Capacitor codes
There are multiple ways a capacitor can indicate its capacitance. Larger capacitors often have their capacitance, tolerance and maximum voltage written on the side. Smaller capacitors often use a code consisting of three numbers and sometimes one letter.
Calculator
You can use this calculator to calculate the capacitance and tolerance of a capacitor.
Calculation
The capacitance in picofarad (pF) is equal to the first two digits multiplied by ten to the power of the third digit: C = AB·10 C . Some capacitors contain the letter R, which represents the decimal point. The capacitance in pF is equal to all digits linked together with a decimal point on the location of the R in this case. The letter at the end indicates the tolerance. These values can be found in the table below.
| letter | tolerance | letter | tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 0.05pF | H | 3% |
| B | 0.1pF | J | 5% |
| C | 0.25pF | K | 10% |
| D | 0.5pF | L | 15% |
| E | 0.5% | M | 20% |
| F | 1% | V | 25% |
| G | 2% | N | 30% |
| Z | +80% -20% | - | - |
Example
We have a capacitor with the code 156J. The capacitance is 15·10 6 pF = 15μF. The tolerance for J is 5%.