10 µF, 50 V, 250 mOhm ESR — bulk decoupling for 12-48 V rails
The TPSE106K050R0250: This combination makes it a strong candidate for bulk decoupling on 12 V, 24 V, or 48 V power rails where the voltage margin is generous and the low ESR keeps ripple voltage in check.
ESR and voltage derating — the real selection parameters
The 250 mOhm ESR is the key AC performance spec for this part. At 100 kHz, this ESR limits the ripple current capability and self-heating; for a 10 µF capacitor on a 500 kHz buck converter output, the impedance at frequency is dominated by this ESR, not the capacitive reactance. The 50 V rating provides a 2:1 derating margin on a 25 V rail, which is standard practice for tantalum capacitors to avoid surge failures. On a 48 V telecom bus, the margin is tighter but still within the recommended 80% derating guideline for molded tantalum types. The ±10% tolerance is typical for tantalum electrolytics and is adequate for decoupling and filtering applications where the absolute capacitance value is not critical. For timing circuits, a tighter tolerance or a different dielectric would be required.
As a molded tantalum capacitor in a standard 2917 footprint, it is a drop-in replacement for many other TPS-series parts with the same case code. The 250 mOhm ESR and 50 V rating are the distinguishing parameters that define this specific variant.