- Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:17 pm
#13688
OK, perhaps I am missing something. Playing with the calculator, changing the ambient temp does not affect the trace width at all. Only the voltage drop and power change. Even going to extremes ambient doesn't affect the trace width calculated.
Raising ambient temp for a wire or cable results in de-rating the current it can carry. This is because the heat rejection per unit time in the wire is less at higher ambient temps, resulting in a higher temp rise for a set current flow. The FAQ on that site says the trace width is determined to maintain temp rise to the entered value. So why would a higher ambient not result in a larger trace?
Raising ambient temp for a wire or cable results in de-rating the current it can carry. This is because the heat rejection per unit time in the wire is less at higher ambient temps, resulting in a higher temp rise for a set current flow. The FAQ on that site says the trace width is determined to maintain temp rise to the entered value. So why would a higher ambient not result in a larger trace?