Standard Cable Color-Coding Reference

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These are the standard color codings for telephone cables containing up to 26 pairs. For cables containing more than 26 pairs, a Binder Color Code wraps multiple bundles of 25 pairs with a colored binder thread. For cables containing more than 600 pairs, a Super Unit Binder Color code is used to separate multiple Binder bundles.

Insulation Band-Marked Color Code

Wire	Pair	Ring/Tip	Color Long/Short
1	1	Tip	White/Blue
2	1	Ring	Blue/White
3	2	Tip	White/Orange
4	2	Ring	Orange/White
5	3	Tip	White/Green
6	3	Ring	Green/White
7	4	Tip	White/Brown
8	4	Ring	Brown/White
9	5	Tip	White/Slate
10	5	Ring	Slate/White

11	6	Tip	Red/Blue
12	6	Ring	Blue/Red
13	7	Tip	Red/Orange
14	7	Ring	Orange/Red
15	8	Tip	Red/Green
16	8	Ring	Green/Red
17	9	Tip	Red/Brown
18	9	Ring	Brown/Red
19	10	Tip	Red/Slate
20	10	Ring	Slate/Red

21	11	Tip	Black/Blue
22	11	Ring	Blue/Black
23	12	Tip	Black/Orange
24	12	Ring	Orange/Black
25	13	Tip	Black/Green
26	13	Ring	Green/Black
27	14	Tip	Black/Brown
28	14	Ring	Brown/Black
29	15	Tip	Black/Slate
30	15	Ring	Slate/Black

31	16	Tip	Yellow/Blue
32	16	Ring	Blue/Yellow
33	17	Tip	Yellow/Orange
34	17	Ring	Orange/Yellow
35	18	Tip	Yellow/Green
36	18	Ring	Green/Yellow
37	19	Tip	Yellow/Brown
38	19	Ring	Brown/Yellow
39	20	Tip	Yellow/Slate
40	20	Ring	Slate/Yellow

41	21	Tip	Purple/Blue
42	21	Ring	Blue/Purple
43	22	Tip	Purple/Orange
44	22	Ring	Orange/Purple
45	23	Tip	Purple/Green
46	23	Ring	Green/Purple
47	24	Tip	Purple/Brown
48	24	Ring	Brown/Purple
49	25	Tip	Purple/Slate
50	25	Ring	Slate/Purple

51	26	Tip	Red/White
52	26	Ring	White/Red

Notes: Some cable vendors save manufacturing costs by having using only a single color for theTip wire, and marking the Ring wire with two colors For example, for Pair 1, there would be a solid white Tip wire, and a White/Blue RIng wire twisted together as normal. Once untwisted, as many five identical Tip wires of the same color would be present and this could cause confusion. Such cables require different handling than a cable with fully-marked wires.

On ABAM 28-pair cables or cross-connect bundles (mainly used in DS3 break-out situations), the first 25 pair colors are as shown above. For pairs 26 through 28, the the first three pair combinations are repeated, eg White/Blue, Blue/White, White/Orange, Orange/White, and White/Green, Green/White.

Insulation Solid Color Code

Certain types of telephone wiring use solid color insulation markings rather than banded color codes. Solid color wiring is commonly used for jumper wire, distribution frame wire and station wire.

For sheathed station cables (pairs are usually not twisted) containing four to eight conductors, the following table is used. This includes "flat" cables, also known by the name "Satin Flex", regardless of outer material color. If a wire only has four or six conductors, it always uses the first four or six colors.

Wire	Pair	Tip/Ring	Color
1	1	Tip	Green
2	1	Ring	Red
3	2	Tip	Black
4	2	Ring	Yellow
5	3	Tip	Blue
6	3	Ring	Orange
7	4	Tip	Brown
8	4	Ring	White

For cables containing more than 8 conductors using solid colors, the pairs must be twisted together and, the following color table is used.

Wire	Pair	Ring/Tip	Color
1	1	Tip	White
2	1	Ring	Blue
3	2	Tip	White
4	2	Ring	Orange
5	3	Tip	White
6	3	Ring	Green
7	4	Tip	White
8	4	Ring	Brown
9	5	Tip	White
10	5	Ring	Slate

11	6	Tip	Red
12	6	Ring	Blue
13	7	Tip	Red
14	7	Ring	Orange
15	8	Tip	Red
16	8	Ring	Green
17	9	Tip	Red
18	9	Ring	Brown
19	10	Tip	Red
20	10	Ring	Slate

21	11	Tip	Black
22	11	Ring	Blue
23	12	Tip	Black
24	12	Ring	Orange
25	13	Tip	Black
26	13	Ring	Green
27	14	Tip	Black
28	14	Ring	Brown
29	15	Tip	Black
30	15	Ring	Slate

31	16	Tip	Yellow
32	16	Ring	Blue
33	17	Tip	Yellow
34	17	Ring	Orange
35	18	Tip	Yellow
36	18	Ring	Green
37	19	Tip	Yellow
38	19	Ring	Brown
39	20	Tip	Yellow
40	20	Ring	Slate

41	21	Tip	Purple
42	21	Ring	Blue
43	22	Tip	Purple
44	22	Ring	Orange
45	23	Tip	Purple
46	23	Ring	Green
47	24	Tip	Purple
48	24	Ring	Brown
49	25	Tip	Purple
50	25	Ring	Slate

51	26	Tip	Red
52	26	Ring	White

Binder Color Code

For cables containing more than 25 pairs, the standard color sequence is repeated and each group of 25 pairs is wrapped in a Binder that is colored according to the table below.

Binder Number	Binder Color Long/Short	Binder Color Markings
1	White/Blue
2	White/Orange
3	White/Green
4	White/Brown
5	White/Slate

6	Red/Blue
7	Red/Orange
8	Red/Green
9	Red/Brown
10	Red/Slate

11	Black/Blue
12	Black/Orange
13	Black/Green
14	Black/Brown
15	Black/Slate

16	Yellow/Blue
17	Yellow/Orange
18	Yellow/Green
19	Yellow/Brown
20	Yellow/Slate

21	Purple/Blue
22	Purple/Orange
23	Purple/Green
24	Purple/Brown

(Information on printing color tables on color printers can be found here. )

[Copyright 2000,2002,2004,2005 Frank Durda IV, All Rights Reserved.
Mirroring of any material on this site in any form is expressly prohibited.
The official web site for this material is:  http://nemesis.lonestar.org
Contact this address for use clearances: clearance at nemesis.lonestar.org
Comments and queries to this address: web_reference at nemesis.lonestar.org]

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