20-pair colour code (Australia)

The 20-pair colour code is a colour code used in Australia to identify individual conductors in a kind of electrical telecommunication wiring for indoor use, known as twisted pair cables. The colours are applied to the insulation that covers each conductor. The first colour is chosen from one group of five colours.

The combinations are also shown in the table below showing the colour for each wire ("1" and "2") and the pair number.

1–20			21–40			41–60			61–80			81–100
Pair number	A leg (L+)	B leg (L−)	Pair number	A leg (L+)	B leg (L−)	Pair number	A leg (L+)	B leg (L−)	Pair number	A leg (L+)	B leg (L−)	Pair number	A leg (L+)	B leg (L−)
1	File:Wire white.svg White	File:Wire blue.svg Blue	21	File:Wire yellow.svg Yellow	File:Wire blue.svg Blue	41	File:Wire black.svg Black	File:Wire blue.svg Blue	61	File:Wire violet.svg Violet	File:Wire blue.svg Blue	81	File:Wire red.svg Red	File:Wire blue.svg Blue
2		File:Wire orange.svg Orange	22		File:Wire orange.svg Orange	42		File:Wire orange.svg Orange	62		File:Wire orange.svg Orange	82		File:Wire orange.svg Orange
3		File:Wire green.svg Green	23		File:Wire green.svg Green	43		File:Wire green.svg Green	63		File:Wire green.svg Green	83		File:Wire green.svg Green
4		File:Wire brown.svg Brown	24		File:Wire brown.svg Brown	44		File:Wire brown.svg Brown	64		File:Wire brown.svg Brown	84		File:Wire brown.svg Brown
5		File:Wire gray.svg Grey	25		File:Wire gray.svg Grey	45		File:Wire gray.svg Grey	65		File:Wire gray.svg Grey	85		File:Wire gray.svg Grey
6		File:Wire blue white stripe.svg Blue–white	26		File:Wire blue white stripe.svg Blue–white	46		File:Wire blue white stripe.svg Blue–white	66		File:Wire blue white stripe.svg Blue–white	86		File:Wire blue white stripe.svg Blue–white
7		File:Wire blue orange stripe.svg Blue–orange	27		File:Wire blue orange stripe.svg Blue–orange	47		File:Wire blue orange stripe.svg Blue–orange	67		File:Wire blue orange stripe.svg Blue–orange	87		File:Wire blue orange stripe.svg Blue–orange
8		File:Wire blue green stripe.svg Blue–green	28		File:Wire blue green stripe.svg Blue–green	48		File:Wire blue green stripe.svg Blue–green	68		File:Wire blue green stripe.svg Blue–green	88		File:Wire blue green stripe.svg Blue–green
9		File:Wire blue brown stripe.svg Blue–brown	29		File:Wire blue brown stripe.svg Blue–brown	49		File:Wire blue brown stripe.svg Blue–brown	69		File:Wire blue brown stripe.svg Blue–brown	89		File:Wire blue brown stripe.svg Blue–brown
10		File:Wire blue gray stripe.svg Blue–grey	30		File:Wire blue gray stripe.svg Blue–grey	50		File:Wire blue gray stripe.svg Blue–grey	70		File:Wire blue gray stripe.svg Blue–grey	90		File:Wire blue gray stripe.svg Blue–grey
11		File:Wire orange white stripe.svg Orange–white	31		File:Wire orange white stripe.svg Orange–white	51		File:Wire orange white stripe.svg Orange–white	71		File:Wire orange white stripe.svg Orange–white	91		File:Wire orange white stripe.svg Orange–white
12		File:Wire orange green stripe.svg Orange–green	32		File:Wire orange green stripe.svg Orange–green	52		File:Wire orange green stripe.svg Orange–green	72		File:Wire orange green stripe.svg Orange–green	92		File:Wire orange green stripe.svg Orange–green
13		File:Wire orange brown stripe.svg Orange–brown	33		File:Wire orange brown stripe.svg Orange–brown	53		File:Wire orange brown stripe.svg Orange–brown	73		File:Wire orange brown stripe.svg Orange–brown	93		File:Wire orange brown stripe.svg Orange–brown
14		File:Wire orange gray stripe.svg Orange–grey	34		File:Wire orange gray stripe.svg Orange–grey	54		File:Wire orange gray stripe.svg Orange–grey	74		File:Wire orange gray stripe.svg Orange–grey	94		File:Wire orange gray stripe.svg Orange–grey
15		File:Wire green white stripe.svg Green–white	35		File:Wire green white stripe.svg Green–white	55		File:Wire green white stripe.svg Green–white	75		File:Wire green white stripe.svg Green–white	95		File:Wire green white stripe.svg Green–white
16		File:Wire green brown stripe.svg Green–brown	36		File:Wire green brown stripe.svg Green–brown	56		File:Wire green brown stripe.svg Green–brown	76		File:Wire green brown stripe.svg Green–brown	96		File:Wire green brown stripe.svg Green–brown
17		File:Wire green gray stripe.svg Green–grey	37		File:Wire green gray stripe.svg Green–grey	57		File:Wire green gray stripe.svg Green–grey	77		File:Wire green gray stripe.svg Green–grey	97		File:Wire green gray stripe.svg Green–grey
18		File:Wire brown white stripe.svg Brown–white	38		File:Wire brown white stripe.svg Brown–white	58		File:Wire brown white stripe.svg Brown–white	78		File:Wire brown white stripe.svg Brown–white	98		File:Wire brown white stripe.svg Brown–white
19		File:Wire brown gray stripe.svg Brown–grey	39		File:Wire brown gray stripe.svg Brown–grey	59		File:Wire brown gray stripe.svg Brown–grey	79		File:Wire brown gray stripe.svg Brown–grey	99		File:Wire brown gray stripe.svg Brown–grey
20		File:Wire gray white stripe.svg Grey–white	40		File:Wire gray white stripe.svg Grey–white	60		File:Wire gray white stripe.svg Grey–white	80		File:Wire gray white stripe.svg Grey–white	100		File:Wire gray white stripe.svg Grey–white

The Australian standard specifies grey in Tables B2 to B7. There are systems in other countries where slate is used rather than grey. This is perceived as a minimisation of confusion between green and grey and their potential abbreviations: G, Gr, or Gre. No such consideration is made for black, blue, or brown, or their potential abbreviations of B, Bl, or Br.

Sources

• www.commsalliance.com.au [1]

See also

• 25-pair colour code