DIN 47100 Wire Color Code Explained

01 / Definition

What Is the DIN 47100 Wire Color Code?

When a multi-core cable specification says “core colors according to DIN 47100,” it is referring to a conductor identification system rather than an electrical function code.

DIN 47100:1988-01 was developed for the identification of insulated conductors in telecommunications cords. The standard is now listed as withdrawn, but DIN 47100-based color sequences are still commonly found in commercial cable documentation.

The key point is that DIN 47100-based colors help distinguish physical cores.

If one conductor is white and another is brown, those colors help a technician distinguish the conductors during cable preparation, termination, inspection or troubleshooting.

They do not automatically define what those conductors do electrically. The electrical function comes from the controlled drawing, wiring table, pinout or other project documentation.

02 / Reference Chart

DIN 47100 Wire Color Code Chart

The table below shows a commonly published non-repeating DIN 47100-based core color sequence.

Cores 45–60 show the non-repeating three-color extension. Commercial cables may instead repeat the earlier sequence from core 45.

03 / Reading the Sequence

How Does the DIN 47100 Color Sequence Work?

The first ten conductors use single colors: White, Brown, Green, Yellow, Grey, Pink, Blue, Red, Black and Violet.

After the initial single-color conductors, combinations are used so that additional cores can still be visually distinguished.

In typical DIN 47100-based cable documentation, the first listed color is the base insulation color. The second—and where applicable third—color is an additional identification marking such as a ring or stripe.

For example:

White / Green describes one conductor.

It does not mean one white wire plus one green wire. It describes a white base insulation with green identification marking.

Likewise, White / Brown / Black describes one conductor with a three-color identification in a non-repeating higher-core-count sequence.

The exact physical appearance of the additional markings can vary with the cable construction and manufacturer.

04 / High Core Counts

What Happens Above Core 44?

This is where a simple DIN 47100 color chart can become misleading.

One commonly published approach continues into three-color identification from core 45 onward.

This means a specification such as: “60-core cable, DIN 47100 colors” may not completely define the physical conductor identification.

For high-core-count assemblies, this sequence should be verified before the manufacturing drawing or test program is released.

05 / Paired Cables

DIN 47100 and Twisted-Pair Cables

DIN 47100-based identification can also appear in paired cable constructions.

In that case, two separate pieces of information matter: individual conductor identification and pair assignment.

Commercial paired-color schedules can repeat at higher pair counts, so a general single-core DIN 47100 table should not be used to reconstruct the pair structure of a selected cable.

06 / Related Standard

DIN 47100 vs IEC 60757

DIN 47100 and IEC 60757 can both appear in discussions about cable colors, but they do not serve the same purpose.

IEC 60757 should therefore not simply be described as a newer replacement sequence for DIN 47100.

General safety conductor colors, protective-earth identification and mains wiring conventions belong to different standards and are intentionally outside the scope of this article.

07 / Standard Status

Is DIN 47100 Still Valid?

DIN 47100:1988-01 is listed as withdrawn.

That status should be stated clearly, but it does not mean DIN 47100-based identification disappeared from the cable market.

Existing cable products, manufacturer datasheets and established customer specifications can still reference DIN 47100-based conductor colors.

Where compliance with a particular current standard is required, that requirement should be identified separately in the project documentation.

08 / Functional Boundary

Does DIN 47100 Define Electrical Function?

No.

DIN 47100-based colors identify physical conductors.

They do not automatically define:

• power;
• ground;
• signal;
• communication;
• sensor input;
• polarity;
• voltage;
• connector cavity.

For example, a red conductor in a DIN 47100-based cable is not automatically a positive power conductor, and a blue conductor is not automatically a negative or ground conductor.

This distinction is especially important in custom cable assemblies because the same bulk cable construction can be terminated to different connector pinouts for different projects.

The assembly manufacturer should therefore build and test against the released drawing or approved wiring definition rather than infer circuit function from conductor color.

09 / RFQ & Manufacturing Handoff

How Should DIN 47100 Colors Be Specified for a Cable Assembly?

For an RFQ or released assembly package, writing only “Use DIN 47100 colors” may not be sufficient.

If a cable part number has already been released, its manufacturer datasheet should generally control the physical conductor identification used for production.

If the cable has not yet been released, the RFQ should provide the available project requirements for conductor size, insulation, shielding, pair construction, jacket, flexibility and other relevant cable characteristics rather than treating conductor color as the complete cable definition.

For projects requiring finished connectorized assemblies, review our custom cable assembly manufacturing capabilities.

Cable and wiring requirements can also differ by equipment type and operating environment. See our industry applications for the broader OEM context.

10 / Practical Takeaway

How to Use DIN 47100 in a Cable Assembly Project

DIN 47100 remains a familiar reference for multi-core conductor identification, even though DIN 47100:1988-01 is now withdrawn.

The basic color sequence is straightforward for many common core counts, but higher-core-count and paired constructions deserve more care because commercial implementations can differ.