Metric / AWG wire or cable equivalents

- the equivalents between the American AWG wires and metric wires or cables

There are two main systems or measurements used for defining the size of cables or wires used for electrical and electronic equipment. These wires and cables are used in all areas of radio, electronics and electrical work.

The table below gives a cross reference between the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system and the metric system where wire and cable sizes are measured by their cross sectional area in square millimetres. Where multiple strands are used this can be expressed as the number of strands or a certain wire. As an example seven strands of 0.032 mm wire would be expressed as 7 / 0.032.

For the wires and cables defined under the AWG system, the gauge numbers applied to the wire are for the overall wire whether it is a single strand of a bunch of strands with an equivalent size. This means that the gauge size only determines its overall cross sectional area, and not its physical construction.

The table with approximate equivalents for wires and cables is given below:

While every effort has been made to ensure the correctness of the wire and cable data, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or the consequences of any errors