Sunday, April 11, 2010

Mil spec electrolytic capacitors

Trying to figure out how to specify the caps that are in the parts drawer. They are clearly mil spec. MFR on the cases are Kemet, sometimes Sprague. Other numbers from the cases don't match any searches. One has a milspec part number M390006 on it.

What I have learned is:

Vishay does sell the M390006 ones:
http://www.vishay.com/docs/40022/40022.pdf

Sprague is now a subsidiary of Vishay. They sell caps very similar looking to the mil spec ones as series 150D which are "Hermetically Sealed" Tantalums. The datasheet says "The Military equivalent to the 150D is the CSR13 which is qualified to MIL-C-39003/01" The 150 series is available plentifully.

http://www.vishay.com/docs/40015/150d.pdf

CSR13 doesn't come up on many searches, and is apparently obsolete. However, I did find a Kemet datasheet which explains the numbering very clearly

http://www.kemet.com/kemet/web/homepage/kechome.nsf/file/Tantalum%20Hermetically%20Sealed-Axial%20Catalog/$file/F3100_TaHermSeal.pdf

Furthermore, after the first page of the above, there is an explanation of Kemet's newer numbering system, which is byzantine but the parts are available plentifully.

The difference between the M390003 and the M390006 is that the former is a solid tantalum, the latter a wet tantalum, as explained on the below surpluser's page. It appears that I have a bunch of the solid ones.

http://www.smcelectronics.com/milcap.htm