# Surface mount abbreviations (SMD, SMT, SMA, SMC, and SMP)

**URL:** <https://forum.digikey.com/t/surface-mount-abbreviations-smd-smt-sma-smc-and-smp/410>\
**Category:** Capacitors\
**Tags:** faqs, terminology\
**Created:** [August 7, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/surface-mount-abbreviations-smd-smt-sma-smc-and-smp/410 "2017-08-07T16:25:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Michael\_McGrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Michael\_McGrath](https://forum.digikey.com/u/Michael_McGrath)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/surface-mount-abbreviations-smd-smt-sma-smc-and-smp/410/1 "2017-08-07T16:25:04Z")

</div>

A lot of descriptions for parts can contain abbreviations that call out that the device is surface mount.

Here are some of the common abbreviations you will find in short descriptions.

SMD for surface mount devices  
SMC for surface mount component  
SMA for surface mount assembly  
SMT for surface mount technology  
SMP for surface mount package

Here is an example of a shortened description for a capacitor that makes use of the most common abbreviation SMD  
“CAP ALUM 100UF 20% 6.3V SMD”

 ![smdcap](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/digikey/original/1X/40bf272eac6c06d1f08f54268ef376111cec489b.jpg)