Capacitor Code Decoder

How to Read a 3-Digit Capacitor Code

Most ceramic disc and film capacitors use a 3-digit code stamped on the body. The code works just like resistor colour bands but with numbers:

• First two digits — the significant figures of the capacitance value.
• Third digit — the number of zeros to add (the power-of-10 multiplier). The result is in picofarads (pF).

For example, 473 = 47 followed by 3 zeros = 47,000 pF = 47 nF = 0.047 µF.

Two special multiplier digits exist for very small values: 8 means ×0.01 and 9 means ×0.1. So 479 = 47 × 0.1 = 4.7 pF.

Tolerance Codes

A single letter after the 3-digit value indicates the tolerance — how far the actual capacitance can deviate from the marked value:

• F = ±1%
• G = ±2%
• J = ±5% (most common for film caps)
• K = ±10% (most common for ceramics)
• M = ±20%
• D = ±0.5 pF (absolute, for very small values)
• Z = +80%/−20% (electrolytic)

EIA Voltage Codes

Some capacitors append a 2-character EIA voltage rating after the tolerance letter. For example, 103J2A means 10 nF, ±5%, 100V. Common voltage codes:

• 1E = 25V
• 1H = 50V
• 1J = 63V
• 2A = 100V
• 2E = 250V
• 2G = 400V
• 2J = 630V

SMD aluminium electrolytic capacitors use a shorthand version of these: a single letter for the voltage, printed next to the value in µF. It is the EIA code with the leading magnitude digit dropped — so 1E becomes E (25V), 1V becomes V (35V), 1C becomes C (16V), 0J becomes J (6.3V) and 1H becomes H (50V). For example, a can marked 470 with E beside it is 470 µF, 25V.

Other Marking Formats

Not all capacitors use 3-digit codes. This tool also decodes:

• R-notation (e.g. 1R5 = 1.5 pF) — used for sub-10 pF values where the R marks the decimal point.
• Unit notation (e.g. 4N7 = 4.7 nF, 6U8 = 6.8 µF) — common on European and film capacitors. The unit letter replaces the decimal point.
• Decimal µF (e.g. .1K63 = 0.1 µF, ±10%, 63V) — older American style.
• EIA-198 SMD codes (e.g. J3 = 2.2 nF) — a two-character code used on surface-mount capacitors. The letter encodes the significant figure and the digit is the multiplier.
• 4-digit codes (e.g. 2073 = 207 nF): three significant figures plus a multiplier, found on precision film capacitors.
• Voltage-first codes (e.g. 2A104K = 0.1 µF, ±10%, 100 V): some boxed film capacitors print the EIA voltage code before the value.
• Electrolytic markings (e.g. 270 16V = 270 µF, 16 V): a plain µF value with its voltage rating, as printed on electrolytic cans. Series and date markings around the value are detected and set aside.
• SMD electrolytic voltage letters (e.g. 470 EFK 1YD = 470 µF, 25 V): surface-mount aluminium electrolytics print the value in µF with a single letter for the voltage rating (E = 25 V, V = 35 V, C = 16 V, J = 6.3 V, H = 50 V). The series code and date/lot markings beside it are set aside.

You can also paste several codes at once (e.g. 150J 2E 273M 2H) and each one is decoded as its own capacitor.

3-Digit Capacitor Code Chart

This table lists the most common 3-digit capacitor codes and their values in picofarads (pF), nanofarads (nF), and microfarads (µF).

Code	pF	nF	µF
100	10	0.01	0.00001
101	100	0.1	0.0001
102	1,000	1	0.001
103	10,000	10	0.01
104	100,000	100	0.1
105	1,000,000	1,000	1
150	15	0.015	—
151	150	0.15	0.00015
152	1,500	1.5	0.0015
153	15,000	15	0.015
154	150,000	150	0.15
220	22	0.022	—
221	220	0.22	0.00022
222	2,200	2.2	0.0022
223	22,000	22	0.022
224	220,000	220	0.22
330	33	0.033	—
331	330	0.33	0.00033
332	3,300	3.3	0.0033
333	33,000	33	0.033
334	330,000	330	0.33
470	47	0.047	—
471	470	0.47	0.00047
472	4,700	4.7	0.0047
473	47,000	47	0.047
474	470,000	470	0.47
560	56	0.056	—
561	560	0.56	0.00056
562	5,600	5.6	0.0056
563	56,000	56	0.056
680	68	0.068	—
681	680	0.68	0.00068
682	6,800	6.8	0.0068
683	68,000	68	0.068
684	680,000	680	0.68

