Capacitor Code Calculator
Type the code printed on the capacitor to read its value, or type a value to find the code.
Capacitor Code Calculator
Type the marking printed on the capacitor, such as 104, 104K or 4R7
Or go the other way round: type a value to find its code.
How to Read a Capacitor Code
A ceramic or film capacitor is too small to print a value on, so it carries a short code instead. The rule has three cases.
- Three digits — the first two are the significant figures and the third is the number of zeros. The result is in picofarads: 104 = 10 followed by four zeros = 100,000 pF = 0.1 µF.
- One or two digits — the value itself, in picofarads: 22 = 22 pF.
- A letter R or p between digits — the letter stands in for the decimal point, still in picofarads: 4R7 = 4.7 pF.
The multiplier digits 8 and 9 are exceptions to the rule: 9 means divide by ten and 8 means divide by a hundred, rather than add eight or nine zeros, so 108 is 0.1 pF (not 1,000,000,000 pF) and 229 is 2.2 pF (not 22,000,000,000 pF).
\(\text{Value (pF)} = \text{first two digits} \times 10^{\text{third digit}}\)
The Codes You Will Meet Most
| Code | pF | nF | µF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | 100 | 0.1 | 0.0001 |
| 221 | 220 | 0.22 | 0.00022 |
| 471 | 470 | 0.47 | 0.00047 |
| 102 | 1000 | 1 | 0.001 |
| 222 | 2200 | 2.2 | 0.0022 |
| 472 | 4700 | 4.7 | 0.0047 |
| 103 | 10000 | 10 | 0.01 |
| 223 | 22000 | 22 | 0.022 |
| 473 | 47000 | 47 | 0.047 |
| 104 | 100000 | 100 | 0.1 |
| 224 | 220000 | 220 | 0.22 |
| 474 | 470000 | 470 | 0.47 |
| 105 | 1000000 | 1000 | 1 |
| 225 | 2200000 | 2200 | 2.2 |
The Tolerance Letter
A letter after the digits gives the tolerance. On capacitors under 10 pF the tolerance is given as an absolute value in picofarads instead of a percentage, which is why the first three letters below are not percentages.
| Letter | Tolerance |
|---|---|
| B | ±0.10 pF |
| C | ±0.25 pF |
| D | ±0.5 pF |
| F | ±1% |
| G | ±2% |
| J | ±5% |
| K | ±10% |
| M | ±20% |
| Z | +80% / −20% |
Two Traps
220 is not 220 pF. Three digits are always read as a code, so 220 is 22 followed by zero zeros = 22 pF. A 220 pF capacitor is marked 221.
MFD is microfarad. On motor run and HVAC capacitors, MFD, MF and mfd all mean µF, and the older MMFD means pF. There is more on that, and the full µF / nF / pF chart, on the capacitor conversion calculator.
About the Author
Adilson Fernandes is an experienced Electronic Engineer with an Engineer's degree focused in Telecommunications Engineering. He has been a web developer since 2014 and specializes in making web-based calculators like Coolconversion.com and many others.
