Is 1uF the same as 1 mF?

[BaLaClavaAa]

I googled but got mixed results =\

[mojo_hand]

In theory they're different, but in practice, the same.

mF *should* mean millifarads, IMO, but nobody almost ever talks about millifarads.  It's just one of those unused categories, like... decametres.  So sometimes people use mF to mean microfarads.

uF more clearly means microfarads, the "u" is a graphical approximation for the Greek character mu.

[BaLaClavaAa]

Alright thanks =D

[earthtonesaudio]

If you have a Mac it's easy to type things like µF and Ω.  Just hold the "option" key and press M for µ or Z for Ω  On PCs you have to open up the character map and copy-paste.  Unless there's some trick I don't know about.

[frankclarke]

Some computer programs are literal about mF and uF, I've gotten some weird results until I remembered the difference.

[soulsonic]

Some odd characters can be done with Alt+keystrokes on a PC, but not Greek ones. It's strange, I can do Þis one or þat one, with simple keystrokes. I guess it's because "Þ" (or "þ") is considered a Latin letter, as is "Ð" (or "ð"). Funny that "Thorn" and "Eth", which are completely archaic and seldom used, still have keystrokes, but the Greek letters which are still used commonly don't have them. But, then they don't have the archaic Long Ess ("ſ") which was commonly used much more recently than Thorn. And of course Sharp Ess ("ß") DOES have a keystroke, even though it's not really used in English at all. It seems like they were oddly arbitrary with their choices of what letters to give keystrokes to in the Unicode thing. I wonder if you can custom map keystrokes? It would be great if you could do that.

[earthtonesaudio]

Some odd characters can be done with Alt+keystrokes on a PC, but not Greek ones. It's strange, I can do Þis one or þat one, with simple keystrokes. I guess it's because "Þ" (or "þ") is considered a Latin letter, as is "Ð" (or "ð"). Funny that "Thorn" and "Eth", which are completely archaic and seldom used, still have keystrokes, but the Greek letters which are still used commonly don't have them. But, then they don't have the archaic Long Ess ("ſ") which was commonly used much more recently than Thorn. And of course Sharp Ess ("ß") DOES have a keystroke, even though it's not really used in English at all. It seems like they were oddly arbitrary with their choices of what letters to give keystrokes to in the Unicode thing. I wonder if you can custom map keystrokes? It would be great if you could do that.

I bet you can custom map keystrokes.  There's probably some freeware out there that does it. 

[Alex C]

ALT+0181 gives me µ - using Windows on a PC.

[BaLaClavaAa]

Real quick is there much difference in using a 30pF as opposed to a .0033uF? Also with the caps does it matte too much what type i buy, or just so that the numbers fit? Thanks =]

[mojo_hand]

Real quick is there much difference in using a 30pF as opposed to a .0033uF?

Well, yes, .0033uF = 3.3 nF = 3300 pF  So it's about 100 times too big.

Also with the caps does it matte too much what type i buy, or just so that the numbers fit? Thanks =]

It won't usually make such a big difference as to break anything, unless you use a polarized electrolytic where you need a nonpolarized cap to go.  I'd recommend sticking with the caps specified by the designer (assuming they specify any particular types) unless you know of reasons to do otherwise, but, again, using some other type won't usually cause any major harm.

[BaLaClavaAa]

Real quick is there much difference in using a 30pF as opposed to a .0033uF?

Well, yes, .0033uF = 3.3 nF = 3300 pF  So it's about 100 times too big.

Also with the caps does it matte too much what type i buy, or just so that the numbers fit? Thanks =]

It won't usually make such a big difference as to break anything, unless you use a polarized electrolytic where you need a nonpolarized cap to go.  I'd recommend sticking with the caps specified by the designer (assuming they specify any particular types) unless you know of reasons to do otherwise, but, again, using some other type won't usually cause any major harm.

OH.... haha oops, i can't seem to find 30pF, but I suppose my conversions are pretty off =P

So the only thing I need to worry about is weather the caps are electrolytic or not? thanks

[wampcat1]

uf is just easier to write.
bw

[Ronsonic]

Nowadays there are caps actually rated in milliFarads and abbreviated mF. They aren't used in the stuff we build around here, but you'll find them used in memory backup circuits and the like.

Ron

[soulsonic]

ALT+0181 gives me µ - using Windows on a PC.

"µ"
Well, I'll be dangnabbed!
It doesn't have a keystroke for the Greek letter "mu", but it does have µ, which is labeled as the "micro sign".
Wonders never cease.

[zombiwoof]

alt230 gives µ   
found a chart here:  http://notestomyself.wordpress.com/2006/07/22/alt-characters/

Al

[Michael Weidenauer]

Maybe it's only on keyboards for German language, but all my PC-Keyboards got that µ-sign written below the M.
It is used by just holding the right Alt-key (labeld Alt Gr) and typing the M.
I don't know why there are only a few additional letters with the Alt Gr function (there are: ² ³ { [ ] } \ @ ~ | µ)
If you don't get it that way, maybe another keyboard driver may help.