Capacitor Value to Code Reverse Lookup

If you already know the capacitance and need the marking code (e.g. “what is the capacitor code for 100 nF?”), this reverse-lookup table covers the most common capacitor values from 10 pF up to 10 µF:

Value	3-digit code	Unit notation
10 pF	100	10p
22 pF	220	22p
47 pF	470	47p
100 pF	101	100p / 0n1
220 pF	221	220p
470 pF	471	470p
1 nF	102	1n / 1n0
1.5 nF	152	1n5
2.2 nF	222	2n2
3.3 nF	332	3n3
4.7 nF	472	4n7
6.8 nF	682	6n8
10 nF (0.01 µF)	103	10n
22 nF (0.022 µF)	223	22n
33 nF (0.033 µF)	333	33n
47 nF (0.047 µF)	473	47n
68 nF (0.068 µF)	683	68n
100 nF (0.1 µF)	104	100n / .1u
150 nF (0.15 µF)	154	150n
220 nF (0.22 µF)	224	220n / .22u
330 nF (0.33 µF)	334	330n
470 nF (0.47 µF)	474	470n / .47u
680 nF (0.68 µF)	684	680n
1 µF	105	1u / 1u0
2.2 µF	225	2u2
4.7 µF	475	4u7
10 µF	106	10u

Common Capacitor Values for Guitar Pedals

If you’re building guitar effects pedals, you’ll see these capacitor codes constantly in schematics and BOMs:

• 101 = 100 pF — treble bleed, high-frequency bypass
• 102 = 1 nF — tone shaping filters
• 103 = 10 nF (0.01 µF) — coupling caps in fuzz/overdrive circuits
• 104 = 100 nF (0.1 µF) — power supply decoupling, coupling caps
• 473 = 47 nF (0.047 µF) — tone controls (Tube Screamer style)
• 224 = 220 nF (0.22 µF) — input coupling in overdrives
• 474 = 470 nF (0.47 µF) — output coupling caps
• 105 = 1 µF — large coupling caps, bias circuits

Once you’ve sorted your components, plan your enclosure layout with Stompbox Layout — a free browser-based tool for placing drill holes with millimetre precision and exporting print-ready PDF or SVG templates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a 3-digit capacitor code?

The first two digits are the significant figures and the third digit is the power-of-10 multiplier, giving the value in picofarads (pF). For example, 473 = 47 × 10³ = 47,000 pF = 47 nF. Codes ending in 8 or 9 use multipliers of 0.01 and 0.1 respectively, for sub-10 pF values.

What do pF, nF, and µF mean?

They are units of capacitance. One microfarad (µF) = 1,000 nanofarads (nF) = 1,000,000 picofarads (pF). Ceramic capacitors are usually marked in pF, film capacitors in nF, and electrolytics in µF — but all three units describe the same quantity.

What is the capacitor code for 10 nF?

The code for 10 nF is 103. 10 nF equals 10,000 pF, which is 10 × 10³ pF — so the significant figures are 10 and the multiplier digit is 3.

Is 104 the same as 0.1 µF?

Yes. 104 decodes to 100,000 pF, which equals 100 nF or 0.1 µF. The three notations are interchangeable — ceramic capacitors usually show 104, film capacitors often show 100n, and schematics typically write 0.1 µF.

What does 104 mean on a capacitor?

104 means 100,000 pF or 100 nF or 0.1 µF. The first two digits (10) are the significant figures, and the third digit (4) is the multiplier — 10 × 10&sup4; = 100,000 pF. This is one of the most common capacitor values in electronics.

What does 103 mean on a capacitor?

103 means 10,000 pF or 10 nF or 0.01 µF. The first two digits (10) are the significant figures, and the third digit (3) is the multiplier — 10 × 10³ = 10,000 pF.

What does 102 mean on a capacitor?

102 means 1,000 pF or 1 nF or 0.001 µF. The first two digits (10) are the significant figures and the third digit (2) means × 100.

