Date   : Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:17:42 +0100
From   : pete@... (Pete Turnbull)
Subject: Cub cables

On 12/08/2009 11:49, Anders Carlsson wrote:
> Andy Ford wrote:
> 
>> The colour coding inside these cables is not quite standard.
> 
> Is there a such thing as a standard then?

No, there isn't.  There's a common order (but not a standard) for 
multicore twisted pair telephony cables (the sort of thing that connects 
a PABX or a street cabinet), a different standard for Ethernet twisted 
pair cables, a standard colour coding for DC power cables carrying 
multiple low voltages, a different standard for LV AC mains in UK and 
Europe, another for AC mains in each of several other countries, and no 
standard at all for different multicores for general signal use.

One not uncommon convention for video is to use red, green and blue for 
component video, with yellow for composite sync.  Except where sync is 
black.  Or white.  Or there are are separate hsync/vsync/csync/blanking, 
or where yellow is a composite video signal, or the luminance part of 
S-video.  Or where there are inputs as well as outputs.  In audio, red 
is usually the right channel and white is left.  Unless black is left. 
Or you have inputs as well as outputs.  Or the same cable type (with 
5-pin DIN each end) which might be used for audio or video or midi or 
some serial port or...  You can see where this is going :-)

-- 

Pete                                           Peter Turnbull
                                               Network Manager
                                               University of York