Slide Potentiometers

This Product Selection Guide contains information to help select products in the Slide Potentiometers category on DigiKey.com

Slide potentiometers (Pots) employ a resistive element and a sliding contact to form an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end of the element and the adjustable contact, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. Slide potentiometers are selected by the resistance value of the element, travel range, mounting type, power dissipation, adjustment type and dual, motor or standard fader type.


SelectionCharacteristics

Resistance: Characterizes the nominal resistance of a current path through a device.

Power (Watts): Identifies the amount of heat that can be continuously dissipated by the resistive element without damaging the device. Measured in Watts (W) and typically based on the size of the device.

Tolerance: Characterizes the extent of permitted variability of overall device resistance among samples of a given part number, resulting from variations in manufacturing.

Adjustment Type: Defines what orientation the adjuster is placed at.

Fader Type: Enumerates key features of the potentiometer such as channel count, motorized drive function, and illumination.

Travel Range: Indicates the distance a device’s actuator travels when moved between end stops.

Size/Dimension: The physical dimensions of the device. Typically, length, width, and height.

Mounting Type: Indicates how the device is attached.

ProductExamples

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MFR PART # PS30-10PB1BR10K
DIGI-KEY PART # 987-1400-ND
MANUFACTURER TT Electronics/BI
DESCRIPTION SLIDE POT 10K OHM 0.2W TOP 30MM
DATASHEET Click Here

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MFR PART # PSM60-082A-103B2
DIGI-KEY PART # PSM60-082A-103B2-ND
MANUFACTURER Bourns Inc.
DESCRIPTION SLIDE POT 10K OHM 0.5W TOP 60MM
DATASHEET Click Here

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Schematic symbol courtesy of Scheme-it. Please see their website for more information and symbols.

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TechForum
Potentiometer Linearity Tolerance

If you have any general questions on the specifications for selecting Slide Potentiometers, please reply using the button below. If you have questions on specific Slide Potentiometers please post those questions in the Resistors category.