Webcam Capacitor Idenfication

[sysboy]

Hi,
  I have found a couple of bulging capacitors in my webcam that's stopped working. I want to replace them (this may make it worse but hey, take it apart...) but I'm unsure exactly what to get to replace them. I've attached a picture. If all else fails, I'll just buy another camera but it would be nice to save if from the landfill.


Cheers
   Steve

[PA0PBZ]

This: http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf

So: 16V, 150 uF

[sysboy]

Wow, I had hardly time to refresh the page! Thanks for the help!

[Armadillo]

Hi,
  I have found a couple of bulging capacitors in my webcam that's stopped working. I want to replace them (this may make it worse but hey, take it apart...) but I'm unsure exactly what to get to replace them. I've attached a picture. If all else fails, I'll just buy another camera but it would be nice to save if from the landfill.

Did you see any leak from the capacitors? Bulge "normally" applies to electrolytic with the "SLIT" on the TOP can.

[wraper]

Hi,
  I have found a couple of bulging capacitors in my webcam that's stopped working. I want to replace them (this may make it worse but hey, take it apart...) but I'm unsure exactly what to get to replace them. I've attached a picture. If all else fails, I'll just buy another camera but it would be nice to save if from the landfill.


Cheers
   Steve

This cap is NOT bulging. And most likely it is not even an electrolytic cap but polymer.
EDIT: yes as PA0PBZ says, it's nichicon CF. It just cannot bulge because it just not able to do so. There is no liquid electrolyte inside.

[RoGeorge]

This: http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf

So: 16V, 150 uF

According to that datasheet, it should be 15uF.

[PA0PBZ]

This: http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf

So: 16V, 150 uF

According to that datasheet, it should be 15uF.

I think that is only in the type numbering system. To my defense: there is no mention of a 15uF with 'C' voltage code.

[eKretz]

Hmm, that's a weird one. The datasheet example shows that they use conventional notation - i.e. code 151 = 15 x 10^1 = 150 microfarads. The cap markings then say it should be 15 microfarads - i.e. code 150 = 15 x 10^0. However, PA0PBZ is right about that not seeming to exist in the 'C' series according to the datasheet. Very odd.

All that said, it's not very likely that this cap is a problem based on bulging. I've never seen one of these bulge either. Vent all over the the board out the bottom yes (though that may not have been a polymer cap either). I wonder does the OP have an ESR meter?

[PA0PBZ]

The datasheet example shows that they use conventional notation - i.e. code 151 = 15 x 10^1 = 150 microfarads.

The example shows the part number, not the marking on the cap.

[Armadillo]

151 = 150uf
150 = 15uf

[RoGeorge]

I think that is only in the type numbering system.

I thought that is not possible, so that made me switch my guess from 150 uF to 15 uF. My common sense was still saying "Hey, it looks like an 150 uF, you know, and there is no 15uF/16V in that datasheet...". Then you replied, then I googled a few images for "smd electrolytic capacitor" and I couldn't find any markings ending in '1'. I also desoldered and measured a few marked 100s from an old CD ROM board, and they are 100uF, not 10uF.

I guess I was wrong, sorry.
It is 150uF, not 15uF.

Thank you for pointing that out.

[eKretz]

Yeah the datasheet itself is wrong then - it clearly shows the 151 code equal to 150 microfarads - Armadillo kindly copied the relevant area from the datasheet. Unless you're saying that the capacitance marking on the cap itself is using different nomenclature than the capacitance spec in the part number, which would be very confusing and pretty dumb.

[Armadillo]

The marking may not be the same as the numbering system use... the marking says its "capacitance", so I accepted it as 150uF.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[sysboy]

Thanks for all the replies!

I don't have an ESR meter unfortunately. I assumed the problem was with that capacitor since it has a much more rounded top than it's fellow capacitors. I will try and investigate further!

[Shock]

You can get Chinese ESR testers for as little as $10 on ebay.