>>> Be aware that in a hot environment, the lifetime of wet >>> electrolytic capacitors is VERY reduced. Use tantalum slugs >>> wherever you can. >> Better still, use SOLID Aluminium electrolytics (not the normal wet >> electrolytic type) . All of the advantages of tantalum and none of >> the disadvantages. > I'm not familiar with those, Russell. Got links? As ever, Google is our friend. here's a few. Vishay multi reference page is excellent. Philips do a good range of Solid Aluminium caps that are well priced and specd relative to Tantalum. Excellent Vishay page with many technical papers on Solid Aluminium/aluminum capacitors (also tantalum) http://www.vishay.com/capacitors/volt-10-below/related Vishay (from above page) EXCELLENT 2 page Solid Aluminium reliability paper Comparison with std aluminium electrolytics. eg lifetimes at 105C/85C/65C are 2000/2000, 20,000/8,000, 200,000/32,000 hours http://www.vishay.com/docs/90017/reliabil.pdf Vishay: Precautions using SA because they are so good ! :-) http://www.vishay.com/docs/90018/precaut.pdf Good page on basic capacitor construction and principles. Explains how a solid tantalum is made and why it is so good. (Doesn't explain why it is also so bad). http://www.ami.ac.uk/courses/topics/0136_ec/ Kemet on why they are doing solid Al (1999) Note how they introduce themselves :-) http://www.kemet.com/kemet/web/homepage/kechome.nsf/vabypagename/aluminum Kemet of course do both. They note that tantalum are superior volumetrically. I note that Solid Al is normally very acceptable unless you are utterly pushing the edge of packing. http://www.arrowasia.com/en/arrowtimes/focus_on_01.htm -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist