Adjust the wire resistances yourself and watch exactly how W1/W3 mismatch creates a temperature error and why W2 never matters no matter what you set it to!

3-Wire RTD Simulator — See the Wire Resistance Error in Real Time

Experience the fundamentals of 3-wire RTD lead resistance compensation with this interactive simulator. Used throughout industrial process plants where accurate temperature measurement is critical, RTD transmitters rely on precise wire resistance matching to eliminate measurement error. This tool demonstrates exactly how W1 and W3 resistance mismatch creates a temperature reading error and proves in real time why W2 resistance is always irrelevant no matter what value you set it to. It's a reflection of Orion Technical's hands-on expertise in instrumentation and temperature measurement.

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3-Wire RTD Sim — Orion Technical Solutions

3-Wire RTD Simulation — PT100 (α = 0.00385) — Orion Technical Solutions

3-wire RTD diagram
°F
Ω
Ω
Ω
100.0°F
+0.00°F
T_in: 37.78 °C
R_RTD: 114.682 Ω
R_apparent: 114.682 Ω
W1=0.50  W2=0.50  W3=0.50 Ω
Wire err (W3−W1): +0.00 Ω
Sensitivity: ~2.60 °C/Ω | ~4.68 °F/Ω

v3 — Calibrated 2026-04-13 | Points: temp_entry(95,76) w1(300,79) w2(301,160) w3(311,348) pv(588,220) err(561,404)