capacitor applications
Electrolytic capacitors are tiny in huge capacities, make low ripple high current power supplies possible, also effective coupling between stages. They are not very accurate. They wear out in 2 to 30 years depending on design and construction. Ceramic capacitors have very low self inductance which makes for better high frequency and switching circuit results, they support high dv/dt rates. Loose tolerance ceramics are cheap from 10 pf up to .47 uf and expensive up to 10 uf. Tight tolerance ceramics for accurate filters and timing circuits are a bit pricey. Plastic film capacitors are bigger than electrolytics, much bigger than ceramics, but tight tolerances are relatively cheap. So plastic film is used for timing circuits and filter circuits. Plastic film capacitors have much longer life than electrolytic capacitors, they became economic in the seventies and those seventies units are still doing very well if not overstressed. They come in sizes from .001 uf up to 150 uf at 440VAC.
Electrolytic capacitors are tiny in huge capacities, make low ripple high current power supplies possible, also effective coupling between stages. They are not very accurate. They wear out in 2 to 30 years depending on design and construction. Ceramic capacitors have very low self inductance which makes for better high frequency and switching circuit results, they support high dv/dt rates. Loose tolerance ceramics are cheap from 10 pf up to .47 uf and expensive up to 10 uf. Tight tolerance ceramics for accurate filters and timing circuits are a bit pricey. Plastic film capacitors are bigger than electrolytics, much bigger than ceramics, but tight tolerances are relatively cheap. So plastic film is used for timing circuits and filter circuits. Plastic film capacitors have much longer life than electrolytic capacitors, they became economic in the seventies and those seventies units are still doing very well if not overstressed. They come in sizes from .001 uf up to 150 uf at 440VAC.
Aye - as a power supply design engineer in a previous life, I adore what capacitor technology has made possible. Surface mount 100uF caps that are 5mm wide and 5mm 8mm high...rated at 40V with milliohms of ESR (series resistance). But, they are pricey and are only great in PSUs. As Damon Hill says...there are caps for everything. Electrolytics when you need large capacities in PSUs (and even still should be bypassed by a tiny, faster cap such as a ceramic), but in Audio?....Polys.
Study the websites of Wima, Rifa, Vishay, Rubicon, Elna, Nichicon, Epcos etc. to get an idea.
I am testing organic electrolytics, MKVs and PPS foils caps at the moment. After a long time of standstill exciting things happen at the moment, no doupht driven by the car, computer and cell phone industry.
I am testing organic electrolytics, MKVs and PPS foils caps at the moment. After a long time of standstill exciting things happen at the moment, no doupht driven by the car, computer and cell phone industry.
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