IEC 60393-6-1: Potentiometers for Electronic Equipment — SMD Trimmer Potentiometer Standardization

SMD Trimmer Potentiometers — Why They Are “Fixed” After a Single Factory Adjustment

IEC 60393-6-1:2003 specifies SMD trimmer potentiometer requirements. SMD trimmers are used for one-time factory calibration — amplifier offset nulling, sensor sensitivity calibration — then typically never adjusted again. Key parameter: Setting Stability — resistance value after adjustment must not drift more than ±1% under temperature cycling and vibration.

TNLab — Trimmer potentiometers are “set once at the factory and never touched again” — setting stability matters more than adjustment life.