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                             Electronic color code

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   An electronic color code is used to indicate the values or ratings of
   electronic components, usually for resistors, but also for capacitors,
   inductors, diodes and others. A separate code, the 25-pair color code, is
   used to identify wires in some telecommunications cables. Different codes
   are used for wire leads on devices such as transformers or in building
   wiring.

   [IMG]
   Enlarge
   A 2260 Ω, 1%-precision resistor with 5 color bands (E96 series), from top,
   2-2-6-1-1; the last two brown bands indicate the multiplier (×10) and the
   tolerance (1%).

Contents

     * 1 History
     * 2 Resistors
          * 2.1 Color band system
          * 2.2 Body-end-dot system
          * 2.3 Examples
          * 2.4 Mnemonics
     * 3 Capacitors
          * 3.1 Postage stamp capacitors and war standard coding
     * 4 Inductors
     * 5 Diodes
     * 6 Wire
          * 6.1 Transformer
          * 6.2 Other
     * 7 See also
     * 8 Notes
     * 9 References
     * 10 External links

HistoryEdit

   [IMG] 
   Enlarge
   RMA resistor color code guide, ca. 1945–1950

   Before industry standards were established, each manufacturer used their
   own unique system for color coding or marking their components.

   In the 1920s,^[citation needed] the RMA resistor color code was developed
   by the Radio Manufacturers Association (RMA) as a fixed resistor coloring
   code marking. In 1930, the first radios with RMA color-coded resistors
   were built.^[1]^[2] Over many decades, as the organization name changed
   (RMA, RTMA, RETMA, EIA)^[3] so was the name of the code. Though known most
   recently as EIA color code, the four name variations are found in books,
   magazines, catalogs, and other documents over more than 92 years.

   In 1952, it was standardized in IEC 62:1952 by the International
   Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and since 1963 also published as EIA
   RS-279.^[4] Originally only meant to be used for fixed resistors, the
   color code was extended to also cover capacitors with IEC 62:1968. The
   code was adopted by many national standards like DIN 40825 (1973), BS 1852
   (1974) and IS 8186 (1976). The current international standard defining
   marking codes for resistors and capacitors is IEC 60062:2016^[5] and EN
   60062:2016. In addition to the color code, these standards define a letter
   and digit code named RKM code for resistors and capacitors.

   Color bands were used because they were easily and cheaply printed on tiny
   components. However, there were drawbacks, especially for color blind
   people. Overheating of a component or dirt accumulation may make it
   impossible to distinguish brown from red or orange. Advances in printing
   technology have now made printed numbers more practical on small
   components. The values of components in surface mount packages are marked
   with printed alphanumeric codes instead of a color code.

ResistorsEdit

   [IMG] 
   Enlarge
   One decade of the E12 series (there are twelve preferred values per decade
   of values) shown with their electronic color codes on resistors
   [IMG] 
   Enlarge
   A 0 Ω resistor (zero ohm), marked with a single black band

  Color band systemEdit

   To distinguish left from right there is a gap between the C and D bands: A
   diagram of a resistor, with four color bands A, B, C, D from left to
   right  A diagram of a 2.7 MΩ color-coded resistor. 

    1. The first significant figure of component value (left side)
    2. The second significant figure (some precision resistors have a third
       significant figure, and thus five bands).
    3. The decimal multiplier (number of trailing zeroes, or power of 10
       multiplier)
    4. If present, indicates tolerance of value in percent (no band means
       20%)

   In the above example, a resistor with bands of red, violet, green, and
   gold has first digit 2 (red; see table below), second digit 7 (violet),
   followed by 5 (green) zeroes: 2700000 ohms. Gold signifies that the
   tolerance is ±5%.

   Precision resistors may be marked with a five band system, to include
   three significant digits, a power of 10 multiplier (number of trailing
   zeroes, and a tolerance band. An extra-wide first band indicates a
   wire-wound resistor.^[6]

   resistor color code 
   Enlarge
   Resistor color code

   Resistors manufactured for military use may also include a fifth band
   which indicates component failure rate (reliability); refer to
   MIL-HDBK-199^[7] for further details.

