Polarity Determination of Electrolytic Capacitors in Power Supplies from external terminals

This paper presents the extension of the method previously developed, concerning the identification of the correct assembly in an electronic circuit of a polarized capacitor [1]. The method is upgraded to in-circuit testing readiness for switched-mode power supplies and represents an efficient and very low-cost alternative to the "classical" Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) techniques. The charging – discharging technique can be applied to the external terminals of a switched-mode power supply without requiring additional testing points on the electronic assembly.