Resistor
A passive two-terminal component that opposes current flow. The most fundamental building block for setting operating points, limiting current, and creating voltage dividers.
Properties
| Property | Description | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resistance | Opposition to current flow (Ω) | 1 000 Ω | 0.1 Ω – 10 MΩ |
| Power rating | Maximum continuous dissipation before failure (W) | 0.25 W | 0.1 W – 100 W |
| Tolerance | Manufacturing accuracy (%) | 5 % | 1 %, 2 %, 5 %, 10 % |
| Material | Resistive element type (affects noise and temperature coefficient) | Carbon film | Carbon film / Metal film / Wirewound |
| Physical size | Package footprint label (e.g., 0805, 0603, through-hole) | Through-hole | — |
Simulation behavior
Power dissipation is calculated as P = V² / R (or I² × R) on every solver tick. If instantaneous power exceeds the power rating, the resistor fails open — current stops flowing and the component is highlighted red in the simulation panel.
Temperature rises proportionally to dissipated power and ambient conditions. Metal-film resistors have a lower temperature coefficient than carbon-film, so they remain more stable under thermal stress.
Tips
- Use metal-film resistors for precision circuits where the resistance value must stay stable across temperature changes.
- When a resistor keeps failing, either increase its power rating or add a second resistor in parallel to share the load.
- The tolerance property affects the displayed value label but does not currently randomize the simulated value — all simulations use the nominal resistance.