Welcome to Codidact Meta!
Codidact Meta is the meta-discussion site for the Codidact community network and the Codidact software. Whether you have bug reports or feature requests, support questions or rule discussions that touch the whole network – this is the site for you.
Bypass Caps and High Frequency Current Return Paths [closed]
Closed as off topic by msh210 on Aug 19, 2020 at 22:05
This question is not within the scope of Codidact Meta.
This question was closed; new answers can no longer be added. Users with the reopen privilege may vote to reopen this question if it has been improved or closed incorrectly.
Hello, everyone!
I was watching this video by w2aew on the function of ceramic bypass capacitors, and at 6:00 he states that high-frequency currents take the path of least-impedance and make their way to the power rail through the ceramic capacitor next to the IC.
Okay, so I get the fact that the high frequency content wants to avoid the high-Z path created by the return loop, but I also thought that current has to return back to its source through the negative terminal, to the power supply, and then flow out of the positive terminal. So why is the capacitor shunting it back directly onto the supply rail? Could someone please explain to me where my understanding of current flow, or whatever else, is wrong?
Thanks.
1 comment thread