Resistor color code how to#
Resistor color code code#

Resistors with 6 bands are usually for high precision resistors that have an additional band to specify the temperature coefficient (ppm/˚C = ppm/K). An automatic resistor calculator can be used to quickly find the resistor values. The table can also be used to specify the color of the bands when the values are known.

Resistor color code how to#

The chart below shows how to determine the resistance and tolerance for resistors. The values of components in surface mount packages are marked with printed alphanumeric codes instead of a color code. Advances in printing technology have now made printed numbers more practical on small components. Overheating of a component or dirt accumulation may make it impossible to distinguish brown from red or orange. However, there were drawbacks, especially for color blind people.

Resistor color code code#

In addition to the color code, these standards define a letter and digit code named RKM code for resistors and capacitors.Ĭolor bands were used because they were easily and cheaply printed on tiny components. The current international standard defining marking codes for resistors and capacitors in IEC 60062:2016 and EN 60062:2016. Originally only meant to be used for fixed resistors, the color code was extended to also cover capacitors with IEC 62:1968. In 1952, it was standardized in IEC 62:1952 by IEC and since 1963 also published as EIA RS-279. Through known most recently as EIA color code, the four name variations are found in books, magazines, catalogs, and other documents over more than 91 years. Over many decades, as the organization name changed (RMA, RTMA, RETMA, EIA) so was the name of the code. In 1930, the first radios with RMA color-coded resistors were built.

In the 1920s, the RMA resistor code was developed by the Radio Manufacturers Association (RMA) as a fixed resistor coloring code marking.

The resistance values are standardized these values are called preferred values.īefore industry standards were established, each manufacturer used their own unique system for color coding or marking their components. At a minimum, two bands indicate the resistance value and one band serves as multiplier. The number of bands varies from three to six. Together they specify the resistance value, the tolerance, and sometimes the reliability or failure rate. The color code is given by several bands. In addition to defining the color bands, the standard also includes numerical codes, as often used for surface mount SMD resistors. This standard describes the marking codes for resistors and capacitors. The coding is defined in the international standard IEC 60062. Practically all leaded resistors with a power rating up to one watt are marked with color bands. Resistor values are often indicated with color codes. Resistor Color Coding uses colored bands to quickly identify a resistors resistive value and its percentage of tolerance with the physical size of the resistor indicating its wattage rating. In 6 band resistors first 3 bands are 1st, 2nd and 3rd digit, the 4th band is for the multiplier, the 5th one is for the tolerance and the 6th band is for the temperature coefficient.A Resistor Color Code is used to indicate the values or functions of resistors. In 5 band resistors first 3 bands are 1st, 2nd and 3rd digit, the 4rd band is for the multiplier and 5th one is for the tolerance. In 4 band resistors first 2 bands are 1st and 2nd digit, the 3rd band is for the multiplier and 4th one is for the tolerance. There are 4, 5 and 6 band resistors available. How to read the resistance value using color bands. in such cases this technique will be very useful. or you may need to know the value of resistor but you don’t have access to multimeter. such as to verify if resistor is good or bad, you can measure the resistance using the multimeter and then verify that using the color coding. the answer is because there are certain conditions where you may need to use color bands to determine the value of resistor. You may wonder if there are easy ways of measuring the resistance why to learn resistor color coding. I will cover that in my upcoming tutorials. measuring the resistance using multimeter is quite simple. and one of them is to use ohm meter which is mostly a part of the multimeter. There are several methods of calculating the value of resistors. we can calculate the value of resistors using this color bands. you may probably know why this bands are for, but for those who doesn’t know, this bands are for color coding of resistors. I am pretty sure you have seen this type of bands while working with resistors.

You can see in above image there are several color band on body of the resistors.