Useful material properties for PCB design

Material resistivity

Material Resistance
(Ohms/Metre)
Copper 16.8×10-9
Gold 22.1×10-9
Silver 15.9×10-9
Brass 35.0×10-9
Aluminium 26.5×10-9
Aluminium alloy 50.0×10-9
Iron 97.1×10-9
Lead 208×10-9
Tin 109×10-9
Zinc 59.6×10-9
Solder 165×10-9

Resistance per unit length of a material

Electrical resistivity = Electrical resistance × cross sectional area

longitudinal length

Typical line impedances

Type L (nH/cm) C (pF/cm) Ω)

Z(Ω τ (ns/m)
Single Wire (far away from gnd) 20 0.06 500 ≈4
Space µ0 ε0 370 3.3
Twisted pair cable 5-10 0.5-1 80- 5
120
Flat cable 5-10 0.5-1 80- 5
120
Wire on PCB 5-10 0.5-1.5 70- ≈5
100
Coax Cable 2.5 1.0 50 5
Bus Line 5-10 10-30 20-50 10-20

Notes:

µ0 = 4 × π × 10-7 (12.56610-7) (permeability constant)

ε0 = 8.86×10-12 Farad/metre (permitivity constant)
Typical output impedance of a TTL device is 25 Ω. Of an Op-Amp it is typically
>600Ω. Input impedance of a TTL device is >1MΩ, for an Op-Amp, >1MΩ.

by Ian Stedman Page 1 28th February 2005

Version 2.0
 PCB trace current carrying capacity as per IPC-2221A
For External traces

Temp. rise 10°°C 20°°C 30°°C

Copper ½ oz. 1 oz. 2 oz. ½ oz. 1 oz. 2 oz. ½ oz. 1 oz. 2 oz.
weight 17.5 35 µm 70 µm 17.5 35 µm 70 µm 17.5 35 µm 70 µm
µm µm µm
Trace Maximum current in Amps
width

.004” 0.17 0.4 0.75 0.25 0.5 0.9 0.3 0.55 1.1
(0.1016mm)

.006” 0.38 0.6 0.8 0.5 0.8 1.0 0.65 1.0 1.25
(0.1524mm)

.008” 0.45 0.72 1.1 0.6 0.85 1.5 0.75 1.1 1.8
(0.2032mm)

.010” 0.5 0.8 1.4 0.7 1.0 1.65 0.85 1.25 2.0
(0.254mm)

.012” 0.6 1 1.5 0.75 1.2 2.0 0.95 1.5 2.6

(0.3048mm)

.015” 0.7 1.2 1.6 0.8 1.5 2.3 1.0 1.7 3.0
(0.381 mm)

.020” 0.8 1.3 2.1 1.0 1.7 3.0 1.3 2.1 3.6
(0.508 mm)

.025” 0.9 1.7 2.6 1.25 2.2 3.5 1.5 2.8 4.0
(0.635 mm)

.030” 1.0 1.75 3.0 1.4 2.5 3.85 1.65 3.2 4.8
(0.762 mm)

.040” 1.3 2.2 3.6 1.7 3.0 5.0 2.1 3.7 6.2
(1.016 mm)

.050” 1.5 2.6 4.0 2.0 3.6 6.0 2.6 4.6 7.4
(1.270 mm)

.075” 2.0 3.6 5.7 2.8 4.5 7.8 3.5 6.0 10.0
(1.905 mm)

.100” 2.6 4.4 6.9 3.5 6.0 9.9 4.3 7.5 12.5
(2.54 mm)

.200” 4.2 7.0 11.5 6.0 10.0 11.0 7.5 13.0 20.5
(5.08 mm)

.250” 5.0 9.0 12.3 7.2 12.3 20.0 9.0 15.0 24.5
(6.35 mm)

by Ian Stedman Page 2 28th February 2005

Version 2.0
 PCB trace current carrying capacity as per IPC-2221A
For Internal traces

