An electrosurgical instrument is provided including an elongated housing at least one electrocautery end effector removably supportable within the housing and extending distally from the housing, the electrocautery end effector being connectable to an electrosurgical generator and at least one voltage divider network supported on the housing. The at least one voltage divider network is electrically connectable to the electrosurgical generator and is capable of controlling the intensity of electrosurgical energy being delivered to the electrosurgical pencil and/or the mode of electrosurgical energy being delivered to the electrosurgical instrument. The voltage divider network generates a plurality of characteristic voltages which are measurable by the electrosurgical generator and which electrosurgical generator in turn transmits a corresponding waveform duty cycle at a particular intensity to the electrocautery end effector of the electrosurgical instrument.
