Everything You Wanted To Know About Copper Wire But Didn't Know To Ask
by Martin Kanner, KEMCO, Power Controls Div., Plainview, N.Y., How2Power Today, Nov 15 2013
Focus:
Even individuals with formal training or experience in electrical engineering may have
difficulty selecting wire size for an electrical cable or a magnetic component, or when
determining the specifications for a copper run on a PCB. This article aims to simplify these
tasks. It begins by explaining some key wire specifications and properties, the origins of the
AWG wire sizes, and the ordering of the copper wire table. The author provides rules of thumb
that allow the reader to recreate the entire copper wire table if given the characteristics of
a single wire size. From there, the article describes methods for selecting wire size for
cables, transformers and chokes, and PCB interconnects, taking into account voltage drop and
temperature rise. And then, in discussing selection of wire for the different wire
applications, the author provides rules of thumb for current density required under different
operating conditions such as frequency. Finally, the author offers a test for readers looking
to verify their understanding of the material.
What you’ll learn:
- How to select the appropriate wire size for a cable, inductor or transformer
- How to understand the organization of the AWG copper wire table
Notes:
The test will be posted separately on How2Power.com and is available by writing to the author.
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