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Inductance Unit Converter

Convert inductance between henries, millihenries, microhenries, nanohenries, and picohenries.

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Formula

1 H = 10³ mH = 10⁶ μH = 10⁹ nH = 10¹² pH

How It Works

Inductance is measured in henries (H), the SI unit named after Joseph Henry. In electronics, inductors are commonly specified in millihenries (mH, 10⁻³ H), microhenries (μH, 10⁻⁶ H), nanohenries (nH, 10⁻⁹ H), and picohenries (pH, 10⁻¹² H). RF circuits typically use nH-range inductors, while power converters use μH to mH values.

Worked Example

A SMPS boost converter uses a 47 μH inductor. Convert to all units: 47 μH = 0.047 mH = 47,000 nH = 47,000,000 pH = 0.000047 H. An RF matching network uses a 4.7 nH inductor: 4.7 nH = 0.0047 μH = 0.0000047 mH = 4700 pH.

Practical Tips

  • ✓RF inductors (nH range) are sensitive to layout — each mm of PCB trace adds roughly 1 nH.
  • ✓Power inductor datasheets list inductance at DC and at rated current; inductance drops with saturation, so always check the L vs I curve.
  • ✓Surface-mount inductors often use a 4-digit code (e.g., 100 = 10 μH); use the capacitor-code calculator pattern: first two digits are significant figures, third is the multiplier in nH.

Common Mistakes

  • ✗Confusing μH (microhenry, 10⁻⁶ H) with mH (millihenry, 10⁻³ H) — they differ by 1000×.
  • ✗Forgetting that parasitic lead inductance is typically 1–10 nH, which matters at RF frequencies.
  • ✗Using the wrong prefix in SPICE simulations — entering 10 instead of 10e-6 for a 10 μH inductor will give wildly incorrect results.

Frequently Asked Questions

One henry produces an EMF of one volt when the current through it changes at one ampere per second (V = L × dI/dt). In practice, a 1 H inductor is large; most electronics use μH or mH values.
Use nH for RF and high-frequency matching networks (above ~10 MHz), and μH for switching power supplies, EMI filters, and audio-frequency circuits.
A straight wire has roughly 1 nH per mm of length due to its magnetic self-inductance. At GHz frequencies, even 1 nH presents significant reactance (X = 2πfL).
Divide by 1000: 470 nH = 0.47 μH. Multiply by 1000 to go from μH to nH.

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