How Does the Resistor Color

Code Work?
Resistor values are often indicated with color codes. Practically all
leaded resistors with a power rating up to one watt are marked with
color bands. The coding is defined in the international standard IEC
60062. This standard describes the marking codes for resistors and
capacitors.
The color code is given by several bands. Together they specify the
resistance value, the tolerance, and sometimes the reliability or
failure rate. The number of bands varies from three to six. At a
minimum, two bands indicate the resistance value and one band
serves as multiplier.

Resistor Color Code Chart

The chart below shows how to determine the resistance and
tolerance for resistors. The table can also be used to specify the
color of the bands when the values are known.
Tips for Reading Resistor
Codes
In the sections below, examples are given for different numbers of
color bands. But, first, here are some general tips for reading the
color code:

 The reading direction might not always be clear.

Sometimes the increased space between bands 3 and 4
 provide an indication of the reading direction. Also, the
first band is usually the closest to a lead. A gold or silver
band (the tolerance) is always the last band.
 It is a good practice to check the manufacturer’s
documentation to be sure about the color coding system
used.
 When in doubt, measure the resistance with a ohmmeter.
In some cases this might even be the only way to figure
out the resistance; for example when the color bands are
burnt off.

4 band resistor

The four band color code is the most common variation. These
resistors have two bands for the resistance value, one multiplier and
one tolerance band. In the example shown here, the 4 bands are
green, blue, red and gold. By using the color code chart, one finds
that green stands for 5 and blue for 6. The third band is the
multiplier, with red representing a multiplier value of 2 (10 ).
2

Therefore, the value of this resistor is 56 · 10 = 56 · 100 = 5600 Ω.

2

The gold band means that the resistor has a tolerance of 5%. The
resistance value lies therefore between 5320 and 5880 Ω (5560 ±
5%). If the tolerance band is left blank, the result is a 3 band
resistor. This means that the resistance value remains the same, but
the tolerance is 20%.
5 band resistor

Resistors with high precision have an extra band to indicate a third

significant digit. Therefore, the first three bands indicate the
significant digits, the fourth band is the multiplication factor, and the
fifth band represents the tolerance. For the example shown here:
brown (1), yellow (4), violet (7), black (x 10 = x1), green (0.5%)
0

represents a 147 Ω resistor with a 0.5% tolerance.

There are exceptions to this 5-band color system. For example,
sometimes the extra band may indicate failure rate (military
specification) or temperature coefficient (older or specialized
resistors). Please read the subsection “Color Code Exceptions" below
for more information.

6 band resistor
Resistors with 6 bands are usually for high precision resistors that
have an additional band to specify the temperature coefficient (ppm/˚C
= ppm/K). The most common color for the sixth band is brown (100
ppm/˚C). This means that for a temperature change of 10 ˚C, the
resistance value can change 1000 ppm = 0.1%. For the 6 band
resistor example shown above: orange (3), red (2), brown (1), brown
(x10), green (1%), red (50 ppm/°C) represents a 3.21 kΩ resistor
with a 1% tolerance and a 50 ppm/°C temperature coefficient.

Color Code Exceptions

Reliability band
Resistors that are produced according to military specifications,
sometimes include an extra band to indicate reliability. This is
specified in failure rate (%) per 1000 hours of service. This is rarely
used in commercial electronics. Most often the reliability band can
be found on four band resistors. More information about the
reliability can be found in the US military handbook MIL-HDBK-199.

Single black band or zero-ohm

resistor
A resistor with a single black band is called a zero-ohm resistor.
Principally it is used as a wire link that functions to connect traces
on a printed circuit board (PCB). Using the resistor package allows
the same automated pick-and-place machines to place the
components on a circuit board.

5 band resistor with a 4th band of

gold or silver
Five band resistors with a fourth band of gold or silver form an
exception and are used on specialized and older resistors. The first
two bands represent the significant digits, the 3rd is the
multiplication factor, the 4th is the tolerance, and the 5th is the
temperature coefficient (ppm/˚C).

