{"id":48,"date":"2019-07-08T13:01:21","date_gmt":"2019-07-08T13:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/?p=48"},"modified":"2021-05-13T19:02:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T19:02:32","slug":"resistor-color-code-quick-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2019\/resistor-color-code-quick-guide\/08\/07\/","title":{"rendered":"Resistor Color Code Quick Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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GE Motor Field Power Supply Board <\/a>uses banded resistors. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

If you’ve ever had to figure out a resistor color code–the value, tolerance, and wattage of multiple resistors, you know how mentally exhausting it can become. Mnemonic devices aside, sometimes it’s simpler to have a visual guide to help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This tool is designed to decode color-banded axial lead resistors with four or five bands.\u00a0 You can use the number of bands and the colors along with the charts below to determine the value and tolerance of the resistors.<\/p>\n

Feel free to make use of our favorite Resistor Color Code Guide, available below.\u00a0 Right-click for a higher-definition view.<\/p>\n

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Resistor Color Code chart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Read Resistor Color Code <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Four banded resistors have two bands for resistance, one multiplier band, and one band for tolerance. Five band resistors have an extra color band added to the first and second resistance digits. This gives you a more precise reading. Everything else shifts to the right, so the fourth band becomes the multiplier and the fifth becomes the tolerance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Super simple, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, remember to take a good look at the body of your larger resistors to see what information is available to you. Many resistors are marked with their resistance value, tolerance, and wattage resistance if their body is large enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

British Standard Code<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Larger power resistors may use BS1852 British Standard Code, which uses suffix letters to replace part of the number to minimize misreading the position of the decimal point. This system uses “K for thousands or kiloohms and the letter M for millions or megaohms. R is used to denote a decimal point for resistor values of less than one. Thus: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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