   Tight tolerance resistors may have three bands for significant figures
   rather than two, or an additional band indicating temperature coefficient,
   in units of ppm/K.

   All coded components have at least two value bands and a multiplier; other
   bands are optional.

   The standard color code per IEC 60062:2016 is as follows:

Ring color       Significant                        Tolerance            Temperature
                 figures     Multiplier                                  coefficient
Name   Code RAL                                     Percent [%]   Letter [ppm/K] Letter 
None   –    –    –           –                      ±20           M      –       
Pink   PK   3015 –           ×10^−3^[8] ×0.001      –                    –       
Silver SR   –    –           ×10^−2     ×0.01       ±10           K      –       
Gold   GD   –    –           ×10^−1     ×0.1        ±5            J      –       
Black  BK   9005 0           ×10^0      ×1          –                    250     U      
Brown  BN   8003 1           ×10^1      ×10         ±1            F      100     S      
Red    RD   3000 2           ×10^2      ×100        ±2            G      50      R      
Orange OG   2003 3           ×10^3      ×1000       ±0.05^[8]     W      15      P      
Yellow YE   1021 4           ×10^4      ×10000      ±0.02^[8]^[nb P      25      Q      
                                                    1]^[9]        
Green  GN   6018 5           ×10^5      ×100000     ±0.5          D      20      Z^[nb  
                                                                                 2]     
Blue   BU   5015 6           ×10^6      ×1000000    ±0.25         C      10      Z^[nb  
                                                                                 2]     
Violet VT   4005 7           ×10^7      ×10000000   ±0.1          B      5       M      
Grey   GY   7000 8           ×10^8      ×100000000  ±0.01^[8]^[nb L (A)  1       K      
                                                    3]^[nb 1]^[9] 
White  WH   1013 9           ×10^9      ×1000000000 –                    –       

   Resistors use various E series of preferred numbers for their specific
   values, which are determined by their tolerance. These values repeat for
   every decade of magnitude: ... 0.68, 6.8, 68, 680, ... For resistors of
   20% tolerance the E6 series, with six values: 10, 15, 22, 33, 47, 68, then
   100, 150, ... is used; each value is approximately the previous value
   multiplied by ^6√10. For 10% tolerance resistors the E12 series, with
   ^12√10 as multiplier, is used; similar schemes up to E192, for 0.5% or
   tighter tolerance are used. The separation between the values is related
   to the tolerance so that adjacent values at the extremes of tolerance
   approximately just overlap; for example, in the E6 series 10 + 20% is 12,
   while 15 − 20% is also 12.

   Zero ohm resistors, marked with a single black band,^[10] are lengths of
   wire wrapped in a resistor-like body which can be mounted on a
   printed-circuit board (PCB) by automatic component-insertion equipment.
   They are typically used on PCBs as insulating "bridges" where two tracks
   would otherwise cross, or as soldered-in jumper wires for setting
   configurations.

  Body-end-dot systemEdit

   The "body-end-dot" or "body-tip-spot" system was used for cylindrical
   composition resistors sometimes still found in very old equipment (built
   before the Second World War); the first band was given by the body color,
   the second band by the color of one end of the resistor, and the
   multiplier by a dot or band around the middle of the resistor. The other
   end of the resistor was in the body color, silver, or gold for 20%, 10%,
   5% tolerance (tighter tolerances were not routinely
   used).^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]

  ExamplesEdit

   [IMG] 
   Enlarge
   Example color-coded resistors

   From top to bottom:

     * Green, blue, black, black, brown
          * 560 ohms ±1%
     * Red, red, orange, gold
          * 22000 ohms ±5%
     * Yellow, violet, brown, gold
          * 470 ohms ±5%
     * Blue, grey, black, gold
          * 68 ohms ±5%

   The physical size of a resistor is indicative of the power it can
   dissipate.

