680 kΩ resistor color code
A 680 kΩ resistor is Blue, Gray, Yellow, Gold: 68 × 10,000 = 680,000 Ω, ±5%, so anything from 646 to 714 kΩ is in spec.
68 × 10,000 = 680,000 Ω = 680 kΩ
5-band version
Blue · Gray · Black · Orange · Brown = 680 kΩ ±1%
680 × 1,000 = 680,000 Ω = 680 kΩ. Range 673.2–686.8 kΩ (±1%).
Open the 5-band version
Where you'll meet it
A 12 V battery on a Raspberry Pi Pico
The Pico's analog pins read 0 to 3.3 V. With 680 kΩ from the battery's plus to GP26 (ADC0) and 120 kΩ from GP26 to ground, the pin can watch a battery of up to 22 V: enough for a 12 V lead-acid battery, even while it charges.
V_out = 22 V × 120 kΩ / (680 kΩ + 120 kΩ) = 3.3 V
A 12 V battery gives 12 V × 120 kΩ / 800 kΩ = 1.8 V at the pin, and 14.4 V while it charges gives 2.16 V.
The pair draws at most 22 V / 800 kΩ ≈ 0.03 mA, low enough to leave connected.
In code, multiply the voltage at GP26 by 800 / 120 (about 6.67) to get the battery voltage.
Keep the battery under 22 V so the pin never sees more than 3.3 V, and connect the battery's minus to the Pico's GND. With resistors this large the pin settles slowly between readings, so add a 100 nF capacitor from GP26 to GND to keep it steady, and take a few readings a second rather than reading in a fast loop. Resistor tolerances and the Pico's own ADC error each add a little, so calibrate against a meter if the reading matters.
On SMD parts
Look for 684 or 6803
- 684684 = 68 × 10⁴ = 680,000 Ω (3-digit code).
- 68036803 = 680 × 10³ = 680,000 Ω (4-digit code, usually ±1% parts).
There is no EIA-96 code, because 680 kΩ is not an E96 value (the nearest E96 values are 665 kΩ and 681 kΩ).
Don't mix it up
Only band 3 changes
These four share Blue, Gray and Gold. Yellow (×10,000) is 680 kΩ; orange is ten times less and green ten times more.
68 kΩband 3 orange- 680 kΩband 3 yellowThis page
6.8 MΩband 3 green
68 MΩband 3 blue
Check it with a meter
Read 646–714 kΩ
- Take the resistor out of the circuit.
- Set the meter to Ω, range 2 MΩ (or auto).
- Touch one probe to each lead. Keep your fingers off the metal: your body is a resistor too. At 680 kΩ this matters a lot: with a finger on each lead the meter measures you as well, and the reading drops.
- Anything from 646 to 714 kΩ is a good ±5% part. A 5-band ±1% part should read 673.2 to 686.8 kΩ.
A meter has a small error of its own, so a reading a hair outside the range does not prove the part is bad. Measure again with firm contact before you swap it.
Spot it
Can you find 680 kΩ in a pile?
Practise reading it, and its look-alikes, in the resistor challenge.
Try the resistor challenge680 kΩ resistor FAQ
How do I measure a 12 V battery with a Raspberry Pi Pico?
Use a divider on an ADC pin: 680 kΩ from the battery's plus to GP26 and 120 kΩ from GP26 to GND, with the battery's minus on GND. Full scale is then 22 V × 120 kΩ / 800 kΩ = 3.3 V, and a 12 V battery shows 1.8 V at the pin.
What is the SMD code for a 680 kΩ resistor?
684 on 3-digit parts (68 × 10⁴) and 6803 on 4-digit parts (680 × 10³). There is no EIA-96 code, because 680 kΩ is not an E96 value.
What are the 5-band colors for 680 kΩ?
Blue, Gray, Black, Orange, Brown: 680 × 1,000 = 680 kΩ with ±1% tolerance, so 673.2 to 686.8 kΩ.
Why use such large resistors in a battery divider?
So the divider barely drains the battery. At 12 V, 680 kΩ and 120 kΩ draw 12 V / 800 kΩ = 0.015 mA. The same ratio built from 6.8 kΩ and 1.2 kΩ would draw 12 V / 8 kΩ = 1.5 mA, a hundred times more, day and night. The price of large resistors is a slower reading, which the 100 nF capacitor on the pin takes care of.
Bands, ranges and codes come from the same engine as the calculator. Last reviewed .