6-Band Resistor Color Code
Select the band colors
Three digits, a multiplier, a tolerance, and a temperature coefficient (TCR).
Result
Band breakdown
How to use this calculator
A 6-band resistor is a 5-band precision part plus a sixth band that states the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) in ppm/°C. Select all six colors: bands 1–3 are the digits, band 4 the multiplier, band 5 the tolerance, and band 6 the TCR. The visualization and result update live, and the TCR is reported alongside the value so you know how much the resistance will drift with temperature — critical for high-precision references, oscillators and instrumentation where a few ppm/°C determines long-term accuracy.
What the value means in a circuit
Beyond the nominal resistance (which sets current and voltage division as always), the TCR tells you the part's stability: a ±10 ppm/°C resistor changes 0.01% per degree, so over a 25 °C swing its value moves only 0.025%. The decoded tolerance gives the as-manufactured window, while the TCR bounds the thermal drift. Together they let you predict the resistance across both board-to-board variation and temperature, which is exactly what precision bias, calibration and timing circuits need to remain accurate in the field.