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Electronics => Repair => Topic started by: sysboy on February 05, 2017, 05:18:20 pm

Title: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: sysboy on February 05, 2017, 05:18:20 pm
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
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: PA0PBZ on February 05, 2017, 05:20:42 pm
This: http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf (http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf)

So: 16V, 150 uF

Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: sysboy on February 05, 2017, 05:24:46 pm
Wow, I had hardly time to refresh the page! Thanks for the help!
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: Armadillo on February 05, 2017, 10:14:06 pm
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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: wraper on February 05, 2017, 10:35:37 pm
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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: RoGeorge on February 05, 2017, 10:47:15 pm
This: http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf (http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf)

So: 16V, 150 uF

According to that datasheet, it should be 15uF.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: PA0PBZ on February 06, 2017, 08:27:03 am
This: http://nl.mouser.com/pdfdocs/NichiconCFcapacitors.pdf (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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: eKretz on February 06, 2017, 09:48:43 am
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?
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: PA0PBZ on February 06, 2017, 09:58:45 am
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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: Armadillo on February 06, 2017, 10:01:37 am
151 = 150uf
150 = 15uf
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: RoGeorge on February 06, 2017, 10:09:36 am
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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: eKretz on February 06, 2017, 10:14:50 am
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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: Armadillo on February 06, 2017, 10:21:54 am
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.
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: sysboy on February 06, 2017, 11:16:59 am
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!
Title: Re: Webcam Capacitor Idenfication
Post by: Shock on February 07, 2017, 09:33:04 pm
You can get Chinese ESR testers for as little as $10 on ebay.