AWG to Square mm Wire Size Converter

Convert between AWG, inches and mm diameter, and square mm area measures of wire size

Wire (cable) is a vital component of any renewable energy system. It is also one of the most expensive components - particularly in low voltage DC systems with long runs of wire between the generator and battery bank (1). At the bottom of this article is a table showing the relationship between the four main different measures of wire size:

1) AWG (American Wire gauge)
2) Diameter in Inches
3) Diameter in mm
4) Cross Sectional Area in square mm

Simple AWG to MM Diameter Conversion

Below is a calculator which will calculate the mm diameter, inch diameter, and mm² cross sectional area automatically for any given value of AWG (except 00, 000, and 0000). Simply type in the AWG size of the wire you want to convert and click Calculate.

The above calculator uses the following equations to convert AWG to mm diameter when the AWG of a length of wire is known:

diameter [mm] = 0.127 * 92 ^ ((36-AWG)/39)

By turning the equation around, it is possible to calculate the AWG of a length of wire for which the mm diameter is known:

AWG = -(ln (diameter [mm]/0.127) / (ln (92) * 39) - 36)

nb. to convert mm to inches simply multiply by 0.03936 . To convert inches to mm divide by 0.03936.

Calculating Line-Losses

If you would like to calculate the correct size of wire for your renewable energy system or otherwise visit our page on Minimising Line-Losses in RE Systems (2). There you should find all of the equations and information you need about selecting wire to match the voltage, current, and length of wire required in your system.

Wire Size Conversion Table

American Wire Gauge (AWG)	Diameter (inches)	Diameter (mm)	Cross Sectional Area (mm²)
0000	0.46	11.68	107.16
000	0.4096	10.40	84.97
00	0.3648	9.27	67.40
0	0.3249	8.25	53.46
1	0.2893	7.35	42.39
2	0.2576	6.54	33.61
3	0.2294	5.83	26.65
4	0.2043	5.19	21.14
5	0.1819	4.62	16.76
6	0.162	4.11	13.29
7	0.1443	3.67	10.55
8	0.1285	3.26	8.36
9	0.1144	2.91	6.63
10	0.1019	2.59	5.26
11	0.0907	2.30	4.17
12	0.0808	2.05	3.31
13	0.072	1.83	2.63
14	0.0641	1.63	2.08
15	0.0571	1.45	1.65
16	0.0508	1.29	1.31
17	0.0453	1.15	1.04
18	0.0403	1.02	0.82
19	0.0359	0.91	0.65
20	0.032	0.81	0.52
21	0.0285	0.72	0.41
22	0.0254	0.65	0.33
23	0.0226	0.57	0.26
24	0.0201	0.51	0.20
25	0.0179	0.45	0.16
26	0.0159	0.40	0.13

Web Link References

(1) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Interconnecting-Batteries-for-Battery-Bank.htm
(2) http://www.reuk.co.uk/Minimising-Line-Losses-in-RE-Systems.htm

Article from REUK.co.uk:
http://www.reuk.co.uk/AWG-to-Square-mm-Wire-Size-Converter.htm
Published: 19th July 2008
© REUK 2009