Useful Stuff: Capacitor

Capacitor is a basic and one of the most important components in electronics.

Capacitors come in various types, each suited for specific applications. Here are some common types of capacitors:

Ceramic Capacitors: Widely used in electronic circuits for their small size and stability. They come in various temperature coefficients and voltage ratings.

Electrolytic Capacitors: Typically used for power supply filtering and energy storage due to their large capacitance values. They are polarized and have higher capacitance per unit volume compared to ceramic capacitors.

Tantalum Capacitors: Similar to electrolytic capacitors but offer better performance in terms of stability and reliability. They are also polarized and used in applications requiring high capacitance and low leakage current.

Film Capacitors: Known for their high precision, stability, and low loss. They are used in applications where a stable and reliable capacitor is required, such as in audio equipment and power electronics.

Supercapacitors (Ultracapacitors): Offer very high capacitance values and can store large amounts of energy. They are used in applications requiring rapid charge and discharge cycles, such as in energy storage systems and backup power supplies.

Mica Capacitors: Provide high precision and stability, often used in RF and microwave applications due to their low loss and high-frequency performance.

Polymer Capacitors: Similar to electrolytic capacitors but use a solid polymer electrolyte. They offer better performance in terms of ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) and stability.

Variable Capacitors: Allow adjustment of capacitance value, commonly used in tuning circuits for radios and other communication devices.

Each type of capacitor has its unique characteristics and is chosen based on the specific requirements of the application.

ESR:

ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) is an important characteristic of capacitors. In some applications like switching-mode power supplies (SMPS) this parameter plays a critical role to select the capacitor.

The capacitor model is shown below.

Some manufacturers produce capacitors specifically for low-ESR. The specifications of Low-ESR Series can be found in data sheets published by manufacturers. The table below shows some popular Low-ESR series of capacitors.

Manufacturer	Series	Style	Technology	Low ESR down to [mΩ @ 20ºC / 100kHz
AVX	TCJ	Chip	Polymer aluminium	10
AVX	TCQ	Chip	Polymer aluminium	25
AVX	TCM	Chip	Polymer tantalum multi-anode	6
AVX	TPS	Chip	Tantalum	25
AVX	TPM	Chip	Tantalum	12
KEMET	A700	Chip	Polymer aluminium	4.5
KEMET	A759	Radial	Polymer aluminium	12
KEMET	A768	SMD	Polymer aluminium	15
KEMET	T528	Chip	Tantalum multi-anode	4
KEMET	T520/T530	Chip	Tantalum multi-anode	4
Murata	ECAS	Chip	Polymer aluminium	6
Nichicon	GYB	Chip	Aluminium electrolytic	20
Nichicon	GYC	Chip	Aluminium electrolytic	20
Nichicon	PCH	Chip	Aluminium electrolytic	13
Nichicon	PCR	Chip	Aluminium electrolytic	13
Nichicon	UCM	Chip	Aluminium electrolytic	50
Nichicon	UCZ	Chip	Aluminium electrolytic	32
Panasonic	FN	SMD	Aluminium electrolytic	80
Panasonic	FT	SMD	Aluminium electrolytic	60
Panasonic	FS	Radial	Aluminium electrolytic	12
Panasonic	OS-CON™	Chip	Polymer aluminium	14
Panasonic	SP-Cap	Chip	Polymer aluminium	6
Panasonic	ZA	SMD	Polymer hybrid	20
Panasonic	ZC	SMD	Polymer hybrid	20
Rubycon	ZLH	Radial	Aluminium electrolytic	12
Rubycon	PC-CON	Chip	Polymer aluminium	4.5
Vishay	190 RTL	Radial	Aluminium electrolytic	17
Vishay	170 RVZ	Radial	Aluminium electrolytic	17