Deviating colors
For high voltage resistors, the colors gold and silver are often
replaced with yellow and gray. This is to prevent having metal
particles in the coating.

IC PIN IDENTIFICATION
The pins on an IC chip provide connections to the tiny integrated circuits
inside of your electronics. To determine which pin is which, you look down on
the top of the IC for the clocking mark, which is usually a small notch in the
packaging but might instead be a little dimple or a white or colored stripe. By
convention, the pins on an IC are numbered counterclockwise, starting with
the upper-left pin closest to the clocking mark. So, for example, with the
clocking notch orienting the chip at the 12 o’clock position, the pins of a 14-
pin IC are numbered 1 through 7 down the left side and 8 through 14 up the
right side.
 example of CD 4011

2N3055 – NPN Power Transistor

2N3055 Transistor
 2N3055 Pinout

2N3055 is a general purpose NPN power transistor manufactured with

the epitaxial base process, mounted in a hermetically sealed metal case. The
device is designed for general purpose switching and amplifier applications.

2N3055 Pin Configuration

Like any other transistor 2N3055 has three pins namely EMITTER, BASE and
COLLECTOR. The pin configuration of 2N3055 is given below.

Pin Number Pin Name Description

1 Base (B) Normally used as trigger to turn ON the transistor

2 Emitter (E) Normally connected to GROUND

TAB or CASE Collector (C) Normally connected to LOAD

2N3055 Features and Specifications

 Medium power transistor

 Excellent safe operating area
 Complementary NPN - PNP transistors
 Low collector-emitter saturation voltage
 Pb−free packages are available
 DC current gain (hFE) up to 70
 With hfe improved linearity
 Maximum voltage across collector and emitter: 60V DC
 Maximum current allowed trough collector: 15A DC
 Maximum voltage across base and emitter: 7V DC
 Maximum current allowed through base: 7A DC
 Maximum voltage across collector and base: 100V DC
 Operating temperature range: -65ºC to +200ºC
 Total power dissipation: 115W

2N3055 Equivalents
2N6673, 2N6675, complementary pair- MJ2955
Similar Transistors
MJ10023, BUX98, BDW51

2N3055 Transistor Overview

2N3055 is preferred when you want a simple switching device for medium
power loads. 2N3055 is one of the basic transistors available in the market
for cheap and with features being suited for many applications.
2N3055 is also used in audio power amplifiers. The device has good
amplifying factor and also the gain is almost linear making 2N3055 one of
best solution for power amplifiers.

How to use 2N3055 Transistor

As mentioned earlier the 2N3055 can be used for any NPN transistor
applications but for understanding the functioning of device let us consider a
simple application circuit as shown below. Here we are going to use 2N3055
as a simple switching device to drive a motor and is in common emitter
configuration.

As show in circuit we are using a motor as the load and the gate signal for
turning ON the transistor is provided by 5V source with button being the
triggering device. The trigger source and power source must share a
common ground for the circuit to work. The 100Ω resistor is provided for
limiting the current through base.
Under initial conditions the button will be open and no current flows through
the base of transistor. With no base current the transistor acts as open
circuit and the entire supply voltage V1 will appears across it.
When the button is pressed at certain time, the voltage V2 forms a closed
loop with base-emitter of transistor as can be seen in circuit diagram. With
this closed loop a current flows through base of transistor and with base
current flow the transistor gets turned ON. Having transistor acting as short
circuit in ON state there will be collector current which flows through motor
making it rotate. This motor will keep rotating until there will be base
current.
After a certain time when the button is released the base current becomes
zero and the transistor gets turned OFF. With transistor going to high
resistance state in OFF mode, the collector current also becomes zero
bringing motor to stop.
The way of controlling power motor via simple push button realizes the use
2N3055 as a switching device and in the same way we can use 2N3055 in
other transistor circuits.

Applications

 Power switching circuits

 Amplifier circuits
 PWM applications
 Regulator circuits
 Switch mode power supply
 Signal Amplifiers

2D-Model
All measurements are in inches and measurements in brackets are scaled in
millimeters
Equivalent 559