How to Read Murata, TDK and Taiyo Yuden MLCC Part Numbers — GRM188R71H104KA93D·C1608X7R1H104K080AA: same 0.1µF, different letters by maker

Image description: At the counter of an electronic parts shop, a customer holds three capacitor reels with different labels and asks, “They all say 0.1µF, so why are the letters all different?” A female clerk in a red apron points to each reel and answers, “Each maker just uses different letters!”

An MLCC (multilayer ceramic capacitor) part number packs size · thickness · temperature characteristic · voltage · capacitance · tolerance · packaging into a single code. Murata · TDK · Taiyo Yuden are the most widely used Japanese MLCC makers in the world, but even the same 0.1µF 50V capacitor is written with different letters by each maker. Some fields are the same, like capacitance 104, but size varies — Murata '18' · TDK '1608' · Taiyo Yuden '16' — and X7R is written 'R7' by Murata and 'B7' by Taiyo Yuden.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics (CL) · Walsin part numbers are covered in Part 1. This post is Part 2.
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All values were checked against Murata Part Numbering · TDK MLCC catalog number description · the Taiyo Yuden MLCC catalog and each maker's official product pages. Click a part number to search for stock in eGuro Part Search.

1. The three makers at a glance

Here is how each of the three makers writes the same meaning, side by side. Capacitance (104 = 0.1µF) and tolerance (K = ±10%) are the same at all three; the size · temperature characteristic · voltage letters differ.

2. Murata — GRM188R71H104KA93D

A Murata part number has 18 characters: series 3 + size 2 + thickness 1 + temperature characteristic 2 + voltage 2 + capacitance 3 + tolerance 1 + individual specification 3 + packaging 1. GRM188R71H104KA93D is 0603 · 0.8mm thick · X7R · 50V · 0.1µF · ±10% · ø180mm paper tape (4,000 pcs). This part number is marked To be discontinued on Murata's product page, so if you are starting a new design, check alternatives as well.

3. Murata series letters — GRM · GCM · GJM …

The first 3 letters tell you what application the product is for. Even with the same size and capacitance, a different series means a different product — use an automotive series where automotive parts are required.

The series names are exactly as in the ❶Series table of Murata Part Numbering. Several series are not in the table (GCQ · GGM · KC3 · ZRA, etc.).

4. TDK — C1608X7R1H104K080AA

C1608X7R1H104K080AA is TDK general purpose · 1.6×0.8mm (0603) · X7R · 50V · 0.1µF · ±10% · 0.80mm thick · 178mm reel (4mm pitch). TDK's product page shows TDK's internal notation (Item Description) for this part number as C1608X7R1H104KT****. That is why you sometimes see TDK part numbers ending in …KT on the market. The same page lists CGA3E2X7R1H104K080AA for automotive use — the automotive CGA series writes size as a single digit (3 = 1608) and arranges the characters differently.

5. Taiyo Yuden new part numbers — MSASL063SB5224MFNA01

Taiyo Yuden has switched to a new 20-character part numbering system. The purpose is to put the application clearly at the front of the part number; shape · size · function are the same as the old part number.

The first 4 letters are M (MLCC) + application + shape + feature. Because the second letter is the application, parts with the same size and capacitance can belong to different series.

The 3rd letter is A = 2-terminal, R = LW reversed type. So the general purpose standard is MSAS, and the general purpose low ESL LW reversed type is MSRL.

6. Taiyo Yuden old part numbers — LMK · UMK · EMK

Many old part numbers such as LMK063BJ224MP-F · UMK107… · EMK107… are still circulating on the market. Taiyo Yuden's official specification pages list the old part number (Previous Part Number) alongside each new part number.

Comparing the pairs, you can see that the first letter of the old part number matches the voltage letter of the new one (L = 10V · U = 50V · E = 16V), that 063 · 107 are the size (0201 · 0603), and that BJ sits in the X5R position. However, Taiyo Yuden no longer publishes an official rule table for old part numbers, so it is safest to look up the old part number on the official specification page (ds.yuden.co.jp) to confirm the exact specs.

7. The biggest trap — size numbers

Image description: Looking at a tiny chip through a magnifying glass, a customer is surprised: “I bought it because it said 0603 — why is it this small?” The female clerk points to the TDK label and answers, “TDK numbers are in mm. In inches, it's 0201!”

TDK writes size in mm (1608 = 1.6×0.8mm), while most sales sites and drawings use inches (0603). So TDK's C0603… is a tiny chip that is 0201 in inches. Murata uses a 2-digit code (18), and Taiyo Yuden uses 2 digits in new part numbers (16) · 3 digits in old ones (107), so it is easy to get confused if you choose by the numbers alone.

8. Same part, different part numbers

Murata GRM188R71H104KA93D and TDK C1608X7R1H104K080AA have the same size · thickness · temperature characteristic · voltage · capacitance · tolerance. Even though the part number letters look completely different, decoding them field by field shows they are the same specification. However, life test conditions and DC bias characteristics (the actual capacitance under applied voltage) may differ between makers.

9. What to check when substituting

• Size — inches or mm? (TDK 0603 = inch 0201); double-check with the same size code
• Thickness — even the same 0603 can be 0.8mm · 0.5mm, etc.; always check where height is limited
• Temperature characteristic — never put X5R (up to 85℃) where X7R is required; C0G ↔ X7R are completely different in nature
• Rated voltage — same or higher voltage; with high-permittivity types (X7R · X5R) the actual capacitance drops when voltage is applied
• Grade — do not use general purpose parts (GRM · C · MSAS) where automotive parts (Murata GCM · TDK CGA · Taiyo Yuden second letter A · C) are required
• Electrodes — where board flex is large, use soft termination (GCJ · GRJ, TDK special code E)
• Packaging — the last letter changes reel size · quantity (Murata D/J, TDK A/B, Taiyo Yuden F/T)

Sources: Murata Part Numbering (Ceramic Capacitors SMD) · Murata GRM188R71H104KA93D product page, TDK MLCC catalog number description · TDK Multilayer Ceramic Chip Capacitors C series (Commercial grade, general) catalog · TDK C1608X7R1H104K080AA product page, Taiyo Yuden Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors for General Purpose catalog (c_mlcc_S_e) · Changes to Part Numbers · Taiyo Yuden product specification pages (TYCOMPAS). Codes may vary by series and product, so before placing an actual order, confirm with the official specification sheet for that part number.