WIMA Handler Skill

Use this skill when working with WIMA premium film capacitors - adding patterns, parsing WIMA MPNs, extracting capacitance values, voltage ratings, dielectric types, or package codes from WIMA part numbers.

Overview

WIMA is a German manufacturer specializing in high-quality film capacitors for audio, pulse, and general applications. They are particularly renowned for their audio-grade capacitors.

Series Naming Convention

WIMA uses a 3-letter prefix system followed by a size code:

First Letter - Construction Type

• M = Metallized (thin metal layer on film) - self-healing
• F = Film/Foil (discrete metal foil electrodes) - lowest losses

Second Letter

• K = Kunststoff (German for "plastic film capacitor")

Third Letter - Dielectric Material

• S = Polyester (PET) - good general purpose, higher capacitance per volume
• P = Polypropylene (PP) - lower losses, better for audio/pulse
• C = Polycarbonate (legacy, discontinued)

Common Series

Series	Construction	Dielectric	Typical Use
MKS	Metallized	Polyester (PET)	General purpose, compact, coupling
MKP	Metallized	Polypropylene (PP)	Audio, snubber, pulse
FKS	Foil	Polyester (PET)	Precision, low loss
FKP	Foil	Polypropylene (PP)	Highest quality, premium audio
FKC	Foil	Polycarbonate	Legacy (discontinued)

Size Codes (Lead Spacing/Pitch)

Code	Pitch
2	5mm
3	7.5mm
4	7.5mm
6	10mm
10	15mm (MKP10 pulse)
20	22.5mm

MPN Structure

Format:

[Series][Size]-[Value]/[Voltage]/[Tolerance]

Examples

MPN	Series	Size	Value	Voltage	Tolerance
MKS4-100/63/10	MKS	4 (7.5mm)	100nF	63V	10%
MKP10-0.01/1000/10	MKP	10 (15mm)	10nF	1000V	10%
FKP2-330/100/5	FKP	2 (5mm)	330pF	100V	5%
MKS2-100/63/10	MKS	2 (5mm)	100nF	63V	10%

Value Formats

• 100

  = 100nF (default unit for larger values)

• 0.01

  = 10nF (decimal format)

• 330P

  = 330pF (with unit suffix)

• 100N

  = 100nF (with unit suffix)

• 1U

  = 1uF (with unit suffix)

Handler Implementation

Key Files

• Handler:

  src/main/java/.../manufacturers/WIMAHandler.java

• Tests:

  src/test/java/.../handlers/WIMAHandlerTest.java

Supported ComponentTypes

• ComponentType.CAPACITOR

  (base type)

• ComponentType.CAPACITOR_FILM_WIMA

  (manufacturer-specific)

Key Methods

// Check if MPN is a WIMA capacitor
handler.matches(mpn, ComponentType.CAPACITOR_FILM_WIMA, registry)

// Extract series (e.g., "MKS4", "MKP10", "FKP2")
handler.extractSeries(mpn)

// Extract package/pitch (e.g., "5mm", "7.5mm", "15mm")
handler.extractPackageCode(mpn)

// Get dielectric type (e.g., "PET", "PP", "PC")
handler.getDielectricType(mpn)

// Get construction type (e.g., "Metallized", "Foil")
handler.getConstructionType(mpn)

Pattern Matching

The handler uses regex patterns to identify WIMA parts:

// Main series pattern
"^(MKS|MKP|FKS|FKP|FKC)\\d+.*"

// SMD series pattern
"^SMD[PM]\\d+.*"

Audio Applications

WIMA capacitors are highly regarded in audio applications:

Recommended Series for Audio

1. FKP - Foil Polypropylene: Best for critical audio paths (signal coupling)
2. MKP - Metallized Polypropylene: Good balance of performance/cost
3. MKS - Metallized Polyester: Budget option for less critical applications

Audio Application Examples

• Input/output coupling: FKP2 or MKP series
• Power supply decoupling: MKP4 or MKP10
• Tone control: FKP2 for precision
• Crossover networks: MKP series

Replacement Guidelines

Compatible Replacements

• Same series prefix (MKS, MKP, etc.)
• Same size code (same lead spacing)
• Same or higher voltage rating
• Same or tighter tolerance

Upgrade Paths

Original	Upgrade	Notes
MKS	MKP	Lower loss, better audio
MKS	FKS	Lower loss
MKP	FKP	Lowest loss, premium
FKS	FKP	Better dielectric

Testing Examples

// Test MPN detection
assertTrue(handler.matches("MKS4-100/63/10", ComponentType.CAPACITOR_FILM_WIMA, registry));

// Test series extraction
assertEquals("MKS4", handler.extractSeries("MKS4-100/63/10"));

// Test package extraction
assertEquals("7.5mm", handler.extractPackageCode("MKS4-100/63/10"));

// Test dielectric type
assertEquals("PET", handler.getDielectricType("MKS4-100/63/10"));
assertEquals("PP", handler.getDielectricType("MKP10-100/1000/10"));

// Test construction type
assertEquals("Metallized", handler.getConstructionType("MKS4-100/63/10"));
assertEquals("Foil", handler.getConstructionType("FKP2-330/100/5"));

Learnings & Quirks

Pattern Matching Notes

• WIMA MPNs can use hyphens or underscores as separators
• Value can be in various formats: decimal (0.01), integer (100), or with suffix (330P)
• Size code immediately follows the series prefix without separator

Color Coding (Physical Identification)

Historical WIMA color coding:

• MKS (PET Metallized): Red case, white/silver text
• MKP (PP Metallized): Red case, black text
• FKS (PET Foil): Red case with yellow band, white/silver text
• FKP (PP Foil): Red case with yellow band, black text

Note: Since 2024, WIMA has standardized to black marking on all capacitors.

Known Limitations

• SMD patterns (SMDP, SMDM) are less common and may have different formats
• Legacy FKC (polycarbonate) series is discontinued but still in some legacy designs
• Some alternative MPN formats exist (e.g., MKS4C024703C00KSSD)

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Sources

• WIMA Part Number System
• WIMA SMD Part Numbers
• WIMA Audio Capacitors