decrypting cap datecodes

[Scenic]

someone (i think it was kc8) posted how to decrypt the panasonic datecodes.
however.. i cant seem to find that thread/post..

so... any idea how to decrypt those?

i just recently got a shitload of mixed, "new" (unused) pannys (mostly FJ 6,3V 2200uF 10x20mm, but some others too).. and i just wanted to know how old they really are..

oh.. and while we're at it..

Nippon ChemiCon datecodes?
Sanyo datecodes?

i guess this could get a general "cap datecode decrypting thread".. *lol*
(later maybe even sticky...?)

[gdement]

I don't remember the details, but I think I have it in a datasheet somewhere.

The most important point though is the first digit (on Panasonic) is the year.
You have to be able to assume what decade they're from, it doesn't tell.

They're very hard to read, the dark red color must be somebody's idea of a joke.

[yanz]

would be nice if there's someone volunteering for gathering all infos...

[gdement]

Panasonic


3 different formats are listed in the PDF I have:

(A)(B)(C)(C):
                 A=last number of year
                 B=month (1-9, O=Oct, N=Nov, D=Dec)
                 C=line code in alphabet (A to Z)

(A)(B)(C)(D):
                 A=last number of year
                 B=month (1-9, O/N/D)
                 C=line code (A-Z)
                 D=production date (A-Z:1st-26th, 1=27th, 2=28th, etc)

(A)(B)(C)(D)(D)
                 A=last number of year
                 B=month (1-9, O/N/D)
                 C=week (Greek number: I for 1st week, II for 2nd wk)
                 D=line code (A-Z)

I have no idea how one is expected to tell the difference between the first 2 formats. And I don't know why they use greek in the 3rd format. Or why the year is only 1 digit. Or why it's printed in dark red. Or how hard Panasonic tried to come up with a system that sucks this much. Sorry.

PDF attached. I probably won't be doing any others as I don't think I have documentation for them.

[PCBONEZ]

My guess for chemicon from looking at them on mobos [that I know how old they are] is that chemicon use a 2 digit code and the first digit is the year.
For example:
A 2001 vintage board has Chemicons marked 1 (2)
A 2004 vintage board has Chemicons marked 4 (7)
A 2007 vintage board has Chemicons marked 7 (7)
- I haven't found any where the first digit doesnt make sense for the year.

At first I thought the character in the ( ) was for the month but I've seen a 'k' used there so I'm not sure about that. If it is for the month then I have no idea what the code is.
.

[yanz]

My guess for chemicon from looking at them on mobos [that I know how old they are] is that chemicon use a 2 digit code and the first digit is the year.

i assume it like that too..

[RJARRRPCGP]

Sorry to revive this thread. I have a question.

I was given a microphone where the date codes appear to be late-80s.

One looks like 87 and on what looks like a transformer, 88.

But, wondered about the tiny Nichicon cap, looks like a tiny electrolytic cap and says "N8x" Where "x" is a number.
It's a different format than on early 2000s motherboards.

[Heihachi_73]

Usually Nichicon has a standard 4-digit date code like (letter prefix) 0123. With the tiny caps (e.g. 5mm height), the 8 probably means 1988, 'x' being the month. I have a few tiny caps pulled from a 1989 Sony camcorder PCB dated between N945 and N950.