drummer
Apprentice Shielder
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Caps
Sept 9, 2007 13:07:19 GMT -5
Post by drummer on Sept 9, 2007 13:07:19 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I was wondering about caps and the difference between ceramic and the others ones... I can't remember the name. Can anybody help me?
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Caps
Sept 9, 2007 20:53:57 GMT -5
Post by ranchtooth on Sept 9, 2007 20:53:57 GMT -5
theres tons of different kinds of caps, the main difference being what they're made out of. Some will have higher capacitance than others due to their construction. For instance, an electrolytic capacitor (the ones that look like a can) can come in very large capacitance (ability to store charge) values, whereas a silver-mica capacitor has thousands of times less capacitance.
If you're wondering which ones "sound" better, well, you gotta let your ears decide. Some audiophiles swear by silver-mica and polypropylene caps and will shy away from electrolytics unless absolutely necessary.
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Caps
Sept 9, 2007 22:31:34 GMT -5
Post by ChrisK on Sept 9, 2007 22:31:34 GMT -5
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drummer
Apprentice Shielder
Posts: 35
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Caps
Sept 11, 2007 16:09:03 GMT -5
Post by drummer on Sept 11, 2007 16:09:03 GMT -5
Yeah, I read that article, didn't find exactly what I'm looking for. Hmm... Ok, what types of capacitor are there, simply? Ie, What are the main catagories? (I've really no idea, so as simple as possible please!)
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Caps
Sept 11, 2007 16:28:40 GMT -5
Post by ranchtooth on Sept 11, 2007 16:28:40 GMT -5
Stolen from wikipedia, heres the most common types;
# Metallized plastic film: Made from high quality polymer film (usually polycarbonate, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyester (Mylar), and for high quality capacitors polysulfone), and metal foil or a layer of metal deposited on surface. They have good quality and stability, and are suitable for timer circuits. Suitable for high frequencies. # Mica: Similar to metal film. Often high voltage. Suitable for high frequencies. Expensive. Excellent tolerance. # Paper: Used for relatively high voltages. Now obsolete. # Glass: Used for high voltages. Expensive. Stable temperature coefficient in a wide range of temperatures. # Ceramic: Chips of alternating layers of metal and ceramic. Depending on their dielectric, whether Class 1 or Class 2, their degree of temperature/capacity dependence varies. They often have (especially the class 2) high dissipation factor, high frequency coefficient of dissipation, their capacity depends on applied voltage, and their capacity changes with aging. However they find massive use in common low-precision coupling and filtering applications. Suitable for high frequencies. # Aluminum electrolytic: Polarized. Constructionally similar to metal film, but the electrodes are made of etched aluminium to acquire much larger surfaces. The dielectric is soaked with liquid electrolyte. They can achieve high capacities but suffer from poor tolerances, high instability, gradual loss of capacity especially when subjected to heat, and high leakage. Tend to lose capacity in low temperatures. Bad frequency characteristics make them unsuited for high-frequency applications. Special types with low equivalent series resistance are available. # Tantalum electrolytic: Similar to the aluminum electrolytic capacitor but with better frequency and temperature characteristics. High dielectric absorption. High leakage. Has much better performance in low temperatures.
Does that help any?
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drummer
Apprentice Shielder
Posts: 35
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Caps
Sept 11, 2007 17:23:43 GMT -5
Post by drummer on Sept 11, 2007 17:23:43 GMT -5
Yes and no...
I have a final query:
What do the different types look like? The only one I recognise are ceramics.
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Caps
Sept 11, 2007 17:41:30 GMT -5
Post by ChrisK on Sept 11, 2007 17:41:30 GMT -5
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drummer
Apprentice Shielder
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Caps
Sept 12, 2007 9:18:30 GMT -5
Post by drummer on Sept 12, 2007 9:18:30 GMT -5
Aaah, Ok. Thanks ChrisK & RT.
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