Capacitor Code Chart
Paper in Oil capacitors will often have an alphanumeric code associated with them that you can just run through Google for a quick identification, but Ceramic, Electrolytic, Tantalum, Mica, and Poly Film caps are going to have bands of color that require a bit of math to work out. Sprague “Bumblebee” Capacitor Color Code Chart Tolerance # of Zeros 2nd Figure 1st Figure Voltage Rating in 100’s of Volts 1st Figure Outside Foil Lead 2nd Figure Capacitor Value in MMFD Example: 0.0047 mF 1 Yellow = 4 1600V DC 2 Violet = 7 +/- 20% 3 Red = 00 4 Black = +/- 20% 5 Brown =1 6 Blue = 6 4700 MMFD 1600 V. Usually the first two digits of the code represent part of the value; the third digit corresponds to the number of zeros to be added to the first two digits. This is the value in pf. General Capacitance Codebreaker Charts pico-farad (pF) nano-farad (nF) micro-farad (mF,uF or mfd) capacitance code 1000 1 or 1n 0.001 102.
1st Color Band: First Significant Figure
2nd Color Band: Second Significant Figure
3rd Color Band: Decimal Multiplier
4th Color Band: Tolerance
eg. Resistor color reads: Brown, Black, Red, Silver
1st Significant Figure : 1
2’nd Significant figure : 0
Multiplier: 102
Tolerance: 10%
For a resistor value of 1000 ohms with a tolerance of 10%.
COLOR | Significant Figure | Decimal Multiplier | Tolerance % |
| Black | 0 | 1 | 20 |
| Brown | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Red | 2 | 102 | 2 |
| Orange | 3 | 103 | 3 |
| Yellow | 4 | 104 | 4 |
| Green | 5 | 105 | 5 |
| Blue | 6 | 106 | 6 |
| Violet | 7 | 107 | 7 |
| Grey | 8 | 108 | 8 |
| White | 9 | 109 | 9 |
| Gold | 0.1 | 5 | |
| Silver | 0.01 | 10 | |
| No Color | 20 |
Tolerance color other than gold and silver for capacitors only.
Capacitor Codes
Mica Capacitors
Mylar Capacitor Code Chart
Capacitor Number Code Chart
The first dot on a mica capacitor is White to indicate EIA six dot code. It may also be Black for military code. In either case, read the capacitance in picofarads from the next three color dots. The fifth dot will indicate the tolerance. (See chart above for tolerance color codes.) The sixth dot indicates classes A to E of leakage and temperature coefficients,. The maximum rating for DC working voltage is generally 500 V.
Capacitor Code Chart Pdf
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