Electronics > Beginners
capacitor polarity markings
GregDunn:
So weird to be posting in the Beginners thread, but I learn something every time I repair equipment, so I guess is some respect I'm still a beginner with every new piece of gear I work on...
I've been installing and replacing capacitors for literally decades. The problem is that now caps are starting to come in packages which are unfamiliar to me. I've seen almost every kind I can think of - big aluminum cans, tantalum cans, gumdrops, axials, radials, etc. etc. and usually polarity is obvious - but my latest Digi-Key order came with these and I want to check and make sure I've decoded them right. I would expect the tapered end to be the + and the banded end to be the -, right?
The only reasons I'm confused are that the data sheet shows both this package and the conventional aluminum can side by side, and they're depicted such that the negative end of the can is alongside the tapered end of the other one. There are no legends indicating polarity for this particular package anywhere on the data sheet. Also, a quick google for aluminum electrolytics came back with images showing some with stripes indicating + and some with stripes indicating - !!!
I'm sure there's actually a standard and that some of these pictures are just wrong - does someone have a copy of the standard or a clear description of how to interpret this particular package? This one is a D-K part 4201PHCT-ND if anyone cares.
Old Printer:
I absolutely belong here in the beginner section so please take this with a grain of salt. Most of the polarized capacitors I have seen in the last couple years mark the negetive lead. Since this cap has a band on one end I would "guess" that to be the negetive lead. I would not be comfortable enough with my guess to install it that way so I would be looking for an answer myself. Curious to see how this plays out. Thanks for putting it here.
fpliuzzi:
Figure 2 of the attached data sheet depicts the tapered end as being positive. Hope this helps.
GregDunn:
--- Quote from: fpliuzzi on July 19, 2018, 01:27:43 am ---Figure 2 of the attached data sheet depicts the tapered end as being positive. Hope this helps.
--- End quote ---
How did I miss that little + sign? Yes, that's clearly it.
fpliuzzi:
--- Quote from: GregDunn on July 19, 2018, 02:08:51 am ---
--- Quote from: fpliuzzi on July 19, 2018, 01:27:43 am ---Figure 2 of the attached data sheet depicts the tapered end as being positive. Hope this helps.
--- End quote ---
How did I miss that little + sign? Yes, that's clearly it.
--- End quote ---
That + sign in the data sheet is pretty puny. I had to enlarge the pdf on my small laptop screen to see it clearly.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version