What does 222 mean on a capacitor?

222 means 2,200 pF or 2.2 nF or 0.0022 µF. The first two digits (22) are the significant figures and the third digit (2) means × 100.

What does 473 mean on a capacitor?

473 means 47,000 pF or 47 nF or 0.047 µF. The first two digits (47) are the significant figures and the third digit (3) means × 1,000. This is a very common value in guitar pedal tone circuits.

What does 224 mean on a capacitor?

224 means 220,000 pF or 220 nF or 0.22 µF. The first two digits (22) are the significant figures and the third digit (4) means × 10,000. This value is commonly used as an input coupling capacitor in overdrive pedals.

What does 684 mean on a capacitor?

684 means 680,000 pF or 680 nF or 0.68 µF. The first two digits (68) are the significant figures and the third digit (4) means × 10,000.

What does 105 mean on a capacitor?

105 means 1,000,000 pF or 1,000 nF or 1 µF. The first two digits (10) are the significant figures and the third digit (5) means × 100,000.

What does 4n7 mean on a capacitor?

4n7 means 4.7 nF (or 4,700 pF or 0.0047 µF). The unit letter n replaces the decimal point, so 4n7 reads as “4.7 nF”. The same convention gives 2p2 = 2.2 pF and 2u2 = 2.2 µF.

What does 6n8 mean on a capacitor?

6n8 means 6.8 nF (or 6,800 pF or 0.0068 µF). As with 4n7, the letter n stands in for the decimal point, encoding the value in nanofarads.

What does 47p mean on a capacitor?

47p means 47 pF (picofarads). The letter p stands in for the decimal point when marking values in picofarads — so 4p7 = 4.7 pF and 47p = 47 pF. This notation is common on film and European-style capacitors and avoids ambiguity with the 3-digit code format (where 470 would mean 47 pF and 471 would mean 470 pF).

Does u1 mean 1 µF or 0.1 µF?

u1 (also written µ1) means 0.1 µF, which is 100 nF. The unit letter marks the decimal point, and its position is what matters: a letter in front of the digits gives a value below one of that unit, so u1 = .1 µF. One microfarad is written the other way round, as 1u, 1u0, or the code 105. The same rule gives u47 = 0.47 µF and 4u7 = 4.7 µF. So a capacitor marked u1J63 is 0.1 µF (100 nF), ±5%, rated 63 V, not 1 µF.

What does J mean on a capacitor?

J is a tolerance code meaning ±5%. Other common tolerance codes: K = ±10%, M = ±20%, G = ±2%, F = ±1%. The tolerance letter usually appears right after the 3-digit value code.

What does K mean on a capacitor?

K is a tolerance code meaning ±10%. It is the most common tolerance marking on ceramic capacitors. Other tolerance codes: J = ±5%, M = ±20%, G = ±2%, F = ±1%.

What does 2A mean for capacitor voltage?

2A is an EIA voltage code meaning 100V. The first character indicates the order of magnitude and the second encodes the multiplier. Common codes: 1E = 25V, 1H = 50V, 2A = 100V, 2E = 250V.

What does the single letter on an SMD electrolytic capacitor mean?

On surface-mount aluminium electrolytic capacitors the capacitance is printed directly in microfarads and a single letter beside it gives the voltage rating. For example, 470 EFK 1YD is 470 µF, 25V — the E is the voltage code and FK / 1YD are the manufacturer series and date/lot codes. The letters are the EIA voltage codes with the leading magnitude digit dropped: E = 25V, V = 35V, C = 16V, J = 6.3V, H = 50V.

What does .1K63 or 1K63 mean on a capacitor?

.1K63 means 0.1 µF, ±10% tolerance, 63V — an older American-style marking that combines the capacitance (in microfarads), the tolerance letter, and the voltage rating. The value comes first (.1 = 0.1 µF), then the tolerance letter (K = ±10%), then the voltage in volts (63 = 63V). Common variants follow the same pattern: 1K63 = 1 µF ±10% 63V, .22J100 = 0.22 µF ±5% 100V, 2u2K63 = 2.2 µF ±10% 63V.

Need to identify a resistor? Use our resistor colour code calculator to decode colour bands to values.