Wire

Authored by: Jim - Orvac Electronics

Wire comes in GAUGES (AWG, American Wire Gauge) and number of conductors (the number of wires inside).  It is either solid (a single piece of copper inside) or stranded (multiple small strands twisted together).  Stranded is generally what the customers want because it is more flexible.  Solid is generally used on the prototype boards because it is more rigid, easier to strip and easier to work with.

GUAGE indicates the wire diameter; the SMALLER THE NUMBER the fatter the wire.  1 or 2 AWG is about the size of my thumb and 30 AWG is about three-5 human hairs.  The more CURRENT or WATTS you are pulling requires a LARGER WIRE or smaller AWG.  BIG WATTS / CURRENT EQUAL BIG WIRE.

Please see the charts below to help you understand gauge and to calculate the proper gauge you will need for the amount of current you are pulling.  Please keep in mind that these charts are for reference only and Orvac Electronics can NOT be held responsible for any misapplication of this data.  It is also understood that you are knowledgeable in the application of this data.

Multi-Conductor and Data Wire is just like it sounds; there are a bunch of wires of various gauges with insulation wrapped around the whole thing.  For example 18/2 is 2-18 gauge wires individually insulated and contained inside an outside insulation, 24/8 is 8-24 gauge wires etc.

This wire is either shielded or unshielded; unshielded is just a bunch of wires with PVC insulation holding them together.  Shielded is a wrapping around the wires inside the outer jacket.  It can be like aluminum foil or a braid; the whole bundle can be shielded, individual wires or individual pairs.  The pairs may also be straight or twisted together.  The WHOLE shielding deal is to keep external noise OUT of the wire and out of the connection.  Equipment radiates electricity, noise or interference and that noise floating around in the air is looking for a path to ground or a COMPLETE circuit Electricity LIKES to go in CIRCLES; it comes from the SOURCE, goes into your house, goes to all the outlets, powers your stuff and then completes its journey back to its source. There is a LAW in electronics and electricity that makes it happen the SAME way every TIME.

Picture a battery with a wire off the positive terminal.  That wire goes to the INPUT of a light, the electricity goes into one side and through the FILIMENT (That little coiled wire inside the glass) There is NO air in the glass, the wire gets HOT but it just doesn't burn up; it gets HOT, glows and generates light.  The electricity passes through the filament and exits the negative side of the bulb.  It then re-enters the battery on the negative side and pushes more positive electricity out the other side of the battery. Without a COMPLETE path electricity behaves BADLY, BAD DOG!

HEAVY industrial equipment SPEWS stray electricity (it’s called EMI/RFI; electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference) into the air and thus the need for shielding.  The stray electricity looks for a return path home and finds the SHIELDING BEFORE it gets to the data wires inside the shielding; GOOD DOG!

Now you have this RG stuff; it stands for "Radio Grade" if you care.  ANYTHING with "RG" before the number is COAX.  There is a single SOLID wire in the middle, thick insulation, a braid shield around that and then a PVC insulation around the whole thing.  Again, THE BIGGER THE WIRE, THE SMALLER THE Smaller the number; RG-174 is MUCH smaller than RG-11.

COAX also takes a special stripper to handle the multiple wires and shielding.  If you have questions about the right tools for your application, please ask one of our knowledgeable salespeople for assistance.


Now you have "DATA CABLE"; this is the stuff that is called CAT3 or CAT5E or CAT6.  The ONLY difference is the SPEED that the wire can carry data.  It is DOWN compatible and if someone wants CAT3, CAT5E will work just FINE.

If  need "PLENUM" it is due to building codes.  Plenum is used when it is going inside WALLS and will NOT support FIRE.  The price differential is Large and many customers will decide to put the wire outside the walls when they hear the price.  This can be accomplished with NON-Plenum AND DUCTING.