Color-coded is a description of anything that is marked by a color. For example, on the back of many computers, the ports are color-coded so users can have an easier time connecting hardware to the computer. By having the ports color-coded, someone connecting their keyboard can know which of the two or more similar connections is correct. The picture shows an example of the PS/2 keyboard and mouse port on a computer that are color-coded. In the top example, the port is colored, and in the bottom example, a sticker points to the port.

The list below includes many ports and their associated colors. These colors may be on the computer port, around the port, on the cable, or on the plug.

Many cables are also color-coded to help with matching the port. For example, a new computer user could identify the round purple keyboard plug connects to the round purple PS/2 port.

Many of the modern connector ports (HDMI, USB, FireWire, Ethernet, etc.) are black and need to be identified by their shape rather than their color.

  • Keyboard (PS/2) - Purple
  • Mouse (PS/2) - Green
  • Serial - Cyan
  • Printer - Violet
  • Monitor (VGA) - Blue
  • Monitor (DVI) - White
  • Line out (headphones) - Lime Green
  • Line in (microphone) - Pink
  • Audio in - Grey
  • Joystick - Yellow

Blue, Color, Color terms, Green, Hardware terms, Pink, Purple, White, Yellow