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Colour Codes & Cable Make Up

A) Colour Code According to IEC 189-3

Standard Colours Easily Identifiable Combinations Less-easily Identifiable Combinations

BLUE

RED

Black

BROWN

Black

ORANGE

RED

Blue

ORANGE

Black

GREEN

ORANGE

Green

ORANGE

Grey

BROWN

ORANGE

Blue

GREEN

Grey

GREY

ORANGE

Violet

GREEN

Violet

WHITE

YELLOW

Black

VIOLET

Black

RED

YELLOW

Red

GREY

Black

BLACK

YELLOW

Green **

GREY

Violet

YELLOW

YELLOW

Blue

WHITE

Brown

VIOLET

YELLOW

Violet

WHITE

Orange

PINK

GREEN

Black

WHITE

Violet

TURQUOISE

GREEN

Red

GREEN

Blue

 

BLUE

Black

BROWN

Blue

 

GREY

Red

GREY

Brown

 

GREY

Blue

GREEN

Brown

 

WHITE

Black

WHITE

Grey

 

WHITE

Red

ORANGE

Brown

 

WHITE

Green

ORANGE

Red

 

WHITE

Blue

RED

Brown

     

WHITE

Yellow

**NOTE: The colour YELLOW-Green should be reserved for earth or safety wires

B) Colour Code & Cable Make Up According to ICEA S-80-576

Pair No. a-wire b-wire Pair No. a-wire b-wire
1

WHITE

Blue

BLUE

White

13

BLACK

Green

GREEN

Black

2

WHITE

Orange

ORANGE

White

14

BLACK

Brown

BROWN

Black

3

WHITE

Green

GREEN

White

15

BLACK

Grey

GREY

Black

4

WHITE

Brown

BROWN

White

16

YELLOW

Blue

BLUE

Yellow

5

WHITE

Grey

GREY

White

17

YELLOW

Orange

ORANGE

Yellow

6

RED

Blue

BLUE

Red

18

YELLOW

Green

GREEN

Yellow

7

RED

Orange

ORANGE

Red

19

YELLOW

Brown

BROWN

Yellow

8

RED

Green

GREEN

Red

20

YELLOW

Grey

GREY

Yellow

9

RED

Brown

BROWN

Red

21

VIOLET

Blue

BLUE

Violet

10

RED

Grey

GREY

Red

22

VIOLET

Orange

ORANGE

Violet

11

BLACK

Blue

BLUE

Black

23

VIOLET

Green

GREEN

Violet

12

BLACK

Orange

ORANGE

Black

24

VIOLET

Brown

BROWN

Violet

         

25

VIOLET

Grey

GREY

Violet

In accordance with ICEA publication S-80-576-2002, the colour code is composed of ten (10) distinctive colours to identify 25 pairs. Marking of each mate of the primary conductor in a pair with the colour of that primary conductor is optional.
When cables of larger than 25 pairs are required, the core shall be assembled into 25-pair sub-units, each colour coded in accordance with ICEA publication S-80-576. Cables with over 600 pairs shall have 25-pair binder groups combined into super units. These super units shall be wrapped with a solid colour thread that follows the primary colour scheme of white, red, black, yellow and violet. Binder colour code integrity shall be maintained wherever cables are spliced.

C) Colour Code According to IEC 60189-2, BT210B

Colour Scheme for Pairs & Triples

Cabling
Element
No.
a-wire b-wire Cabling
Element
No.
a-wire b-wire Cabling
Element
No.
a-wire b-wire

