Bourns Introduces CFG-A Series Wide-Terminal Metal Foil Current Sense Resistors for Automotive and High-Reliability Applications

­Bourns today announced the CFG-A Series Wide-Terminal Metal Foil Current Sense Resistors, available in 0508 and 0612 footprints. Rated up to 2 W and covering a resistance range of 1–30 mΩ, the CFG-A Series is AEC-Q200-compliant and designed for automotive power electronics, motor drives, and other high-reliability applications where accurate, thermally stable current measurement is required.

Automotive electrification, spanning 12 V to 48 V mild-hybrid architectures and beyond, is raising current sensing accuracy requirements while simultaneously compressing available board space. OEMs are specifying AEC-Q200-qualified passives as standard, and designers of compact ECUs and power modules face growing pressure to manage thermal hotspots without enlarging their PCB footprint. The CFG-A Series addresses these demands directly through its metal foil sensing element, wide-terminal construction, and automotive-grade qualification.

Compared with conventional thick-film current sense resistors, the metal foil element in the CFG-A Series delivers lower TCR and better stability under sustained load. The wide-terminal geometry lowers thermal resistance from the resistive element to the PCB, reducing localized heating and improving long-term drift performance. These capabilities deliver a measurable advantage in applications where stable current measurement over the product lifecycle matters.

“As automotive power levels climb and ECU packaging tightens, current sensing components must deliver more in less space. The CFG-A Series gives engineers a qualified path to accurate, thermally robust shunt sensing in the 0508 and 0612 footprints they’re already designing around.”- Walter Garcia, Product Line Manager Resistors, Bourns

Design Features

•      Metal foil sensing element - provides low resistance values with excellent stability and low drift over time, suited to precision current measurement

•      Wide-terminal construction- lowers thermal resistance and mechanical stress, improving power handling and board-level reliability by spreading heat across a larger pad area

•      AEC-Q200 compliant - qualified to automotive reliability standards, including High Temperature Exposure, Thermal Cycling (1,000 cycles), Biased Humidity (1,000 h), and Operational Life (1,000 h at 70 °C), with ≤±1% resistance change

•      Low TCR- down to ±50 ppm/°C for values ≥5 mΩ (model-dependent), maintaining measurement accuracy across the −55 °C to +155 °C operating range

•      Power rating up to 2 W - 0612 footprint rated at 2 W at 70 °C; 0508 rated up to 1.5 W, enabling higher current sensing or reduced shunt count in space-constrained designs

•      Broad value range- 1–10 mΩ (CFG0508A) and 1–30 mΩ (CFG0612A) with ±1% and ±5% tolerances, providing design flexibility across power supply, motor drive, and input amplifier applications

•      Moisture Sensitivity Level 1- solder reflow compatible to 260 °C peak

•      RoHS compliant* and halogen free**

Electrical Specifications

Target Applications

•      Automotive battery management and powertrain current sensing

•      48 V mild-hybrid and EV power electronics

•      Energy and Storage battery management systems (BMS)

•      Motor drives and variable-frequency drives

•      DC-DC converters and switching power supplies

•      Input amplifier and precision current measurement circuits

Availability
The Bourns® CFG-A Series Wide-Terminal Metal Foil Current Sense Resistors are available now. Full specifications, ordering information and data sheets are available at Resistors - AEC-Q200 Compliant.