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~ Electronic Component Letter and Colour Codes ~

 

Typographic or letter codes for ERIE and older tubular ceramic capacitors

These are marked with 1 to 3 numbers and a decimal point to indicate the value in pF with 2 letters to indicate the tolerance and temperature coefficient or 3 letters to indicate the tolerance and dielectric material used for high permittivity types (Hi-k dielectric)

For values between 1000pF and 9900pF K is used as the 1000s marker i.e. 1K = 1,000pF and 3K3 = 3,300pF ~ For values 10,000pF and over the value is marked in µF where .01 = 10,000pF or 10nF nowadays

Note that a value of 470 is actually 470pF whereas modern letter codes would make the value 47pF i.e. 47 multiplied by 100 pF ~ Before the 1970s things were simpler ? ~ 470JN = 470pF ±5% -750ppm/°C

Emphasis was given to the temperature coefficient because ceramic capacitors were often used to compensate for the temperature effects of inductors in tuned circuits and filters ~ In the days before naked bungee jumping one of the biggest thrills you could get was making a precise odd value of capacitance with a specific temperature coefficient from a minimum of standard values

The working voltage for the 11mm and 14mm long white tube versions shown below is 750Vdc ~ 500Vac or 175VA @ 0.5Arms for RF ~ This form of coding was also applied to ceramic disc capacitors until the 1960s and can be confused with markings on later disc capacitors so beware

First letter
Tolerance

Second letter
Temperature coefficient
Parts per Million   per °C

or Second letter pair
Dielectric type for Hi-K
B ±0.1pF W P470 (+470ppm) AA K060011
C ±0.25pF A P100 (+100ppm) AC K120051
D ±0.5pF B P030 (+30ppm) AD K120061
F ±1% C NPO (±0ppm) AE K120071
G ±2% D N030 (-30ppm) AF K120081
H ±2.5% E N050 (-50ppm) AG K170041
J ±5% F N080 (-80ppm) AH K170051
K ±10% G N150 (-150ppm) AJ K170061
M ±20% H N220 (-220ppm) AK K250011
N -20% +40% J N330 (-330ppm) AL K2600
P -20% +80% K N470 (-470ppm) AM K3000
R 0 +100% L N560 (-560ppm) AN K350011
S ±25% M N650 (-650ppm) AO K350081
T -20% +100% N N750 (-750ppm) AP K4000
U -20% +50% P N1500 (-1500ppm) AR K4007
V ±50% R N2200 (-2200ppm) AS K400011
S N3300 (-3300ppm) AV K7000

6.8pF ±0.25pF
-30ppm
T N4200 (-4200ppm) AW K7001
U N4700 (-4700ppm) AX K7004
V N5600 (-5600ppm) AY K750012
AZ K800011
6.8pF 10%+100ppm BA K4500
BB K6994
BC K6998
BD K7002

4 or 5 coloured dots or bands for tubular Ceramic Capacitor colour code

For only 4 colours ignore the 1st or end colour ~ If you have a colour that does not fit like Blue for dot 4 or 5 then you are reading the wrong way or this is the wrong table for the component

1st or end colour
Temp. coefficient
(ppm/°C)
2nd & 3rd colours
C Value
Significant figures
4th colour
C Value
Multiplier
5th colour
Tolerance
C > 10pF
5th colour
Tolerance
< 10pF
NPO (0) 0 x1pF ±20% ±2pF
N030 (-30) 1 x10pF ±1%
N080 (-80) 2 x100pF ±2%
N150 (-150) 3 x1nF ±2.5% ±0.25pF
N220 (-220) 4 x10nF
N330 (-330) 5
6.8pF ±1pF
0 ppm/°C
±5% ±0.5pF
N470 (-470) 6
6.8pF ±0.5pF
–30 ppm/°C
N750 (-750) 7
P030 (+)30 8 x0.01pF
P100 (+100) 9 x0.1pF ±10% ±1pF

See Preferred Value Calculator

6 Colour dots or bands tubular Ceramic Capacitor colour code

If you have a colour that does not fit like Yellow for dot 6 or Blue for dot 2 then you are reading the wrong way or this is the wrong table for the component you have

1st or end colour Temperature coefficient PPM/°C 2nd colour
Temperature coefficient Multiplier
3rd & 4th colours
C Value
Significant figures
5th colour
C Value
Multiplier
6th colour
Tolerance
C > 10pF
6th colour
Tolerance
C < 10pF
0 x1 0 x1pF ±20% ±2pF
-3 x10 1 x10pF ±1%
-8 x100 2 x100pF ±2%
-1.5 x1000 3 x1nF ±2.5% ±0.25pF
-2.2 x10,000 4 x10nF
-3.3 5 100pF ±10%
-3300ppm
±5% ±0.5pF
-4.7 6 270pF ±10%
-470ppm
-7.5 7
+3 x0.01 8 x0.01pF
+1 x0.1 9 x0.1pF ±10% ±1pF


