surface mount capacitor

What is a surface mount capacitor?

SMD or SMT surface mount capacitors are used in high volume manufacture - quantities used are numbered in the billions. They are small, leadless and can be placed onto modern printed circuit boards using pick and place machines used in modern manufacturing.

 

How do I know if my surface mount capacitor is bad?

How to Check for Bad SMD Capacitors

Look for any capacitors showing signs of discoloration or charring. Sometimes a failure is obvious. ...

Test capacitors in the circuit with a multimeter set to measure resistance. ...

Remove the capacitor from the circuit to test it.

 

What is the difference between SMT and SMD?

SMD vs SMT What is the Difference? The difference between SMD and SMT is that SMD (surface mount device) refers to an electronic component that is mounted on a PCB. In contrast, SMT (surface mount technology) relates to the method used to place electronic components on a printed circuit board.

 

How do you read a surface mount capacitor?

The polarity of surface mount capacitors is marked by a white or black line at one of the ends of the device. Note that on a rounded surface mount capacitor the small black corner indicates the negative side. This line/bar indicates the positive terminal of the capacitors as shown in the figure above.

surface mount capacitor