   There is an important difference between the use of three and of four
   bands to indicate resistance. The same resistance is encoded by:

     * Red, red, orange = 22 followed by 3 zeroes = 22000 (excluding default,
       silver, or gold tolerance)
     * Red, red, black, red = 220 followed by 2 zeroes = 22000 (excluding
       brown or other band for tolerance)

  MnemonicsEdit

   Further information: List of electronic color code mnemonics

   Useful mnemonics have been created to make it easier to remember the
   numeric order of resistor color bands. The following example includes the
   tolerance codes gold, silver, and none:

     * Bad Beer Rots Out Your Guts But Vodka Goes Well – Get Some Now.^[15]
     * Betty Brown Runs Over Your Garden But Violet Gingerly Walks.
     * Bad Bears Raid Our Yummy Grub But Veto Grey Waffles.

   The colors are sorted with ascending values in the order of the visible
   light spectrum to make them easy to remember and to reduce the
   significance of possible read errors due to color shifts and fading over
   time: red (2), orange (3), yellow (4), green (5), blue (6), violet (7).
   Black (0) has no energy, brown (1) has a little more, white (9) has
   everything and grey (8) is like white, but less intense.^[16]

CapacitorsEdit

   Capacitors may be marked with 4 or more colored bands or dots. The colors
   encode the first and second most significant digits of the value in
   picofarads, and the third color the decimal multiplier. Additional bands
   have meanings which may vary from one type to another. Low-tolerance
   capacitors may begin with the first 3 (rather than 2) digits of the value.
   It is usually, but not always, possible to work out what scheme is used by
   the particular colors used. Cylindrical capacitors marked with bands may
   look like resistors.

                                                         DC      Operating                 
Color    Significant Multiplier Tolerance Characteristic working temperature EIA/vibration 
         digits                 [%]                      voltage [°C]        [Hz]
                                                         [V]     
  Black  0           1          —         —              —       −55 to +70  10 to 55      
  Brown  1           10         ±1        B              100     —           —             
  Red    2           100        ±2        C              —       −55 to +85  —             
  Orange 3           1000       —         D              300     —           —             
  Yellow 4           10000      —         E              —       −55 to +125 10 to 2000    
  Green  5           100000     ±0.5      F              500     —           —             
  Blue   6           1000000    —         —              —       −55 to +150 —             
  Violet 7           10000000   —         —              —       —           —             
  Grey   8           —          —         —              —       —           —             
  White  9           —          —         —              —       —           EIA           
  Gold   —           —          ±5^[nb 4] —              1000    —           —             
  Silver —           —          ±10       —              —       —           —             

   Extra bands on ceramic capacitors identify the voltage rating class and
   temperature coefficient characteristics.^[11] A broad black band was
   applied to some tubular paper capacitors to indicate the end that had the
   outer electrode; this allowed this end to be connected to chassis ground
   to provide some shielding against hum and noise pickup.

   Polyester film and "gum drop" tantalum electrolytic capacitors may also be
   color-coded to give the value, working voltage and tolerance.

  Postage stamp capacitors and war standard codingEdit

   [IMG] 
   Enlarge
   Postage-stamp mica capacitors marked with the EIA 3-dot and 6-dot color
   codes, giving capacitance value, tolerance, working voltage, and
   temperature characteristic. This style of capacitor was used in
   vacuum-tube equipment.

   Capacitors of the rectangular "postage stamp" form made for military use
   during World War II used American War Standard (AWS) or Joint Army-Navy
   (JAN) coding in six dots stamped on the capacitor. An arrow on the top row
   of dots pointed to the right, indicating the reading order. From left to
   right the top dots were: either black, indicating JAN mica, or silver,
   indicating AWS paper; first significant digit; and second significant
   digit. The bottom three dots indicated temperature characteristic,
   tolerance, and decimal multiplier. The characteristic was black for
   ±1000 ppm/°C, brown for ±500, red for ±200, orange for ±100, yellow for
   −20 to +100 ppm/°C, and green for 0 to +70 ppm/°C.

