Capacitor Code Decoder

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Understanding Capacitor Codes

Capacitor codes provide vital information about the capacitor’s capacitance, tolerance, and voltage rating. This guide will help you decode the information printed on capacitors.

Capacitance Value

The capacitance value of a capacitor is typically printed directly on its body in microfarads (µF), nanofarads (nF), or picofarads (pF). When space is limited, a numerical code is used.

The first two digits represent significant figures, and the third digit is the multiplier. For example:

CodeSignificant FiguresMultiplierCapacitance
470470 (1)47 pF
471471 (10)470 pF
472472 (100)4,700 pF / 4.7 nF
473473 (1,000)47,000 pF / 47 nF / 0.047 µF
474474 (10,000)470,000 pF / 470 nF / 0.47 µF
475475 (100,000)4,700,000 pF / 4.7 µF
476476 (1,000,000)47 µF
--7 unused-
478478 (0.01)0.47 pF
479479 (0.1)4.7 pF
Example: 3-Digit Capacitor Codes

For capacitance values below 10 pF, a different format using the letter "R" to denote the decimal point is sometimes used. For example:

CodeCapacitance
0R50.5 pF
1R51.5 pF
4R74.7 pF
Example: Capacitor Codes with 'R' Notation

Small numbers without unit notation can indicate microfarad (µF) values. For example:

CodeCapacitanceToleranceVoltage Rating
.1K630.1 µF±10%63V
1K631 µF±10%63V
Example: Microfarad (µF) Values Without Unit Notation

Voltage Rating

The voltage rating, often indicated in volts (V), signifies the maximum voltage the capacitor can handle. This is sometimes directly printed on the capacitor. For example, '25V' indicates that the capacitor can safely operate up to 25 volts.

EIA Capacitor Voltage Codes

The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) uses a specific coding system to indicate the voltage rating of capacitors. For example:

CodeVoltage RatingCodeVoltage Rating
0E2.5V2E250V
0G4V2F315V
OL5.5V2V350V
OJ6.3V2G400V
1A10V2W450V
1C16V2J630V
1D20V2I650V
1E25V2K800V
1V35V3A1000V
1G40V3L1200V
1H50V3B1250V
1J63V3N1500V
1M70V3C1600V
1U75V3D2000V
1K80V3E2500V
2A100V3F3000V
2Q110V3G4000V
2B125V3H5000V
2C160V3I6000V
2Z180V3J6300V
2D200V3U7500V
2P220V3K8000V
Complete List of EIA Capacitor Voltage Codes

Tolerance

Tolerance indicates how much the actual capacitance can vary from the stated value. It is usually denoted by a letter code. For example:

CodeTolerance
D±0.5 pF
F±1%
G±2%
H±3%
J±5%
K±10%
M±20%
P+100%/-0%
Z+80%/-20%
Complete List of EIA Capacitor Tolerance Codes

Practical Examples

CodeCapacitanceToleranceVoltage Rating
473K 25V47 nF±10% (K)25V
1R5K 50V1.5 pF±10% (K)50V
104K 2A100 nF±10% (K)100V (2A)
.1K63100 nF±10% (K)63V
6n8K636.8 nF±10% (K)63V
Example: Capacitor Codes

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