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44 Installation
Table 3-1. Stranded Copper Wire Ampere Capacity
Wire Size Ampacity Notes:
AWG Cross Section
Area in mm
2
1. Ratings for AWG-sized wires derived from MIL-W-5088B.
Ratings for metric-sized wires derived from IEC Publication
22 5.0 33-51.
20 8.33 .
0.75 10
18 15.4 2. Ampacity of aluminum wire is approximately 84% of that
1 13.5 listed for copper wire.
16 19.4
1.5 16 3. When two or more wires are bundled together, ampacity
14 31.2 for each wire must be reduced to the following percentages:
2.5 25
12 40 2 conductors 94%
4 32 3 conductors 89%
10 55 4 conductors 83%
6 40 5 conductors 76%
8 75
10 63 4. Maximum temperatures:
6 100
Ambient = 50
°
C
4 135
Conductor = 105
°
C
Local Sense Connections
Figure 3-12 illustrates a typical setup with module number 1 connected for constant current or constant resistance operation.
Local sensing is used in applications where lead lengths are relatively short, or where load regulation is not critical. The
sense switch must be set to LCL. Load leads should be bundled or tie-wrapped together to minimize inductance.
Remote Sense Connections
Figure 3-13 illustrates a typical setup with module number 1 connected for remote sense operation. The remote sense
terminals of module 1 are connected to the output of the power supply. Remote sensing compensates for the voltage drop in
applications that require long lead lengths. It is only useful when module 1 is operating in CV or CR mode, or when using
voltage readback. The sense switch must be set to RMT. Load leads should be bundled or tie wrapped together to
minimize inductance.
Parallel Connections
Figure 3-14 illustrates how modules can be paralleled for increased power dissipation. Up to six modules can be directly
paralleled in CC or CR mode. Modules cannot be paralleled in CV mode. Each module will dissipate the power it has been
programmed for. For example, if two modules are connected in parallel, with module number 1 programmed for 10 A and
module number 2 programmed for 20 A, the total current drawn from the source is 30 A.
In Figure 3-14, all lead connections are terminated at the source. Each module is connected to the source using separate
wires. Using the source as the current distribution point allows larger wires to be used for each module connection and also
reduces the common impedance inherent in daisy-chained configurations.
If because of lead length or other considerations, lead connections cannot be made at the source, a remote distribution
terminal may be required. Lead connections can also be daisy-chained across the module binding posts as long as the total
current draw is less than the ampere-rating of AWG 8 wire (see Table 3-1). This is because two wires larger than AWG 8
cannot both fit inside an Electronic Load, binding post.