Full rtd-sensor Documentation

This is the complete user guide for rtd-sensor. It is written to be useful to professional and scientific users without assuming that every reader already knows RTD terminology, metrology vocabulary, or the package's internal design.

rtd-sensor is a platform-independent Python library for resistance temperature detector (RTD) conversion and modeling. It works at the RTD model boundary: give it resistance in ohms and it can calculate temperature in degrees Celsius, or give it temperature and it can calculate the corresponding model resistance.

The package also provides calibration fitting, custom models, portable model definitions, tolerance calculations, uncertainty tools, simulation, batch conversion, model discovery, and cross-language conformance support.

Choose a section

Using rtd-sensor

Start with everyday conversion, ranges, errors, sensitivity, batch conversion, and discovering the built-in models.

Using rtd-sensor

Built-in RTDs

Detailed documentation for Pt100, Pt500, Pt1000, Ni1000 6180, Ni1000 TK5000, and Ni120 6720.

Built-in RTDs

Custom & calibrated models

Use a characterized reference resistance, custom Callendar–Van Dusen coefficients, polynomial models, piecewise models, tabulated data, calibration fitting, and portable definitions.

Custom & calibrated models

Measurement & uncertainty

Understand the acquisition boundary, compose resistance readers with models, calculate IEC 60751 tolerance limits, and build inspectable uncertainty budgets.

Measurement & uncertainty

Simulation & testing

Generate deterministic or noisy RTD measurements for application tests, demonstrations, and hardware-independent development.

Simulation & testing

Integration

Use the structural RTD model interface, plug in third-party models, handle errors deliberately, and keep hardware acquisition separate from RTD science.

Integration

Package scope at a glance

Verified built-in models currently include:

Built-in	Characteristic	R0 at 0 °C	Supported characteristic range
Pt100	IEC 60751 PT-385 platinum	100 Ω	-200 °C to 850 °C
Pt500	IEC 60751 PT-385 platinum	500 Ω	-200 °C to 850 °C
Pt1000	IEC 60751 PT-385 platinum	1000 Ω	-200 °C to 850 °C
Ni1000 6180	former DIN 43760 / Nickel ND	1000 Ω	-60 °C to 250 °C
Ni1000 TK5000	Nickel NL 5000 ppm/K	1000 Ω	-60 °C to 250 °C
Ni120 6720	North American / Minco NA	120 Ω	-80 °C to 260 °C

Hardware-specific concerns such as ADC readings, GPIO, SPI, I²C, excitation circuits, and lead-wire compensation remain outside the package. See The hardware/acquisition boundary.

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