TOOLS
Combine multiple wires of the same or different AWG sizes into their single equivalent gauge, or work backwards from a target size with an interactive heat map of workable combinations. Totals in mm² and circular mils.
Conductor Diameter
0.8118 mm
0.03196 in
Values are for a bare solid conductor per ASTM B258. Stranded wire of the same AWG has a slightly larger overall diameter.
Equivalent AWG
17 AWG
Exact equivalent of the combined cross section
Wires Needed
—
Combining wires matches conductor cross section (current capacity), not the overall bundle diameter. Paralleled wires share current evenly only when their gauge, length, and terminations match, and bundled conductors also derate thermally.
Imperial Length
1 3/16 in
0.03 m
Tape measure fractions are rounded to your selected precision, from 1/8 down to 1/64 inch, and always reduced to the simplest form.
This calculator provides engineering guidance only. AWG values describe bare solid conductors, so verify stranded constructions and critical dimensions against the manufacturer datasheet.
quick guide
Works in both directions: wires → equivalent gauge, or target gauge → wires needed.
1. Add a row for each wire in the bundle: quantity × AWG gauge. Mixed gauges are fine.
2. Read the equivalent gauge: the exact decimal AWG, the nearest standard AWG, total cross-section in mm² and circular mils, and the nearest IEC 60228 metric size.
3. Or switch the direction control to “Gauge → Wires”: pick a target size (AWG or IEC mm²) and a fill gauge — the calculator returns the number of wires needed. Optionally add wires already in the bundle and it fills only the remainder.
4. Explore combinations on the heat map: nearby gauges and counts are colored by the copper they deliver versus the target — click any cell to preview its full breakdown. Green starts at 100% because delivering less copper than the target means higher resistance: when an exact match isn’t possible, round up, never down.
Cross-sectional areas add together. Two 20 AWG wires (0.518 mm² each) give a combined 1.035 mm², and converting that area back to a gauge lands almost exactly on 17 AWG:
2 × 20 AWG ≈ 17 AWG (1.035 mm²)
A handy rule of thumb falls out of the AWG progression: doubling the number of identical wires makes the bundle three gauge numbers larger (lower number), and ten identical wires make it ten gauge numbers larger. When you need at least the same copper as a target size, pick the next larger standard gauge — the lower AWG number.
Typical cases in cable and harness design: paralleling several smaller wires to carry the current of one large conductor where a thick wire would be too stiff to route; checking what single gauge a multi-wire splice or crimp joint corresponds to (crimp barrels are sized by total circular mil area); and matching an AWG build to a metric mm² specification. In every case the equivalence is based on total conductor cross-section, which is what determines DC resistance and current capacity.
Combining matches cross-section, not bundle diameter — several stranded wires pack larger than one solid conductor of equal area. Paralleled wires also share current evenly only when their gauge, length, and terminations match, and bundled conductors derate thermally. Verify critical designs against the governing standard.
Need a single-wire conversion instead? Use the AWG to mm Calculator. Converting metric drawings to tape-measure fractions? Try the mm to Inches Fraction Calculator, or browse all our engineering tools.
