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How to connect THIS tantalum capacitor ?

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Enrique15

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tantalum capacitor polarity

Hello again, fellows.

I have a little doubt here.

I have this tantalum capacitor:

capacitortantalium6zk.jpg


As you can see, at right hand of the numbers there's a LINE. But, above this line, there's a sign that looks like a "+" (plus) sign.
So, I'm not sure if that's the Positive or Negative Pole.

Because I'm used to electrolytic capacitors that as you know, where's a line, then that's the negative pole. So I thought first that it was negative pole, but then I saw this kind of "+" sign.

Had some of you worked with tantalum capacitors ??? What's the right thing to do, connect the right "leg" (according to the picture) to positive or negative ??

Thanks in advance for the help. :)
 

tantalum capacitor leg

The '+' is the positive side. Capacitors usually indicate the positive side. In this case, the bar is not a 'minus', it is a mark.

A tiny '+' sign can wear off easily, so you'll often see a bar (which is more visible and durable) on capacitors to indicate the positive side.
 

tantalum capacitor which side is positive side

Thanks for the quick answer, Big Boy. I appreciate that.

But How Come is it that:
Capacitors usually indicate the positive side
Click to expand...

since Electrolytic ones use the LINE Mark to indicate the "negative" side ?

Thanks for the help.
 

which leg is positive in a tantalum capacitor

The radial-leaded caps that are commonly mounted on boards these days mark the negative side.

I have some old axial-leaded caps, and the convention was: if there was a band, the banded side was the "ground" side for nonelectrolytics. Very old electrolytics marked both the + and - sides. Later, marks for one side was dropped - in most cases the minus side was dropped, and the "plus" side was marked with a printed "+", sometimes with a crimp as well. Apparently, some manufacturers kept the band convention, with the "ground" side being the negative side. Nowadays, you'll see axials crimped on the plus side and have arrows pointing to the negative side. I don't recall seeing any tantalums marked any other way than on the + side.
 

I have seen tantalum electrolytics without explicit polarity markings. They have color dot between both wires and you must know the convention to find the polarity.
 

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