I'm slowly bringing some olde DEC PDP-11 boards back online. In this case
a pair of Unibus Plessey PM-1116 B core memories. Fortunately I have
really nice documentation for them.
Their inhibit drivers are driven from the -15v rail and individually
bypassed at that point by 15uF 20v +-20% axial capacitors. The
specification is for Sprague 150D156X002082 parts. One board uses these,
or a very close facsimile, *electrolytics*. No smoke on power-up.
The other board has KEMET axial capacitors that are bullet-shaped and solid
plastic. I've never seen anything like them before. Has anyone else?
Searching through parts sheets @Mouser it looks like this is a
*tantalum *capacitor
(but apparently a discontinued line). One of these smoked mightily on
power-up, splitting across the middle. (Fortunately this seems like a
non-fatal failure as regards the remainder of the circuitry.)
I'm unsure whether there's any good reason to replace it with a small
electrolytic as used on the first board (and, perhaps, all of the others
like it on the board), or whether I should replace *just* it with another
KEMET capacitor instead?
Since no other KEMET capacitors failed (there are 17 others) I'm thinking
that I should replace *just *it, and with a comparable modern KEMET
tantalum capacitor; *e.g*., the T110B156M020AT
Does anyone have any experience with this part, repairing boards where this
part has failed, or other words-of-wisdom to offer?
Thanks,
paul