300°C Thermistor vs. RTD Pt1000: Understanding the Differences

What's the difference between the 300°C Thermistor and the RTD Pt1000?

Both the 300°C Thermistor and the RTD Pt1000 perform the same task, they measure the temperature of the hot block and relay that to the 3D printer's board. However, there are a few key differences between the two. The 300°C Thermistor can only read temperatures up to 300°C (sorry, had to state the obvious). The RTD Pt1000 can read temperatures all the way to 500°C which unlocks all of those high-temperature, engineering-grade materials everyone wants to use. It also has a linear resistance vs. temperature curve which just makes sense.

So why would I use the 300°C Thermistor over the RTD Pt1000? Well, for a while, the boards and firmware for 3D printers in the past were only capable of reading the values a thermistor provided. So if you have an older printer, it may be possible that it cannot read the values provided by an RTD Pt1000. However, nowadays it is very common for boards and firmware to know how to read the values an RTD Pt1000 provides. You can even make the RTD Pt1000 more accurate by using an amplifier board like the MAX31865. With all of this said, it is crucial that you reference your 3D printer's documentation to ensure that any temperature sensor you want to use will in fact work with your 3D printer.