Temp. rise 10°°C 20°°C 30°°C

Copper ½ oz. 1 oz. 2 oz. ½ oz. 1 oz. 2 oz. ½ oz. 1 oz. 2 oz.
weight 17.5 35 µm 70 µm 17.5 35 µm 70 µm 17.5 35 µm 70 µm
µm µm µm
Trace Maximum current in Amps
width
.004” 0.1 0.2 0.35 0.125 0.25 0.45 0.15 0.28 0.55
(0.1016mm)
.006” 0.19 0.3 0.4 0.25 0.4 0.5 0.32 0.5 0.65
(0.1524mm)
.008” 0.22 0.36 0.55 0.3 0.42 0.75 0.35 0.55 0.9
(0.2032mm)
.010” 0.25 0.4 0.7 0.35 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.6 1.0
(0.254mm)
.012” 0.3 0.5 0.75 0.35 0.6 1.0 0.45 0.75 1.3
(0.3048mm)
.015” 0.35 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.75 1.15 0.5 0.85 1.5
(0.381 mm)
.020” 0.4 0.65 1.0 0.5 0.85 1.5 0.65 1.0 1.8
(0.508 mm)
.025” 0.45 0.85 1.3 0.6 1.1 1.75 0.75 1.4 2.0
(0.635 mm)
.030” 0.5 0.8 1.5 0.7 1.25 1.92 0.8 1.6 2.4
(0.762 mm)
.040” 0.65 1.1 1.8 0.65 1.5 2.5 1.05 1.85 3.1
(1.016 mm)
.050” 0.75 1.3 2.0 1.0 1.8 3.0 1.3 2.3 3.7
(1.270 mm)
.075” 1.0 1.8 2.85 1.4 2.25 3.9 1.75 3.0 5.0
(1.905 mm)
.100” 1.3 2.2 3.45 1.75 3.0 4.95 2.15 3.75 6.25
(2.54 mm)
.200” 2.1 3.5 6.25 3.0 5 5.5 3.75 6.5 10.25
(5.08 mm)
.250” 2.5 4.5 6.15 3.6 6.15 10.0 4.5 7.5 12.25
(6.35 mm)

by Ian Stedman Page 3 28th February 2005

Version 2.0
 PCB Trace fusing currents

To calculate the fusing current of a PCB trace use this formula:

0.188 × A
I=
t 0.5

Where I = current in amps, A = conductor cross sectional area in square thou/mil and t
= time in seconds.

Note: These are theoretical fusing current limits.

Plotting this function you get:

Conversely you can plot the current limits for a given trace width, see the next page.

by Ian Stedman Page 4 28th February 2005

Version 2.0
 Fuse current of a 12 thou PCB trace with time

25.000

20.000
Current (Amps)

15.000
Current
10.000

5.000

0.000
0.1
0.5
0.9
1.3
1.7
2.1
2.5
2.9
3.3
3.7
4.1
4.5
4.9
Time (seconds)

by Ian Stedman Page 5 28th February 2005

Version 2.0
American Wire gauge chart

AWG Diameter Diameter Ohms per Maximum amps for

gauge Inches mm 1000 ft chassis wiring
OOOO 0.46 11.684 0.049 380
OOO 0.4096 10.40384 0.0618 328
OO 0.3648 9.26592 0.0779 283
0 0.3249 8.25246 0.0983 245
1 0.2893 7.34822 0.1239 211
2 0.2576 6.54304 0.1563 181
3 0.2294 5.82676 0.197 158
4 0.2043 5.18922 0.2485 135
5 0.1819 4.62026 0.3133 118
6 0.162 4.1148 0.3951 101
7 0.1443 3.66522 0.4982 89
8 0.1285 3.2639 0.6282 73
9 0.1144 2.90576 0.7921 64
10 0.1019 2.58826 0.9989 55
11 0.0907 2.30378 1.26 47
12 0.0808 2.05232 1.588 41
13 0.072 1.8288 2.003 35
14 0.0641 1.62814 2.525 32
15 0.0571 1.45034 3.184 28
16 0.0508 1.29032 4.016 22
17 0.0453 1.15062 5.064 19
18 0.0403 1.02362 6.385 16
19 0.0359 0.91186 8.051 14
20 0.032 0.8128 10.15 11
21 0.0285 0.7239 12.8 9
22 0.0254 0.64516 16.14 7
23 0.0226 0.57404 20.36 4.7
24 0.0201 0.51054 25.67 3.5
25 0.0179 0.45466 32.37 2.7
26 0.0159 0.40386 40.81 2.2
27 0.0142 0.36068 51.47 1.7
28 0.0126 0.32004 64.9 1.4
29 0.0113 0.28702 81.83 1.2
30 0.01 0.254 103.2 0.86
31 0.0089 0.22606 130.1 0.7
32 0.008 0.2032 164.1 0.53
33 0.0071 0.18034 206.9 0.43
34 0.0063 0.16002 260.9 0.33
35 0.0056 0.14224 329 0.27
36 0.005 0.127 414.8 0.21
37 0.0045 0.1143 523.1 0.17
38 0.004 0.1016 659.6 0.13
39 0.0035 0.0889 831.8 0.11
40 0.0031 0.07874 1049 0.09

by Ian Stedman Page 6 28th February 2005

Version 2.0
by Ian Stedman Page 7 28th February 2005
Version 2.0