Capacitors

[willtucker]

How do i know when to use an electrolytic capacitor over a ceramic capacitor? I would also like to see some of the properties of each.

Thanks
Will

 

[Styx]

mainly cap size,ripple,max voltage and speed - (ceramic good for fast decoupling)

 

[Johnson777717]

Hey willtucker.

Check this link out, which may give you the general information that you need?

**broken link removed**

 

[stevez]

The link is excellent.

I think this will apply to many other components.

The nominal value and functional name of the device (example: 1 pf capacitor) is often all you need and any device matching the value and function will work. Other times the value and name just scratch the surface. In the case of a capacitor there can be issues relating to temperature, frequency, inductance, efficiency, etc. Knowledgable designers often employ these extra features in the design. Sometimes a component is paired with another with features (like temp coefficient) in a way that one offsets the other. I spent some time learning a bunch about capacitors and was amazed at how deep you can go. It's also important to keep in mind that not all applications require such great depth of knowledge. Again, the link is really great for many situations.

Peeling the onion back, so to speak, on a particular component is really fascinating. Inductors are interesting because while they may seem simple they're not at all simple, in my opinion.

 

[panchumarthy]

Electrolytic capacitors are major components of power converters, these capacitors usually have series resistor ,series inductor and parallel resistor(for leakage currents).u can see this URL for more info on electrolytic capacitors.
http://www.powerdesigners.com/InfoWeb/design_center/Design_Tips/Electrolytics/Caps.shtm