1

WHITE

BLUE

35

BLUE

Black

GREY

69

GREEN

Red

BROWN

2

WHITE

ORANGE

36

YELLOW

Blue

BLUE

70

GREEN

Red

GREY

3

WHITE

GREEN

37

YELLOW

Blue

ORANGE

71

GREEN

Black

BLUE

4

WHITE

BROWN

38

YELLOW

Blue

GREEN

72

GREEN

Black

ORANGE

5

WHITE

GREY

39

YELLOW

Blue

BROWN

73

GREEN

Black

GREEN

6

RED

BLUE

40

YELLOW

Blue

GREY

74

GREEN

Black

BROWN

7

RED

ORANGE

41

WHITE

Orange

BLUE

75

GREEN

Black

GREY

8

RED

GREEN

42

WHITE

Orange

ORANGE

76

YELLOW

Green

BLUE

9

RED

BROWN

43

WHITE

Orange

GREEN

77

YELLOW

Green

ORANGE

10

RED

GREY

44

WHITE

Orange

BROWN

78

YELLOW

Green

GREEN

11

BLACK

BLUE

45

WHITE

Orange

GREY

79

YELLOW

Green

BROWN

12

BLACK

ORANGE

46

ORANGE

Red

BLUE

80

YELLOW

Green

GREY

13

BLACK

GREEN

47

ORANGE

Red

ORANGE

81

WHITE

Brown

BLUE

14

BLACK

BROWN

48

ORANGE

Red

GREEN

82

WHITE

Brown

ORANGE

15

BLACK

GREY

49

ORANGE

Red

BROWN

83

WHITE

Brown

GREEN

16

YELLOW

BLUE

50

ORANGE

Red

GREY

84

WHITE

Brown

BROWN

17

YELLOW

ORANGE

51

ORANGE

Black

BLUE

85

WHITE

Brown

GREY

18

YELLOW

GREEN

52

ORANGE

Black

ORANGE

86

RED

Brown

BLUE

19

YELLOW

BROWN

53

ORANGE

Black

GREEN

87

RED

Brown

ORANGE

20

YELLOW

GREY

54

ORANGE

Black

BROWN

88

RED

Brown

GREEN

21

WHITE

Blue

BLUE

55

ORANGE

Black

GREY

89

RED

Brown

BROWN

22

WHITE

Blue

ORANGE

56

YELLOW

Orange

BLUE

90

RED

Brown

GREY

23

WHITE

Blue

GREEN

57

YELLOW

Orange

ORANGE

91

BROWN

Black

BLUE

24

WHITE

Blue

BROWN

58

YELLOW

Orange

GREEN

92

BROWN

Black

ORANGE

25

WHITE

Blue

GREY

59

YELLOW

Orange

BROWN

93

BROWN

Black

GREEN

26

RED

Blue

BLUE

60

YELLOW

Orange

GREY

94

BROWN

Black

BROWN

27

RED

Blue

ORANGE

61

WHITE

Green

BLUE

95

BROWN

Black

GREY

28

RED

Blue

GREEN

62

WHITE

Green

ORANGE

96

YELLOW

Brown

BLUE

29

RED

Blue

BROWN

63

WHITE

Green

GREEN

97

YELLOW

Brown

ORANGE

30

RED

Blue

GREY

64

WHITE

Green

BROWN

98

YELLOW

Brown

GREEN

31

BLUE

Black

BLUE

65

WHITE

Green

GREY

99

YELLOW

Brown

BROWN

32

BLUE

Black

ORANGE

66

GREEN

Red

BLUE

100

YELLOW

Brown

GREY

33

BLUE

Black

GREEN

67

GREEN

Red

ORANGE

101

WHITE

Grey

BLUE

34

BLUE

Black

BROWN

68

GREEN

Red

GREEN

102

WHITE

Grey

ORANGE

Note 1: In each triple there shall be a c-wire, coloured TURQUOISE.
Note 2: Uppercase letters indicate the base, solid colour of insulation, and the lower case indicates ink bands applied onto the base colour.
Make-up & Unit Identification Colours – 20 Pair Unit

Pair Size

Center

1st Layer

2nd Layer

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9-15

16

20Pair Number of Unit 1     ORANGE                  
40Pair 4 x ½     ORANGE GREEN                
80Pair 1 6 x ½   ORANGE ORANGE NATURL GREEN            
160Pair 4 x ½ 6   ORANGE GREEN ORANGE NATURL NATURL NATURL NATURL GREEN    
320Pair 1 5 10 ORANGE ORANGE NATURL NATURL NATURL GREEN ORANGE NATURL NATURL GREEN

Note 1: ½ refers to sub-units of 10 Pairs.

D) Colour Code & Cable Make Up According to CW 1171, CW 1224, CW 1236

Colour Scheme for Pairs

Pair No.

a-wire

b-wire

Pair No.

a-wire

b-wire

1 WHITE

BLUE

13

BLACK

GREEN

2 WHITE

ORANGE

14

BLACK

BROWN

3 WHITE

GREEN

15

BLACK

GREY

4 WHITE

BROWN

16

YELLOW

BLUE

5 WHITE

GREY

17

YELLOW

ORANGE

6 RED

BLUE

18

YELLOW

GREEN

7 RED

ORANGE

19

YELLOW

BROWN

8 RED

GREEN

20

YELLOW

GREY

9 RED

BROWN

21

VIOLET

BLUE

10 RED

GREY

22

VIOLET

ORANGE

11

BLACK

BLUE

23

VIOLET

GREEN

12

BLACK

ORANGE

24

VIOLET

BROWN

   

 

25

VIOLET

GREY

Binder Colour Identification (Double & Quadruple Units)

Unit

Position of Sub-unit or Unit

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Double BLUE BLUE ORANGE ORANGE
Quadruple BLUE ORANGE GREEN BROWN

Binder Colour Identification (Centre & Layers)

Position of Units
First Intemediate Last
RED NATURAL GREEN

Cable Size

Nunber&Pair Sizes of Units in Centre and successive Layers

No.of Pair in Spare Pair Unit

No.of Unusable
Pairs Allowed

Centre

1st Layer

2nd Layer

3rd Layer

50 1х50       0 1
100 1х25 1х100 3х(12+13)     0 1
200 1х50 4х50 6х25     4 2
300 1х50 1х100 5х50 8х25     4 3
400 1х100 6х50     4 3
500 3х50 1х100 7х50 8х50     4 4
600 3х50 1х100 9х50 5х100     4 4
800 1х50 4х50 5х50 6х100 10х50   4 5
1000 4х50 3х100 8х100 7х100     4 5
1200 3х100 4х100 9х100 8х100     4 5
1600 1х100 5х100 10х100   4 6
2000 4х50 6х100 12х100   8 6
2400 3х100 8х100 13х100   8 7
3200 1х100 5х100 10х100 16х100 8 7
4000 3х100 7х100 12х100 18х100 8 8
4800 4х100 9х100 15х100 20х100 8 8

Note: Alternative make-ups are shown for some sizes and as a further alternative any cable can be made-up using 25 Pair Units throughout.

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