Labeling and Colors

  1. RECOMMENDATION: Add labeling on the cable indicating maximum voltage and current at max temperature.
  2. OBSERVATION: Cable voltage and current limits may not match the limits of the products they link. Having voltage and current limits printed on the cable can reduce the risk of incorrect wiring.
  3. RECOMMENDATION: If using Px naming of connectors, use P1 for bank 1, P2 for bank 2, etc.
  4. OBSERVATION: Many NI cables have color coding using heat shrink to distinguish banks and to make otherwise identical cables look unique (refer to Figure 2, Connector Pin-to-Signal Translation on Single-Bank Connector).
  5. RECOMMENDATION: If using multiple colors to distinguish among multiple connections in a cable, the sequence SHOULD follow Table 4, Color Labeling Sequence, with the large connector (if present) excluded from the pattern. For example, if the cable in Figure 5, Example of Color Coding on NI Cable 134729-XX, had only six small connectors instead of eight, the large VHDCI connector would be named P7 but wouldn’t necessarily have a gray color associated with it.
    Table 4. Color Labeling Sequence
    Connector Name Bank Number Color
    P1 1 Brown
    P2 2 Red
    P3 3 Orange
    P4 4 Yellow
    P5 5 Blue
    P6 6 Violet
    P7 7 Gray
    P8 8 White
    Figure 5. Example of Color Coding on NI Cable 134729-XX

    1378

  6. OBSERVATION: This color sequence roughly follows resistor code coloring but skips green (to avoid safety implications) and black (for visibility). Following this sequence makes it more obvious when a connection does not follow the same pattern as adjacent connections. This is especially useful when using large numbers of small connectors (such as ix Industrial).
  7. RECOMMENDATION: If using colors on multiple smaller connections, do not use colored heat shrink to mark a larger connector unless coordinated with NI engineering.
  8. OBSERVATION: NI uses colored heat shrink on the larger connectors to distinguish between otherwise-identical cables (such as violet heat shrink at the VHDCI connector on SH68M-8IXBF AI DIFF and blue on SH68M-8IXBF AO DIFF). Having third parties apply similar color markings could cause confusion if not properly coordinated with NI.