SMD Capacitor Code Calculator

Small markings with a big job

SMD means surface-mount device. Small capacitor markings compress a nominal capacitance, and sometimes tolerance, into a few characters. Type the marking to detect its format, or select an output format when entering capacitance.

Why some values have no exact code

Each format represents a limited set of values. When the requested capacitance cannot be encoded exactly, the calculator shows the nearest representable value and its difference from the request. That conversion difference is separate from component tolerance.

Unmarked and manufacturer-specific parts

Many small multilayer ceramic capacitors have no printed value. Other capacitors use manufacturer-specific markings that can include voltage, series, date, or production information. An unsupported marking is not proof that the component is invalid.

What the marking cannot tell you

Use the part’s datasheet to confirm voltage rating, dielectric, temperature behavior, polarity, ESR, ripple current, package, and manufacturer-specific rules. Never guess a missing or damaged character when selecting a replacement.

Generate a marking from capacitance

Enter Capacitance and choose pF, nF or µF. Select the desired code format; in Capacitance + tolerance format, select the tolerance letter too. Review the generated code, represented capacitance and any conversion difference. Unsupported or incomplete inputs are explained beside the field.

Three digit EIA codes

The first two digits form the significant value and the last digit is a multiplier in picofarads. This calculator supports numeric multiplier digits 0–7, meaning ×10 to that power. For 104, multiply 10 by 10,000 pF to get 100,000 pF, which is 100 nF. Numeric multiplier digits 8 and 9 are not interpreted in either the three-digit format or its capacitance-plus-tolerance extension. Use supported R-decimal notation for small values, such as R47 = 0.47 pF or 4R7 = 4.7 pF. The separate two-character EIA-198 format has its own multiplier rules below.

Capacitance + tolerance codes

In this capacitor format, the first three characters encode capacitance and the fourth character encodes tolerance. For 104K, 104 means 100 nF and K means ±10%. This is different from the four-numeric-digit precision code used by some SMD resistors.

When R is a decimal point

R takes the place of a decimal point in the capacitance body. R47 means 0.47 pF, 1R0 means 1.0 pF, and 4R7 means 4.7 pF. When a tolerance letter follows, 4R7C means 4.7 pF ±0.25 pF.

EIA-198 uses a lookup

EIA-198 uses a case-sensitive letter for the significant value followed by a multiplier digit. A3 means 1,000 pF, S4 means 47 nF, and lowercase a0 means 2.5 pF. Uppercase and lowercase letters are not interchangeable. Some manufacturers print a logo or identifier before the two-character code.

Capacitance units and limits

1 nF = 1,000 pF; 1 µF = 1,000 nF = 1,000,000 pF. For percentage tolerance, Cmin/max = Cnominal × (1 ∓ tolerance / 100). For an absolute tolerance in pF, subtract/add that amount in pF. See the visible examples for the 104K and 4R7C limits.

• Vishay Vitramon — Marking Options (document 45028, 09-Nov-2020): actual MLCC body-marking options, uppercase/lowercase value letters and the small-value digit 9.
• KYOCERA AVX / ATC — 600F Series: manufacturer capacitance-code and case-sensitive body-marking examples, including small values using digit 9.
• Vishay — VJ Commercial Series (document 45199, 08-May-2026, Ordering Information): pF numeric/R-decimal values and percentage versus absolute tolerance letters. These are ordering-code definitions; they do not establish that every character is printed on a body.

The supported formats are not universal capacitor identification rules. Numeric multiplier digits 8 and 9, two-character multiplier 8 and tolerance Z are not interpreted because the selected primary sources do not establish their body-marking applicability. Use supported R-decimal notation for small values and the actual datasheet for other conventions. Many small capacitors are unmarked, and voltage, dielectric and other ratings still require the manufacturer’s documentation.