Non-polar, bi-polar and regular electrolytics...what's the difference?

[skiraly017]

Modified from my original post.

I have some caps that have "BP" marked on them and I'm assuming that means bi-polar and that bi-polar means they don't care which way the current flows throughs them. I know electrolytics have a positive and negative side and must be oriented correctly. So where do non-polars fit in? Can I use a non-polar in place of a bi-polar? How about an electrolytic in place of a bi-polar provided I have it oriented correctly?

Very confused right now. 

[Melanhead]

Modified from my original post.

I have some caps that have "BP" marked on them and I'm assuming that means bi-polar and that bi-polar means they don't care which way the current flows throughs them. I know electrolytics have a positive and negative side and must be oriented correctly. So where do non-polars fit in? Can I use a non-polar in place of a bi-polar? How about an electrolytic in place of a bi-polar provided I have it oriented correctly?

Very confused right now. 

I believe bi-polar is another name for non-polar

[zpyder]

I'll second that a bi-polar and a non-polar should function in the same way.

zpyder

[GibsonGM]

From what I understand (and please correct me if I'm wrong!), non-polar and bipolar are the same in terms of orientation (no orientation, actually).  Most electrolytic and tantalum caps are polarized, but not all, and must be oriented correctly.  However, some electrolytics are bipolar, and their orientation doesn't matter!  If it's not marked as such, I'd say it is not polarized.

From personal experience, it doesn't matter if you replace a polarized cap with a non-polarized one (or bipolar)...but I have seen 1 or 2 schematics that say they REQUIRE a polarized cap, and always follow that since the designer might have had some purpose in mind for it (what, I am not sure, they function the same...polarization just has to do with how the dielectric works with the plates chemically. Reversing the leads causes the film formed in there to break down and the cap will short).