Test Your EQ (Engineering Quotient)

EQ #5

Some people will tell you that you can’t use a bypass capacitor above its self-resonant frequency, because above that, it no longer behaves like a capacitor. Is this really true?

No, it isn’t true.
In bypass applications, the only aspect of “behaves like a capacitor” we really care about is the magnitude of its impedance, which needs to be low in the frequencies of interest. The circuit being bypassed generally does not care about the phase angle — i.e., capacitive or inductive — associated with that impedance.

A capacitor’s impedance is at a minimum at its self-resonant frequency, and is typically “low enough” for at least an order of magnitude on either side of that frequency.

However, this does explain why it is often necessary to use several different sizes of bypass capacitors in very broadband applications. Each size keeps the power supply impedance low over a few decades of frequency.

— ADVERTISMENT—

Advertise Here

Keep up-to-date with our FREE Weekly Newsletter!

Don't miss out on upcoming issues of Circuit Cellar.


Note: We’ve made the Dec 2022 issue of Circuit Cellar available as a free sample issue. In it, you’ll find a rich variety of the kinds of articles and information that exemplify a typical issue of the current magazine.

Would you like to write for Circuit Cellar? We are always accepting articles/posts from the technical community. Get in touch with us and let's discuss your ideas.

Supporting Companies

Upcoming Events


Copyright © KCK Media Corp.
All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 KCK Media Corp.

EQ #5

by Circuit Cellar Staff time to read: 1 min