A method for diagnosing a shorted thermocouple (106, 706, 806) by using a temperature transmitter assembly comprising a thermocouple (106, 706, 806) with a first conductor (116, 716, 816) and a second conductor (118, 718, 818) connected to each other at a junction (120, 720, 820), wherein at least one of the first conductor (116, 716, 816) and the second conductor (118, 718, 818) comprise a first portion (730, 836, 840) with a first resistance per unit length and a second portion (732, 832, 842) with a second resistance per unit length, wherein the second portion (732, 832, 842) is closer to the junction (120, 720, 820) than the first portion and the second resistance per unit length is greater than the first resistance per unit length, and a temperature transmitter comprising diagnostics for determining a resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) with the aid of a digital processor wherein the method comprises: - calculating a temperature for the junction (120, 300, 720, 800, 820, 100) formed by the conductors (116, 716, 816 and 118, 718, 818) of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) based on a measured voltage across the thermocouple (106, 706, 806); - diagnosing whether conductors of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) have shorted together by -- determining a baseline resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806), which is initially measured and stored; -- monitoring temperatures and not re-measuring the resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) unless the temperature provided by the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) drops by more than a threshold amount over a designated period of time; and -- measuring the resistance and determining a difference between the baseline resistance and the measured resistance measured in response to the temperatures indicating the drop by more than the threshold amount; and - communicating via an interface that the conductors (116, 716, 816 and 118, 718, 818) of the thermocouple have shorted together. - calculating a temperature for the junction (120, 300, 720, 800, 820, 100) formed by the conductors (116, 716, 816 and 118, 718, 818) of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) based on a measured voltage across the thermocouple (106, 706, 806); - diagnosing whether conductors of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) have shorted together by -- determining a baseline resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806), which is initially measured and stored; -- monitoring temperatures and not re-measuring the resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) unless the temperature provided by the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) drops by more than a threshold amount over a designated period of time; and -- measuring the resistance and determining a difference between the baseline resistance and the measured resistance measured in response to the temperatures indicating the drop by more than the threshold amount; and -- determining a baseline resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806), which is initially measured and stored; -- monitoring temperatures and not re-measuring the resistance of the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) unless the temperature provided by the thermocouple (106, 706, 806) drops by more than a threshold amount over a designated period of time; and -- measuring the resistance and determining a difference between the baseline resistance and the measured resistance measured in response to the temperatures indicating the drop by more than the threshold amount; and - communicating via an interface that the conductors (116, 716, 816 and 118, 718, 818) of the thermocouple have shorted together.