Difference Between X7R, X5R, X8R, Z5U,Y5V, X7S ... - Ravi Pujar

Skip to content August 29, 2024August 29, 2024 Blog

Ceramic capacitors are broadly categorized into 4 classes based on the dielectrics used in them,

• Class 1 
• Class 2
• Class 3
• Class 4 

Class 3 and Class 4 capacitors are not widely used and hence have not been standardized.

Class 1 Capacitors : 

Class 1 capacitors  have following characteristics,

• Linear temperature coefficient : Their capacitance varies linearly with temperature
• No Voltage dependency : Their capacitance does not depend on the applied voltage
• No Aging : They do not suffer significant aging process due to para electric materials used in manufacturing
• No electrical losses : Have significantly low electrical losses compared to Class 2 capacitors
• Used in High Q filters : Due to the above properties they are used in applications like resonant circuits, PLL and Oscillators.
• Have high stability and accuracy

They use a 3 digit notation to indicate the dielectric used in them according to EIA RS-198 standard

C0G

| | |

| | |– Tolerance

| |—- Multiplier

|—— Coeffcient

So according to the above table,

When manufacturer says that this is a X7R capacitor, it means that the capacitor can operate from –55 degrees centigrade to +125 degrees centigrade temperature and the capacitance of the capacitor will not vary more or less than 15% from its nominal value specified.

Similarly, When manufacturer says that this is a Y5V capacitor, it means that the capacitor can operate from -30 degrees centigrade to +85 degrees centigrade temperature and the capacitance of the capacitor will not increase more than 22% and not decrease below 82% from its nominal value.

Most commonly used capacitor dielectrics are X7R,X8R,X5R,Y5V,Z5U,X7S.

Although Class 1 capacitors have more advantages than Class 2 capacitors, I encounter more X7R and X5R capacitors on day to day basis than C0G capacitors.

Post navigation

Previous: What does mAH (milli Ampere Hour) rating of battery mean?Next: Difference between Arduino and Microcontroller

Recent Posts

• 5G deployment opportunities for developers
• Designing optimized embedded systems
• Microcontroller testing and game tactics
• Choosing the right gsm module for IoT
• Evolution of GSM and 5G communication