AWG To Square Mm Wire Size Converter


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 andbattery bank. At the bottom of this article is a table showing the relationship between the four main different measures of wire size:

AWG to mm wire size converter1) 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.
AWG
Wire Diameter: mm inches, Cross Sectional Area: mm2

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. 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