Size of cables required

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christophe

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Hi guys, i know I have been asking the same question before and I do apologise for that, but i really just want to get this part right before the start of the full set up.
I am planning on buying 100m of this cable (please see link :
www.mjselectricalsupplies.com.au

Flex Cable 1mm 2 Core - Black 100M | F2010

Flex Cable 1mm 2 Core - Black 100M - Electra Cables
www.mjselectricalsupplies.com.au www.mjselectricalsupplies.com.au
to run power injection and also data+negative from my falcon f16v3 to the pixels strips. Are these cables the right one?
I will also use 3 core cable
(please see link: https://www.bunnings.com.au/olex-1mm-two-core-and-earth-electrical-cable-per-metre_p4430071)
in between strips that do not require power injection. These will be very short length.
Some info about the project: I am running 6 12v 350W PSU to run 6300 pixels (21 rolls of 12v 300 leds ws2815).
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thank you
 
The key to your question is the residence of your cable. The diameter and metal used in the cable and or the distance it travels are the variables. Jump on the web and look for a " volt drop calculator"
Make sure you use the correct measurement of diameter eg mm squared. AWG. If it says it's good for " X " amps probably avoid as this is not a real thing
You will need to have rough idea of current required ( amps)
Do several calculations changing the distance and cable size and you will see how distance can make massive difference when using extra low voltage.
Rule of thumb. Longer the run bigger cable
 
AS3008 is a sparkys rule book for voltage and currant draw
www.jcalc.net

Cable Size Calculator AS/NZS 3008

Cable size calculator for current rating, voltage drop, loop impedance, earth cable and short circuit, based on Australia and New Zealand standard AS/NZS 3008.
www.jcalc.net www.jcalc.net
Change to 12v, 10 or 20% voltage drop,currant draw, single phase, 0KA and direct in sun and distance of the run
I dont know how good this site is as I have not done the calcs to check.
 
That one is probably to advanced to grasp the concept for a lay person . To much sparky terminology. Go for something simple
 
I searched for and re-read your previous forum thread to see what ground has been covered. That thread had several web-links to help with determining cables along with cable type and usage comments. Regarding your questions within this thread, it will be difficult for anyone to give you a definitive answer of what will or will not work as only you know the finer details of what your goal is.

Regarding the cable, the website does not provide enough information for me to be comfortable purchasing it. Although with that said there may be an Australian ACL member who has already used and may recommend it. The 1 mm^2 equates to approximately 18 AWG and there are numerous online calculators to help with voltage drop and amperage capabilities.

Here is a link to a more comprehensive than usual wire chart I use. https://www.calmont.com/wp-content/uploads/calmont-eng-wire-gauge.pdf
 
Last edited:
Cable voltage drop calculator: https://www.da-share.com/calculators/cable-voltage-drop/

Wire cross section area: https://www.da-share.com/calculators/wire-cross-section-area/

Simply put, thicker cable is better, but costs more. There is no "standard" cable everyone uses, because there are too many different factors at play for each person's display (cable used, length, number of pixels, pixel voltage, connectors used, PSU used, controller used, climate, etc etc) that everyone gets different results. If you're concerned about getting the wrong thing, spend a little extra money to get thicker guage cable and in theory you should have less issues.
 
With the very low voltage we are working with a basic understanding of volt drop is going to save headaches in the future
 
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