   A similar six-dot code by EIA had the top row as first, second and third
   significant digits and the bottom row as voltage rating (in hundreds of
   volts; no color indicated 500 volts), tolerance, and multiplier. A
   three-dot EIA code was used for 500 volt 20% tolerance capacitors, and the
   dots signified first and second significant digits and the multiplier.
   Such capacitors were common in vacuum tube equipment and in surplus for a
   generation after the war but are unavailable now.^[17]

InductorsEdit

   Standards IEC 60062 / EN 60062 do not define a color code for inductors,
   but manufacturers of small inductors use the resistor color code,
   typically encoding inductance in microhenries.^[18] A white tolerance ring
   is used by TDK to indicate custom specifications.^[18]

DiodesEdit

   The part number for small JEDEC "1N"-coded diodes—in the form "1N4148"—is
   sometimes encoded as three or four rings in the standard color code,
   omitting the "1N" prefix. The 1N4148 would then be coded as yellow (4),
   brown (1), yellow (4), grey (8).

WireEdit

  TransformerEdit

   Power transformers used in North American vacuum-tube equipment were often
   color-coded to identify the leads. Black was the primary connection, red
   secondary for the B+ (plate voltage), red with a yellow tracer was the
   center tap for the B+ full-wave rectifier winding, green or brown was the
   heater voltage for all tubes, yellow was the filament voltage for the
   rectifier tube (often a different voltage than other tube heaters). Two
   wires of each color were provided for each circuit, and phasing was not
   identified by the color code.

   Audio transformers for vacuum tube equipment were coded blue for the
   finishing lead of the primary, red for the B+ lead of the primary, brown
   for a primary center tap, green for the finishing lead of the secondary,
   black for grid lead of the secondary, and yellow for a tapped secondary.
   Each lead had a different color since relative polarity or phase was more
   important for these transformers. Intermediate-frequency tuned
   transformers were coded blue and red for the primary and green and black
   for the secondary.^[17]

  OtherEdit

   Wires may be color-coded to identify their function, voltage class,
   polarity, phase or to identify the circuit in which they are used. The
   insulation of the wire may be solidly colored, or where more combinations
   are needed, one or two tracer stripes may be added. Some wiring color
   codes are set by national regulations, but often a color code is specific
   to a manufacturer or industry.

   Building wiring under the US National Electrical Code and the Canadian
   Electrical Code is identified by colors to show energized and neutral
   conductors, grounding conductors and to identify phases. Other color codes
   are used in the UK and other areas to identify building wiring or flexible
   cable wiring.

   Mains electrical wiring, both in a building and on equipment was once
   usually red for live, black for neutral, and green for earth, but this was
   changed as it was a hazard for color-blind people, who might confuse red
   and green; different countries use different conventions. Red and black
   are frequently used for positive and negative of battery or other
   single-voltage DC wiring.

   Thermocouple wires and extension cables are identified by color code for
   the type of thermocouple; interchanging thermocouples with unsuitable
   extension wires destroys the accuracy of the measurement.

   Automotive wiring is color-coded but standards vary by manufacturer;
   differing SAE and DIN standards exist.

   Modern personal computer peripheral cables and connectors are color-coded
   to simplify connection of speakers, microphones, mice, keyboards and other
   peripherals, usually according to coloring schemes following
   recommendations such as PC System Design Guide, PoweredUSB, ATX, etc.

   A common convention for wiring systems in industrial buildings is: black
   jacket – AC less than 1,000 volts, blue jacket – DC or communications,
   orange jacket – medium voltage 2,300 or 4,160 V, red jacket 13,800 V or
   higher. Red-jacketed cable is also used for relatively low-voltage fire
   alarm wiring, but has a much different appearance.

   Local area network cables may also have non-standardised jacket colors
   identifying, for example, process control network vs. office automation
   networks, or to identify redundant network connections, but these codes
   vary by organization and facility.

See alsoEdit

   Wikimedia Commons has media related to Electronic color code. 

     * E series of preferred numbers (IEC 60063) — series of preferred
       resistance and capacitance values
     * Color code
     * Electrical wiring — AC power wiring inside buildings, including
       standard color codes

NotesEdit

    1. ^ ^a ^b Before yellow and grey colored rings were assigned to
       tolerance values of ±0.02% and ±0.01% with IEC 60062:2016, some
       manufacturers used yellow and grey as substitute for gold (±5%) and
       silver (±10%) colored rings in high-voltage resistors to avoid metal
       particles in the lacquer.
    2. ^ ^a ^b Any temperature coefficient not assigned its own letter shall
       be marked "Z", and the coefficient found in other documentation.
    3. ^ Before a grey colored ring was assigned to a tolerance of ±0.01%
       with IEC 60062:2016, some manufacturers used a grey colored ring to
       indicate a non-standardized tolerance of ±0.05%.
    4. ^ ±5% or ±0.5 pF, whichever is greater.

