Capacitor code table
European capacitor material codes
FKC = metal foil and polycarbonate
FKP = metal foil and polypropylene
MKC = metallized polycarbonate foil
MKI = metallized polyphenylene sulphide
MKP = metallized polypropylene
MKS = polystyrene (metallized or with foil)
MKT = metallized polyester foil
FKP = metal foil and polypropylene
MKC = metallized polycarbonate foil
MKI = metallized polyphenylene sulphide
MKP = metallized polypropylene
MKS = polystyrene (metallized or with foil)
MKT = metallized polyester foil
Decoding capacitor codes
Looking at our capacitor we will see its marked 474J, this should be read as follows, 47 times the value that can be found in Table 1 corresponding to the 3rd number, in this case 10000. 47 * 10000 = 470000 pF = 470 nF = 0.47 uF with the J meaning a 5% tolerance. A second letter will be a temperature coefficient if its present. Judging by a capacitors size and type, you will quickly learn to determine if the value on the capacitor is given in pF, nF or uF.
If a capacitor is f.ex. marked 2A474J, the capacitance is decoded as described above, the two first signs is the voltage rating and can be decoded from table 2 here below. 2A is 100VDC rating according to the EIA standard.
Some capacitors are only marked 0.1 or 0.01, mostly in these cases the values are given in uF.
Some small capacitance capacitors can be marked with a R between numbers, f.ex. 3R9 where R is a indicator of values below 10pF and have nothing to do with resistance. 3R9 would be 3.9pF.
Table 1
3rd number | Multiply with | Letter | Tolerance |
0 | 1 | D | 0.5pF |
1 | 10 | F | 1% |
2 | 100 | G | 2% |
3 | 1,000 | H | 3% |
4 | 10,000 | J | 5% |
5 | 100,000 | K | 10% |
6 | 1,000,000 | M | 20% |
7 | Not used | M | 20% |
8 | 0.01 | P | +100%/-0% |
9 | 0.1 | Z | +80%/-20% |
Table 2 – Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) – voltage code table
0G = 4.0VDC | 0L = 5.5VDC | 0J = 6.3VDC |
1A = 10VDC | 1C = 16VDC | 1E = 25VDC |
1H = 50VDC | 1J = 63VDC | 1K = 80VDC |
2A = 100VDC | 2Q = 110VDC | 2B = 125VDC |
2C = 160VDC | 2Z = 180VDC | 2D = 200VDC |
2P = 220VDC | 2E = 250VDC | 2F = 315VDC |
2V = 350VDC | 2G = 400VDC | 2W = 450VDC |
2H = 500VDC | 2J = 630VDC | 3A = 1000VDC |
Here is a list of common capacitors and a scale between the different grades of the Farad SI unit.
Table 3
pico-farad (pF) | nano-farad (nF) | mikro-farad (mF,uF eller mfd) | Capacitor code |
1 | 0.001 | 0.000001 | 010 |
1.5 | 0.0015 | 0.0000015 | 1R5 |
2.2 | 0.0022 | 0.0000022 | 2R2 |
3.3 | 0.0033 | 0.0000033 | 3R3 |
3.9 | 0.0039 | 0.0000039 | 3R9 |
4.7 | 0.0047 | 0.0000047 | 4R7 |
5.6 | 0.0056 | 0.0000056 | 5R6 |
6.8 | 0.0068 | 0.0000068 | 6R8 |
8.2 | 0.0082 | 0.0000082 | 8R2 |
10 | 0.01 | 0.00001 | 100 |
15 | 0.015 | 0.000015 | 150 |
22 | 0.022 | 0.000022 | 220 |
33 | 0.033 | 0.000033 | 330 |
47 | 0.047 | 0.000047 | 470 |
56 | 0.056 | 0.000056 | 560 |
68 | 0.068 | 0.000068 | 680 |
82 | 0.082 | 0.000082 | 820 |
pF | nF | uF | Code |
100 | 0.1 | 0.0001 | 101 |
120 | 0.12 | 0.00012 | 121 |
130 | 0.13 | 0.00013 | 131 |
150 | 0.15 | 0.00015 | 151 |
180 | 0.18 | 0.00018 | 181 |
220 | 0.22 | 0.00022 | 221 |
330 | 0.33 | 0.00033 | 331 |
470 | 0.47 | 0.00047 | 471 |
560 | 0.56 | 0.00056 | 561 |
680 | 0.68 | 0.00068 | 681 |
750 | 0.75 | 0.00075 | 751 |
820 | 0.82 | 0.00082 | 821 |
1000 | 1 or 1n | 0.001 | 102 |
1500 | 1.5 or 1n5 | 0.0015 | 152 |
2000 | 2 or 2n | 0.002 | 202 |
2200 | 2.2 or 2n2 | 0.0022 | 222 |
3300 | 3.3 or 3n3 | 0.0033 | 332 |
4700 | 4.7 or 4n4 | 0.0047 | 472 |
5000 | 5 or 5n | 0.005 | 502 |
5600 | 5.6 or 5n6 | 0.0056 | 562 |
6800 | 6.8 or 6n8 | 0.0068 | 682 |
10000 | 10 or 10n | 0.01 | 103 |
15000 | 15 or 15n | 0.015 | 153 |
22000 | 22 or 22n | 0.022 | 223 |
33000 | 33 or 33n | 0.033 | 333 |
47000 | 47 or 47n | 0.047 | 473 |
68000 | 68 or 68n | 0.068 | 683 |
pF | nF | uF | Code |
100000 | 100 or 100n | 0.1 | 104 |
150000 | 150 or 150n | 0.15 | 154 |
200000 | 200 or 200n | 0.20 | 204 |
220000 | 220 or 220n | 0.22 | 224 |
330000 | 330 or 330n | 0.33 | 334 |
470000 | 470 or 470n | 0.47 | 474 |
680000 | 680 | 0.68 | 684 |
1000000 | 1000 | 1.0 | 105 |
1500000 | 1500 | 1.5 | 155 |
2000000 | 2000 | 2.0 | 205 |
2200000 | 2200 | 2.2 | 225 |
10000000 | 10000 | 10 | 106 |