Inductor Color Codes

Two methods of inductor markings are predominant - EIA (Electronic Industries Association) and Mil-Spec (Military Specification). Both use the standard color-number association familiar with color-coded resistors. The chart and examples below show that a Mil-Spec inductor can be identified by the presence of a double-width silver band at the left edge. Unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer, units are in microhenrys (µH). Mil-Spec inductors - and possibly some EIA types - use a silver or gold band in the multiplier to denote 0.1 and 0.01, respectively.

Inductor Color Codes

(4-Band EIA and 5-Band Mil-Spec Inductors)
Color Mil-Spec

Identifier

Double-Width

Silver Band

 1st

Significant

Digit

 2nd

Significant

Digit

 Multiplier Tolerance
Silver Mil-Spec     0.01 ±10%
Gold       0.1 ±5%
Black   0 0 1  
Brown   1 1 10 ±1%
Red   2 2 100 ±2%
Orange   3 3 1000 (=1k) ±3%
Yellow   4 4 10k ±4%
Green   5 5 100k  
Blue   6 6 1000k  
Violet   7 7    
Gray   8 8    
White   9 9    
4-Band EIA Example 5-Band Mil-Spec Example
5 - 6 - 1 - Gold

56 * 101 µH, ±5%

56 * 10 µH, ±5%

560 µH, ±5%

Inductor 4-Band EIA Color Code - RF Cafe 

 Silver - 6 - 2 - Gold - Red

Mil-Spec 62 * 0.01 µH, ±2%

Mil-Spec 0.62 µH, ±2%

Mil-Spec 620 nH, ±2%

Inductor 5-Band Mil-Spec Color Code - RF Cafe

Related Pages on RF Cafe

- Inductors & Inductance Calculations

- Inductance Conversions

- Standard Inductor Values

- Inductor Vendors

 

 

Posted  February 9, 2015