ReferencesEdit

   Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
    1. ^ Rider, John F.; Muhleman, M. L., eds. (April 1932). "Color coding"
       (PDF). Service - A Monthly Digest of Radio and Allied Maintenance. New
       York City, NY, USA: John F. Rider Publications, Inc. 1 (3): 62.
       Retrieved 2019-11-15. Color coding of resistances used in receivers is
       not always according to the standard recommended by the RMA. Most of
       the manufacturers now are using this code. The following is a partial
       tabulation of receiver manufacturers and comments concerning their use
       of the body, tip and dot system. […] (NB. Part 1/2 of a list of when
       each radio manufacturer first started using RMA color coded
       resistors.)
    2. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       Rider, John F.; Muhleman, M. L., eds. (May 1932). "Color coding -
       Continued from April issue" (PDF). Service - A Monthly Digest of Radio
       and Allied Maintenance. New York City, NY, USA: John F. Rider
       Publications, Inc. 1 (4): 89. Retrieved 2019-11-15. (NB. Part 2/2 of a
       list of when each radio manufacturer first started using RMA color
       coded resistors.)
    3. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "JEDEC History". JEDEC. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
       Retrieved 2007-09-29.
    4. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       EIA RS-279: Color code for film resistors. Electronic Industries
       Alliance. 1963-08-01.
    5. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "IEC 60062:2016-07" (6 ed.). July 2016. Archived from the original on
       2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-23. [1]
    6. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       Westman, H. P., ed. (1968). Reference Data for Radio Engineers
       (5 ed.). ITT / Howard W. Sams. pp. 5-8–5-10. LCCN 43-14665.
    7. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "MIL-HDBK-199C" (PDF).
    8. ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "IEC 60062:2016-07" (6 ed.). July 2016. Archived from the original on
       2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-23. [2]
    9. ^ ^a ^b
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       VR37 High ohmic/high voltage resistors (PDF). Vishay. 2015. Archived
       from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-10.
   10. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "NZO series zero-ohm resistors". NIC Components Corp. Archived from
       the original on 2009-01-04.
   11. ^ ^a ^b
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       Buttner, Harold H.; Kohlhaas, H. T.; Mann, F. J., eds. (1946).
       "Chapter 3: Audio and radio design". Reference Data for Radio
       Engineers (PDF) (2 ed.). Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation
       (FTR). pp. 52, 57. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-05-16.
       Retrieved 2020-01-03.
   12. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "How To Read Old Style Resistors" (PDF). 2006-10-03. Archived (PDF)
       from the original on 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
   13. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "RMA Resistor and Flexible Resistor Color Codes". Archived from the
       original on 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
   14. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "The Antique Resistor Color Code" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the
       original on 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
   15. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       Campbell, Dean. "The Mnemonics Page". Bradley University Chemistry
       Department.
   16. ^
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       Clement, Preston R.; Johnson, Walter Curtis (1960). Electrical
       Engineering Science. McGraw-Hill. p. 115.
   17. ^ ^a ^b
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       Dorbuck, Tony, ed. (1978) [1977]. The Radio Amateur's Handbook
       (5 ed.). Connecticut, USA: The American Radio Relay League.
       pp. 553–554. LCCN 41-3345. no ISBN.
   18. ^ ^a ^b
       Link: mw-deduplicated-inline-style
       "RF General" (PDF). TDK.

External linksEdit

   Online resistor calculators
              * Multi-purpose resistor code converter (4 and 5 band,
                mobile-friendly, shows nearest standard value)
              * 6 band resistor color code calculator (easy lookup, 4 and 5
                band calculators also available)

   Historical charts
              * Wheel charts
              * Reference charts

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   Last edited on 26 February 2022, at 03:12
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