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Trimmer potentiometers or "trimpots".

Electronic Symbol for Capacitive Trimmer

A trimmer or preset^[1] is a miniature adjustable electrical component. It is meant to be set correctly when installed in some device, and never seen or adjusted by the device's user. Trimmers can be variable resistors (potentiometers) or variable capacitors (trimmable inductors exist but are very uncommon). They are common in precision circuitry like A/V components, and may need to be adjusted when the equipment is serviced. Unlike many other variable controls, trimmers are mounted directly on circuit boards, turned with a small screwdriver and rated for many fewer adjustments over their lifetime.

Trimmers come in a variety of sizes and levels of precision; for example, multi-turn trim potentiometers exist, in which it takes several turns of the adjustment screw to reach the end value, allowing for very high degrees of accuracy.

In 1952, Marlan Bourns patented the world's first trimming potentiometer, trademarked "Trimpot", a name now commonly used to refer to any trimming potentiometer.

[edit] See also

Laser trimming

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/vres.htm#presets

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