Standard Wire Gauge Vs MM Square

Just to get this clear, this post is about applying a Standard Wire Gauge concept to a wire shape that falls outside the standard? It seems abstruse.

I would have said:

http://search.globalspec.com/Search?show=total&query=wire%20gauge&fromtoolbar=1

what is the squre mm for 36swg wire

so 36 guage swg is 0.02926 mm²

36 SWG measures 0.02927 mm²(area of bare conductor, mm²)

mahesh

matadamahesh1@rediffmail.com

Hope you're not quibbling about a difference in diameter of 0.000033 mm ?

No, This post is about The EEU deciding that it doesn't like using AWG because it is American and therefore deciding to use some weird bastardized method of sizing cables...

Wow, that's some pretty strong words pardner. Please be careful. I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it other than venting your frustration, but it can easily set of a firestorm of passionate responses.

Each system has their strengths and if you know how to use them to your advantage you will be much farther ahead of the game. Yes, the whole metric/SAE conversion gets tiring at times, but so does speaking 3,4,or more languages which don't always have such relatively easy conversions. Yet, we don't (or at least shouldn't) find ourselves trashing somebody's choice of language, most of which was beyond their control.

AWG for instance, had to address early pitfalls by adding 1/2 gauges, which still command a premium in the lower to mid volumes in production and are not readily available. From an optimizing standpoint, there are points where the STANDARD metric sizes give more choices without that price premium.

If you work in bulk power, this probably doesn't interest you, but if you work in micro-power like I do (sub 10KVA) then it can be very important.

Hopefully this will help add to some understaning of the struggle involved. There are times as an American I am very frustrated by our system of weights and measures and other times when I am frustrated with the other. So, wether you are using a system based on functional steps or one based on convenient steps, the truth is that neither one is perfect. Dad burn it anyhoooo....

Thanks for clearing that up. It isn't stated at all in the original post.

The EEU has relented in the case of Imperial Measure. The UK can now keep pints, ounces, pounds, miles, acres, etc.

As Green Shoes said, some pretty strong words indeed.

"some weird bastardized method of sizing cables" - you're quite right, that describes precisely what AWG is. Based on a totally arbitrary ratio between wire sizes.

The 'metric' system - i.e. wire size expressed as area perpendicular to the current flow direction, in square millimeters - does have the huge disadvantage that one can instantly relate that number to any other physical constant or variable which might be required - volts, amperes, frequency, conductivity of the material, or its density, temperature coefficient of expansion, etc. etc. - to gain very rapid insight into the relationships between them and solve the problem at hand...instead of struggling with myriad cumbersome conversion factors each step of the way, each of which serves as a possible source of error or to obscure key relationships one is trying to see.

Having worked in Europe over 20 years, in rf electronics, high voltage systems, and now in an accelerator laboratory, and having gotten comfortable using the metric system in all of these areas, I see the 'English' system of units clearly as the confusing archaic mess that it is...

Have fun

rf_g

We work with metric and AWG wire sizes every day and one thing I would caution you on if you are using this at a design that is pushing the limits - the metric equivalent charts can be off by almost half a wire gauge in some cases. This can lead to either fit issues if the 'closest equivalent' wire is too big or heating issues if the wire is too small and the design was already marginal to begin with.

Otherwise, for most practical purposes, the chart already linked above at the Alpha Wire website should work just dandy.

If you have need of a very complete wire chart for solid conductors between 12 and 60 AWG or their metric equivalents just leave an e'mail address and I'll send it to you on an excel spreadsheet complete with ohms per foot, weight, diameters, etc.

please send me complete wire chart. Thank you very much for your help. my email add : vuhuutung@vnn.vn

www.audiogrid.com/audio/wire_xl.xls

Most of us mechanical types have drill tables that list all standard sizes in increasing size. For example

5/32, #22, 4.00mm, #21, 4.05mm, #20 etc

Then, we can select the size closest to what we need, the machine shop can call us filthy names for picking one they don't have, they can order it from McMaster and charge us double. Everybody's happy.

Why not have the same thing for AWG and metric wire sizes?