Clarity reading this capacitor please

Thread Starter

B-JoJo-S

Joined Jan 3, 2026
376
471 @6.3V electrolytic cap.
Screenshot 2026-07-03 at 11.19.44 AM.png
I know it's 47 somethings. 47µF? 47nF? pF?
470 somethings? I'm not accustomed to these sorts of caps.
470µF (probably but unsure)
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
18,399
Surface mount electrolytic caps use two conventions. Either uF (with no uF) with voltage (e.g. 4.7 6.3V for 4.7uF) or a value in pF (e.g. 471 6.3V for 470pF).
 

Thread Starter

B-JoJo-S

Joined Jan 3, 2026
376
Surface mount electrolytic caps use two conventions. Either uF (with no uF) with voltage (e.g. 4.7 6.3V for 4.7uF) or a value in pF (e.g. 471 6.3V for 470pF).
This is where the confusion comes in. I'm guessing it's 470µF. At 6.3V that's HUGE for a 470pF cap. And I don't think I've ever seen a Pico Farad cap being electrolytic. Hence, the reason for asking. If I scavenge these I'd like to know I can use them knowing what their value is.
 

Thread Starter

B-JoJo-S

Joined Jan 3, 2026
376
Oh, and those caps are through hole; not surface mounted.

I know that a 473 cap (tiny little thing) is a 47nF cap. Or 47,000pF. I DO know how to read those. Just unsure of this case. I've never seen this before.
 
Last edited:

ericgibbs

Joined Jan 29, 2010
21,470
Hi B.
470uF 6.3V polarised cap
E


  • This is a surface-mount solid aluminum electrolytic capacitor, commonly used on motherboards.
  • It is rated for 6.3 volts.
  • The markings indicate a capacitance of 470 microfarads (
    1783102754913.gif
    1783102754951.gif
    ), as "471" translates to 47 followed by 1 zero.
  • The red stripe on the top indicates the positive polarity side of the capacitor.
 

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Futurist

Joined Apr 8, 2025
818
471 @6.3V electrolytic cap.
View attachment 369034
I know it's 47 somethings. 47µF? 47nF? pF?
470 somethings? I'm not accustomed to these sorts of caps.
470µF (probably but unsure)
Capacitor markings are truly a mystery to me sometimes, I'd say its 470uF.

I kid you not, AI just gave me this BS, how are companies daring to describe this as "intelligence"...

An electrolytic capacitor marked "471" 6.3V is an 470 μF capacitor with a rated working voltage of 6.3V. The "471" follows standard component codes: the first two digits (47) are the base value, and the multiplier (1) adds one zero, giving 470 in picofarads, which equates to 470 μF. [1, 2, 3, 4]
 

Thread Starter

B-JoJo-S

Joined Jan 3, 2026
376
The red stripe on the top indicates the positive polarity side of the capacitor.
I wouldn't have thought this the positive indicator. Usually electrolytic's similar in nature have either a black or white marking. If you look at the silkscreening the red painted side correlates with the white silkscreening on the PCB.

And just for clarity, these caps ARE through hole.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
32,953
I wouldn't have thought this the positive indicator. Usually electrolytic's similar in nature have either a black or white marking. If you look at the silkscreening the red painted side correlates with the white silkscreening on the PCB.

And just for clarity, these caps ARE through hole.
Pretty much any marking that calls attention to one lead of a device is likely a polarity marking. But whether it is calling attention to the positive or the negative lead can be a matter of debate.
 
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