A thermal system (100, 1100, 2100, 3100, 4100, 5100, 6100) comprising: a plurality of thermal elements (102A-102D, 1102A-1102D, 2102A-2012D, 3102A-3102D, 4102A-4102D, 5102A-5102D, 6102A-6102D), each of the thermal elements defining a resistor (104A-104D, 1104A-1104D, 2104A-2104D, 3104A-3104D, 4104A-4104D, 5104A-5104D, 6104A-6104D) and a current limiting device (106A-106D, 1106A-1106D, 2106A-2106D, 3106A-3106D, 4106A-4106D, 5106A-5106D, 6106A-6106D), the plurality of thermal elements comprising at least a first subset of parallel thermal elements (102A, 102C, 1102A, 1102C, 2102A, 2012C, 3102A, 3102C, 4102A, 4102C, 5102A, 5102C, 6102A, 6102C) and at least a second subset of parallel thermal elements (102B, 102D, 1102B, 1102D, 2102B, 2012D, 3102B, 3102D, 4102B, 4102D, 5102B, 5102D, 6102B, 6102D), wherein the current limiting devices in a given subset of parallel thermal elements have opposite polarity from each other; and a plurality of power lines (108, 110, 1108, 1110, 2108, 2110, 3108, 3110, 4108, 4110, 5108, 5110, 6108, 6110) connected to the plurality of thermal elements, the power lines configured in pairs for providing power to the first subset and the second subset of parallel thermal elements, characterized in that the thermal system further comprises a plurality of common power lines (112, 1112, 2112, 3112, 4112, 5112, 6112) having a number equal to a number of the pairs of the power lines such that each of the pairs of power lines share a corresponding one of the common power lines (112, 1112, 2112, 3112, 4112, 5112, 6112) and such that the first and second subsets of each of the parallel thermal elements share the corresponding one of the common power lines (112, 1112, 2112, 3112, 4112, 5112, 6112). a plurality of thermal elements (102A-102D, 1102A-1102D, 2102A-2012D, 3102A-3102D, 4102A-4102D, 5102A-5102D, 6102A-6102D), each of the thermal elements defining a resistor (104A-104D, 1104A-1104D, 2104A-2104D, 3104A-3104D, 4104A-4104D, 5104A-5104D, 6104A-6104D) and a current limiting device (106A-106D, 1106A-1106D, 2106A-2106D, 3106A-3106D, 4106A-4106D, 5106A-5106D, 6106A-6106D), the plurality of thermal elements comprising at least a first subset of parallel thermal elements (102A, 102C, 1102A, 1102C, 2102A, 2012C, 3102A, 3102C, 4102A, 4102C, 5102A, 5102C, 6102A, 6102C) and at least a second subset of parallel thermal elements (102B, 102D, 1102B, 1102D, 2102B, 2012D, 3102B, 3102D, 4102B, 4102D, 5102B, 5102D, 6102B, 6102D), wherein the current limiting devices in a given subset of parallel thermal elements have opposite polarity from each other; and a plurality of power lines (108, 110, 1108, 1110, 2108, 2110, 3108, 3110, 4108, 4110, 5108, 5110, 6108, 6110) connected to the plurality of thermal elements, the power lines configured in pairs for providing power to the first subset and the second subset of parallel thermal elements, characterized in that the thermal system further comprises a plurality of common power lines (112, 1112, 2112, 3112, 4112, 5112, 6112) having a number equal to a number of the pairs of the power lines such that each of the pairs of power lines share a corresponding one of the common power lines (112, 1112, 2112, 3112, 4112, 5112, 6112) and such that the first and second subsets of each of the parallel thermal elements share the corresponding one of the common power lines (112, 1112, 2112, 3112, 4112, 5112, 6112).