s Temperature Sensor ICs ........................................................5
3.1 Voltage-Output Analog Temperature Sensors ............................................................... 5
LM135, LM235, LM335 Kelvin Sensors........................................................................ 5
LM35, LM45 Celsius Sensors ................................................................................. 5
LM34 Fahrenheit Sensor ...................................................................................... 6
LM50 “Single Supply” Celsius Sensor........................................................................ 6
LM60 2.7V Single Supply Celsius Sensor ..................................................................... 6
3.2 Current-Output Analog Sensors ............................................................................. 6
LM134, LM234, and LM334 Current-Output Temperature Sensors ........................................... 6
3.3 Comparator-Output Temperature Sensors ................................................................... 7
LM56 Low-Power Thermostat................................................................................. 7
3.4 Digital Output Sensors ....................................................................................... 8
LM75 Digital Temperature Sensor and Thermal Watchdog With Two-Wire Interface ........................ 8
LM78 System Monitor ........................................................................................ 9
4. Application Hints.................................................................................. 10
Sensor Location for Accurate Measurements............................................................... 10
Example 1. Audio Power Amplifier ......................................................................... 11
Example 2. Personal Computer ............................................................................. 12
Example 3. Measuring Air Temperature .................................................................... 13
Mapping Temperature to Output Voltage or Current ....................................................... 13
Driving Capacitive Loads (These hints apply to analog-output sensors) ................................... 14
Noise Filtering............................................................................................... 14
5. Application Circuits ...............................................................................15
5.1 Personal Computers ........................................................................................ 15
Simple Fan Controller ....................................................................................... 15
Low/High Fan Controllers ................................................................................... 16
Digital I/O Temperature Monitor ............................................................................ 17
5.2 Interfacing External Temperature Sensors to PCS ......................................................... 18
LM75-to-PC interface ........................................................................................ 18
Isolated LM75-to-PC ......................................................................................... 19
5.3 Low-Power Systems ....................................................................................... 19
Low-Voltage, Low-Power Temperature Sensor with “Shutdown”.......................................... 19
Battery Management ........................................................................................ 20
“No Power” Battery Temperature Monitors ................................................................ 21
5.4 Audio ....................................................................................................... 22
Audio Power Amplifier Heat Sink Temperature Detector and Fan Controller .............................. 22
5.5 Other Applications ......................................................................................... 23
Two-Wire Temperature Sensor.............................................................................. 23
4-to-20mA Current Transmitter (0°C to 100°C) .............................................................. 24
Multi-Channel Temperature-to-Digital Converter ........................................................... 25
Oven Temperature Controllers .............................................................................. 25
Isolated Temperature-to-Frequency Converter.............................................................. 26