USB 2.0 Wire Gauges and Types

[mich43L]

I'm building an USB extension cable (approx 1 ft) from the USB port on the motherboard and want to use my own individual wires as opposed to stripping them from an exisiting USB 2.0 cable.

I'd like to know what are the necessary gauges for the 4 wires, does it matter if they're solid or stranded and is shielding neccessary? I want it to be a USB 2.0 cable.

I initially used simple 30 AWG solid wires to test it out and it seemed to work fine but I didn't have any USB 2.0 devices to test if it worked on USB 2.0 speed.

Thanks!

[Aybabtu]

I can't help, but maybe the guys in the electronics thread can point you in the right direction.

Aybabtu.

[theshadow27]

usb, even 2.0, is not twisted pair... just regular old stranded wire. the gauge doesn’t really matter, 18-24 will be fine. keep the power leads a little bigger then the data if you are a perfectionist.

[mich43L]

Thanks. I looked over at the USB specification and it seems to be advising a minimum of 28 gauge wire. I need it to be as small as possible because I'm working in a tight space - inside the notebook motherboard ;) I wonder if that 30 gauge wire will hold up cause I can't find 28 gauge wire in stores.

[theshadow27]

you have wirewraping wire, eh? well, for the data+ data- it should be fine, but run 3 or 4 wires each for the +5 and GND. if that is a pain, you could get some magnet wire (http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F010%5F004%5F000&product%5Fid=278%2D1345), but IMO thats harder to work with then 4 wirewraping wires.

[mich43L]

you have wirewraping wire, eh? well, for the data+ data- it should be fine, but run 3 or 4 wires each for the +5 and GND. if that is a pain, you could get some magnet wire (http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F010%5F004%5F000&product%5Fid=278%2D1345), but IMO thats harder to work with then 4 wirewraping wires.
Yup. 30 gauge solid wrapping wire from radioshack:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=278-501

Good idea about stranding the wires for the power wires. I think I will do that for all wires - strip them, strand them, and put some shrink tube for insulation. I only need a length of couple of inches.

[theshadow27]

for the power wires you dont even have to strip. the data lines should be fine. it sounds like youve got this under control.

[mich43L]

for the power wires you dont even have to strip. the data lines should be fine. it sounds like youve got this under control.
That does make sense.

Hey thanks for giving this mathematician/software programmer who wants to get back to doing physical hacks some guidance. I will post a link to the finished mod in a couple of days or a week. :D

[mich43L]

Took longer than a week to finish :D :
http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=92207

[n64man120]

Looks sweet!

If I could bump this for a related question... If i'm heading to Radioshack to buy wire to extend stuff in the computer, etc... what is the standard guage to get? I know alot will do, but what's the norm? I got some stuff... I forget what size it is, but it's too thick to work with.

[mich43L]

If I could bump this for a related question... If i'm heading to Radioshack to buy wire to extend stuff in the computer, etc... what is the standard guage to get? I know alot will do, but what's the norm? I got some stuff... I forget what size it is, but it's too thick to work with.
Depends for what. But for most things it just doesn't matter. 18/20/24 gauge wire is nice to work with and anything thinner is hard to strip. I don't reccomend solid wire as stranded wire doesn't break so easily. I don't like RadioShack's rainbow wires because they're hard to separate individually and once you do there is that plastic residue from the bond.

In my case I used 4 stranded 28 gauge wires from a USB cable I had (couldn't find it anywhere in the store or online) because of the limited space inside the notebook - anything bigger than that and the notebook wouldn't close :D

[n64man120]

Thanks for the reply, I'll probably measure my PSU wires and see what guage they are. Actually I could probably google it, sure it's standard. Stranded of course ;)