MLCCs — multilayer ceramic capacitors — are the most-used passive component in electronics by unit volume. Layers of ceramic dielectric and metal electrodes are stacked and co-fired into a monolithic block, giving high capacitance in a small SMD case. They handle decoupling, bypassing, RF filtering, signal coupling, and EMI suppression across virtually every circuit board, from consumer devices to industrial controllers to defence hardware.

The dielectric class is the first thing to nail down. C0G (NP0) has a near-zero temperature coefficient and no DC bias sensitivity — use it for timing circuits, RF filters, or anything where capacitance needs to stay predictable. X7R covers -55°C to +125°C with ±15% tolerance and is the default choice for industrial decoupling. X5R drops the upper limit to +85°C. Avoid Y5V and Z5U wherever the actual capacitance value matters; the variation with temperature and voltage is too large to design around reliably.

DC bias derating is real and catches engineers out more than it should. X5R and X7R capacitance drops hard under DC voltage — a 10µF 0402 rated at 6.3V can measure 2µF or less at 5V. Account for this in decoupling calculations before layout, not at bring-up. As a rule, derate working voltage by at least 50%; smaller case sizes and tighter voltage headroom make the effect worse.

MLCCs also generate acoustic noise under AC ripple due to the piezoelectric effect of the ceramic. In audio-adjacent circuits and quiet power supplies, this is audible and annoying. Anti-vibration grades with mechanically compliant terminations exist specifically for this — worth knowing if you're laying out a Class D amplifier or a DC/DC converter close to a microphone.

TRX sources MLCCs from Murata, TDK, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, and KEMET (Yageo) through authorised distribution. No minimum order — pull what you need to qualify a design before committing to volume. In-stock lines ship to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria. For parts that need to be sourced, we'll quote an actual lead time.

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