As time marches on and electronics components get
smaller and smaller, there is no just no room to apply color code markings for values, but in a lot of instances there is not even room to apply
a laser alphanumerical marking (at least not one large enough to be seen with an unaided eye). This goes for common
passive components like capacitors, inductors, and resistors as well as for integrated circuits, RF couplers and power dividers, diodes, and
transformers. Open you cell phone and try to find a useful component designation. Only the largest parts will have anything you can look up
on the Internet. There are ways to hunt down identification for some of the parts, but at least for Rs, Ls, and Cs, the only way to discover
a value without the assistance of a schematic is to measure it. If you look at older electronics equipment, you will immediately notice color
stripes and/or dots on many components. The table below will help you decipher the meanings for component value, tolerance, temperature coefficients,
etc. ,as applicable.
Capacitor Color Code Chart
Related Pages on RF Cafe
- Capacitors &
Capacitance Calculations
-
Capacitor
Color Codes
- Capacitance Conversions
-
Capacitor Dielectrics
-
Standard Capacitor Values
-
Capacitor Vendors
-
The Noble Art of De-Coupling
Capacitance is given in µµfd.
Colors have the same values as on resistors, except as indicated in tables. Colors (A) and (B) are for first two digits; (e) is for multiplier.
(D) is for tolerance, (E) and (F) give voltage rating in hundreds of volts; (E) is used only for ratings less than 1000 volts. (E) and (F) for
first two digits of ratings 1000 volts or more. Values of colors for (E) and (F) are same as in resistance values. (G) is class or characteristic
of capacitor. (H), (I), and (J) give temperature coefficient. (G), (H), (I), and (J) are not listed in the tables, since this information is
seldom needed by the average home builder.

Capacitor Color Code Chart
Resistor Color Code Chart
The ohmic value of a resistor can be deter-mined
by means of the color code. There are two standard methods of indicating this value. In Fig. A. the body (A) and end (B) indicate the first
and second digits of the value while the dot (C) indicates the multiplier to be used. The tolerance of the unit is indicated by the end color
(D). For example. if the body (A) is green the number is 5; if the end (B) is grey the second number is 8. If the dot (C) is red the multiplier
is 100 or two zeros should be added. The resistor is then a 5800 ohm unit. If the end (D) has no color. the tolerance is ±20%. In Fig. B. the
first two stripes indicate the first two digits; the third stripe the multiplier: the fourth stripe the tolerance. Thus, if stripe (A) is green,
(B) is grey, (e) is red, and (D) is silver. the resistor is a 5800 ohm, ± 10% unit.

Resistor Color Code Chart
Posted April 21, 2013