Everything You Wanted To Know About Copper Wire But Didn't Know To Ask

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.

View the Source

Author & Publication:

Martin Kanner, KEMCO, Power Controls Div., Plainview, N.Y., How2Power Today, Nov 15 2013

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