12061A821GAT2A

The AVX 12061A821GAT2A is a surface-mount ceramic capacitor designed for general-purpose applications in industrial and commercial electronics. This component belongs to the broad family of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which are among the most widely used passive components in modern electronic equipment. Ceramic capacitors serve fundamental energy storage and signal coupling functions across virtually all electronic circuits. They are used for filtering, decoupling, bypassing, and AC coupling applications where their compact size, reliability, and low cost make them the standard choice over alternative technologies. The 12061A821GAT2A is packaged in the 1206 form factor, which is a standard surface-mount land pattern measuring 3.2mm by 1.6mm. This size represents a common midpoint in ceramic capacitor packaging, offering reasonable capacitance density while remaining easy to handle and place during automated assembly. AVX is a recognized manufacturer of capacitive components with a history of serving industrial, automotive, telecommunications, and consumer electronics markets. Their ceramic capacitor lines are engineered to meet the reliability demands of mission-critical applications where component failure could interrupt production or compromise system performance. Engineers typically specify ceramic capacitors like this one in power supply circuits for voltage regulation, in signal processing chains for AC coupling between stages, in clock and timing circuits for noise filtering, and in switching power supplies where fast transient response is essential. The 1206 package size is particularly common in modern designs where space is constrained but component density requirements are moderate. When selecting between ceramic capacitor alternatives, engineers consider several factors beyond basic capacitance value: the specific dielectric material used (which affects temperature stability and voltage coefficient), the voltage rating appropriate for the application, tolerance specifications, and reliability under thermal cycling or mechanical stress. AVX capacitors are specified in applications where consistent performance across temperature ranges and operating life is non-negotiable. Industrial equipment, test instrumentation, power distribution systems, and embedded control modules frequently incorporate capacitors from this family. The 1206 format strikes a practical balance: larger packages like 1812 or 2220 provide higher capacitance in a single component but consume more board space, while smaller packages like 0805 or 0603 offer space efficiency at the cost of reduced capacitance per component and handling challenges in high-volume assembly. For many mid-range industrial designs, the 1206 represents the optimal compromise. Designers choosing this specific part number would typically do so after reviewing detailed performance characteristics within their application's temperature, voltage, and frequency requirements to ensure long-term reliability in their specific deployment environment.