MLCC Selection: Check Dielectric and DC Bias Before Comparing Capacitance
A customer recently asked whether two 0805 10 uF/25 V X5R capacitors could be swapped because every short specification matched. The original was CL21A106KAYNNNE. On a 12 V rail, their DC-bias curves differed enough to change ripple and loop margin.
Full article
A customer recently asked whether two 0805 10 uF/25 V X5R capacitors could be swapped because every short specification matched. The original was CL21A106KAYNNNE. On a 12 V rail, their DC-bias curves differed enough to change ripple and loop margin.
Ceramic selection starts with dielectric and actual DC voltage, not only capacitance, rating and package.
C0G/NP0 is stable but limited in value; use it for crystal loads, RF matching and precision timing. X7R covers -55 to 125 C with roughly ±15% variation and suits most decoupling. X5R reaches 85 C and packs more capacitance into a small case, but temperature, DC bias and ageing need checking.
DC bias is commonly missed. A 10 uF X5R can lose most of its nominal value near the working voltage; smaller cases and high-capacitance dielectrics often lose more. Two identical-looking parts can behave differently. Check the exact manufacturer curve. Class II ceramics can also be piezoelectric in audio or high-impedance circuits, where C0G is often safer.
Before approving a replacement, provide the circuit function, actual DC bias, temperature and allowed capacitance tolerance. For an LDO output, verify ESR and loop stability too. View MLCC options at https://www.szkwic.com/en/c/capacitors-mlcc.html or send the original and proposed parts with the BOM to https://www.szkwic.com/en/bom.html .
Shenzhen Kewei Technology Co., Ltd. - Room 431, Building 1, Huafa Compound, 101 Zhenxing Road, Huaqiangbei, Futian District, Shenzhen
Phone / WeChat: +86 191 2521 1182 Email: 19125211182@163.com QQ: 550826937 / 949592795
Kewei's take: what this means for procurement
News like this has limited short-term price impact but does shape the medium-term supply landscape. Review it alongside your quarterly purchasing analysis.
Related parts in stock
All Parts
All part numbers above are in stock or in transit. Order directly, or submit a BOM and we will match and quote it.
Authentic parts · Same-day shipping · Prototype and volume quantities