6 Coloured dot moulded Mica Capacitor colour code

Look for an Arrow in the moulding and with the arrow facing left to right start reading from top left clockwise finishing at Red Green or White at bottom left ~ Top left colour indicates the construction type which is sometimes left blank when a colour fleck is introduced to the moulding ~ Any colours not in the table positions below indicates you are reading the wrong way or wrong component for this table

Top Left colour
Construction type
Next 2 colours
Significant figures
next colour Multiplier 5th colour Tolerance 6th colour Working voltage
0 x1pF ±20%
1 x10pF ±1%
Metalised 2 x100pF ±2% 350Vdc
3 x1nF
4 47pF ±2%
750Vdc
Metalised Mica
Foil 5 750Vdc
6
7
8 x0.01pF
9 x0.1pF NONE ±20% 2000Vdc
GOLD 0.1pF ±5%
SILVER 0.01pF< ±10%


Metalised Polyester ~ Philips Mullard C280 ~ Capacitor colour code

Read colours from top to bottom ~ If there are less than 5 colour bands then consider two adjacent colours are the same e.g. 22nF or 330nF or 1µF 5% with 4 bands and 3.3µF 5% or 2.2µF 5% only 3 bands

Top & 2nd colour Significant figures 3rd colour Multiplier 4th colour Tolerance 5th colour Working Voltage
0 0 ±20%
1 1 100nF (10x0.01µF)
±20% 400Vd.c.
100Vdc
2 2 250Vdc
3 3 x0.001µ
4 4 x0.01µF 400Vdc
5 5 x0.1µF ±5%
6 6 220nF (22x0.01µF)
±10% 400V d.c.
630Vdc
7 7
8 8
9 9 ±10% 1000Vdc


See Preferred Value Calculator

Vintage Solid Carbon Rod Resistor colour code

Body colour
1st Significant Figure
End colour
2nd Significant Figure
Centre Dot colour
Multiplier
End (Dot) colour
Tolerance
0 0 x1Ω
1 1 x10Ω

2.2kΩ ±10%

33kΩ ±10%
2 2 x100Ω
3 3 x1kΩ
4 4 x10kΩ
5 5 x100kΩ
6 6 x1MΩ
7 7
47kΩ ±20%
8 8
9 9 NONE ±20%
SILVER x0.01Ω ±10%
GOLD x0.1Ω ±5%

See Preferred Value Calculator

3 & 4 Band Carbon Composition Resistor colour code
1st colour band
1st Significant Figure
2nd colour band
2nd Significant Figure
3rd colour band
Multiplier
4th colour band
Tolerance
0 0 x1Ω
1 1 x10Ω ±1%
2 2 x100Ω ±2%
3 3 x1kΩ
4 4 x10kΩ ±5% see note below
5 5 x100kΩ
4.7MΩ 5%
6 x1MΩ
7 7
47kΩ ±10%
8 8
9 9

330Ω ±2%
GOLD 0.1Ω ±5%
SILVER x0.01Ω ±10%
NONE ±20%
Sometimes a 5th Salmon Pink colour band is added to indicate high stability carbon composition as shown above ~ 330Ω ±2% ~ This should not to be confused with modern 5 band resistors as outlined in the next table below ~ Philips VR series of high ohmic resistors and some others use Yellow in place of gold for tolerance ~ 4.7MΩ 5% above

See Preferred Value Calculator

5 & 6 Band Resistor colour code

Unlike older resistors the widest band is often the last of 6 ~ If only 5 bands ignore last column in table

1st 3 colour bands Significant Figures 4th colour band
R Multiplier
5th colour band Tolerance 6th Colour band
PPM / °C
0 x1Ω
1 x10Ω ±1% +100
2 x100Ω ±2% +50
3 x1kΩ
68kΩ 1% 50 ppm/°C
+15
4 x10kΩ +25
5 x100kΩ
6 x1MΩ ±0.25% +10
7
47kΩ 1% 50 ppm/°C
±0.1% +5
8
9 +1
GOLD x0.1Ω ±5%
SILVER x0.01Ω ±10%

Cartridge Fuse paint dot or float transfer colour code
150mA 500mA
SALMON-PINK 50mA VIOLET 2A
BLACK 60mA WHITE 3A
GREY 100mA BLACK WHITE 5A
RED 150mA ORANGE 7A
BROWN 250mA ORANGE BLACK 10A
YELLOW 500mA ORANGE GREY 12A
GREEN 750mA ORANGE GREEN 15A
BLUE 1A ORANGE VIOLET 20A
SKY-BLUE 1.5A ORANGE WHITE 25A

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