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In most situations the detrimental effects can be minimised by using shrink sleeving, sealed connectors, adhesive lined terminals, protective gels etc. to keep moisture out, but in some applications where the environment is particularly aggressive, for example marine use, it might be preferable to use cable with tinned conductors. This is simply where the standard plain copper conductor has has a layer of tin applied before being sheathed in the insulation.Tin doesn't react in the presence of moisture, yet retains good conductivity, and so improves long-term performance of the cable. The downsides are that it is slightly more expensive and there is a more limited range of sizes and colours available compared with plain copper. Earth braid straps that have no insulating layer are typically tinned for protection as a matter of course. Low voltage automotive and marine cable is available in different materials/constructions and the following table gives a brief overview: Material
The largest diameter AWG size is 0000 (4/0) which is pronounced ‘four aught’, representing a diameter of .46″. The smallest diameter is 32 AWG, representing .00795″. The n gauge wire resistance R in ohms per kilometer (Ω/km) is equal to 1000000000 times the wire's resistivity ρ in Expressed in mm² and describes the tota l cross sectional area of the copper conductor. You will sometimes see cable described as 1mm or 2mm cable without the ² sign but it is important to note that this does not mean the diameter of the cable. This can often lead to confusion so just remember that the main specification for a cable will be its conductor's cross-sectional area and cable will never be referred to by its diameter alone. This shows that although 0.5mm² cable is OK for the expected current draw of the light, it's not OK for the cable run length as the drop is greater than 3%. There is a general rule of thumb that says if you're unsure whether the cable is large enough for the job, go up a size. This is a bit crude and not very scientific but it's not a bad rule to apply as increasing cable size can't do any harm.
AWG to total area calculator
You might find it useful to read our Electrical Circuit Basics article for using the equation I = P/V where the following example is given: Expressed as the number of conductors of a given diameter. So 28/0.30 means that there are 28 strands, each with a diameter of 0.30mm If this AWG metric calculator doesn't provide you with the information you need, please get in touch with the technical experts of The Cable Lab who will be pleased to answer your questions or calculate the appropriate AWG/metric size for your installation.
Increasing gauge numbers denote logarithmically decreasing wire diameters, which is similar to many other non-metric gauging systems such as British Standard Wire Gauge (SWG). However, AWG is dissimilar to IEC 60228, the metric wire-size standard used in most parts of the world, based directly on the wire cross-section area (in square millimetres, mm²). The AWG originated in the number of drawing operations used to produce a given gauge of wire. Very fine wire (for example, 30gauge) required more passes through the drawing dies than 0gauge wire did. Manufacturers of wire formerly had proprietary wire gauge systems; the development of standardized wire gauges rationalized selection of wire for a particular purpose. AWG or American Wire Gauge is the US standard measure for the diameter of electrical conductors. The American Wire Gauge chart is based on the number of dies originally required to draw the copper down to the required dimensional size. It means the higher the AWG number is, the smaller the wire diameter is. Our Belden cables and the pairs in instrumentation cable are some of the electrical cables where the conductor size is expressed as an AWG figure. Our Tri-Rated cable, compliant with American standard UL758, can be converted to AWG cable conductor sizes if required. In Europe, metric sizes are used for stranded cableand are expressed as the total cross sectional area of the conductors together with the number of strands and their diameter. For example, a cable specified as 2.0mm² 28/0.30 indicates that it has a total conductor cross sectional area of 2.0mm² and is made up of 28 individual strands, each of 0.3mm diameter.Expressed in Amperes (Amps or A) and is the maximum continuous or 'working' current that the cable can safely carry. American Wire Gauge ( AWG) is a logarithmic stepped standardized wire gauge system used since 1857, predominantly in North America, for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire. Dimensions of the wires are given in ASTM standard B 258. [1] The cross-sectional area of each gauge is an important factor for determining its current-carrying capacity. The AWG gauge system only applies for solid, round, non-ferrous conducting wires. Keep this in mind when evaluating wire size and type for your application, as AWG doesn’t apply to stranded or non-round wires. AWG Gauge Sizes for Home Wiring, Auto Wiring, and Boat Wiring The most common method of referring to conductor sizes uses the cross-sectional area, expressed in mm². The following AWG metric conversion table converts AWG to mm and inches, and also lists the cross sectional area (mm2). AWG Metric Conversion Chart (AWG to mm) It has sufficient current rating for the expected load in the circuit, including a margin of safety.
The n gauge wire resistance R in ohms per kilofeet (Ω/kft) is equal to 0.3048×1000000000 times the wire's resistivity ρ in conductors in raceway, cable, or earth (directly buried), based on ambient air temperature of 30°C (86°F). This shows that 1.5mm² cable (at a current rating of 21A) will be suitable for the cable run length as the drop is well under 3% Change the temperature, if necessary. The value should be the maximum operating temperature that is expected for the wire.In North America the AWG standard is most commonly used for stranded cable and expresses the Gauge together with the number of strands and their Gauge. For example, a cable specified as 16 AWG 7/24 has a size of 16AWG and is made up of 7 individual strands, each of 24 AWG.
Firstly, it is lighter, meaning that there can be significant weight savings in large wiring harnesses and this is one the main drivers behind it having now been adopted by almost all vehicle manufacturers for their electrical systems. So we want to select a cable to make sure that the voltage drop is not so large that it will cause problems, but what is acceptable and how do we calculate the right cable size to use? Well the generally acceptable voltage drop for DC circuits is around 3-4% and we can use V = IR (see Electrical Circuit Basics) to calculate the voltage drop for a cable if we know the current draw of the load and the cable's resistance per metre. While the AWG is essentially identical to the Brown & Sharpe (B&S) sheet metal gauge, the B&S gauge was designed for use with sheet metals as its name suggests. These are functionally interchangeable but the use of B&S in relation to wire gauges, rather than sheet metal gauges, is technically improper. This problem is overcome by manufacturing the core from many small diameter strands of copper wire to make up the desired cross-sectional area, rather than using a single wire. This type of cable is (unsurprisingly) known as 'stranded' cable and provides much more flexibility, which means improved resistance to work hardening making it better suited to use in vehicles. The difference in cross sections is shown in the diagram below: d n = 0.005 i n c h × 92 ( 36 − n ) / 39 = 0.127 m m × 92 ( 36 − n ) / 39 {\displaystyle d_{n}=0.005~\mathrm {inch} \times 92
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Select the wire conductor material, either copper or aluminum. You can also use Advanced mode to set a custom material resistivity at a fixed temperature. Secondly, it has a greater working temperature range with a maximum of around 105ºC compared with around 70ºC for standard PVC. This makes it more suited to use in areas close to the engine. The number of devices connected to the circuit usually determines how much current will flow through the wire.
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