Chip SMD capaacitors can be marked with EIA 198 two digit code to show the capacitance of the part. Chip sizes 0805 to 3333 are usually marked using laser or ink printer. The system does not degrade the ceramic surface or induce microcrack in the part. If a part has 3 digit marking, the first character denotes the marks (usually N – Novacap or S – Syfer), the remaining two characters can be decoded using following table.
Example: A5 means 100 000 pF, NA5 means the same but the chip is branded (Novacap).