What perf board is recommended to handle 6A of current?

Thread Starter

Interestor

Joined Jul 25, 2021
16
I know that different perf board can handle different ratings of current. Any recommendations for a perf board that can handle 6A of current and 5V of voltage?
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,843
Standard strip board is OK to 1A. 6A on a standard perf board needs 3.6mm width of solid, unperforated, track, or you solder a piece of 24AWG (preferably thicker) solid tinned copper wire onto the standard strip.

Edit: A 10cm length will dissipate 0.5W @ 6A and will rise 10degC above ambient.
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Interestor

Joined Jul 25, 2021
16
Standard strip board is OK to 1A. 6A on a standard perf board needs 3.6mm width of solid, unperforated, track, or you solder a piece of 24AWG (preferably thicker) solid tinned copper wire onto the standard strip.

Edit: A 10cm length will dissipate 0.5W @ 6A and will rise 10degC above ambient.
From what I understand, I should either get a 3.6mm width of solid unperforated track or use a 24AWG copper wire . Am i right?Currently, the board I have available with me right now is this

https://sg.cytron.io/c-robotics-ele...rd-prototype-board/p-donut-board-small-6x15cm
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,153
I had 45 amps on a phenolic pad per hole board, similar to MaxHeadroom's suggestion, I used large gauge solid copper wire for the high current connections. The was used daily for years until the need for it went away.
 

Thread Starter

Interestor

Joined Jul 25, 2021
16
I had 45 amps on a phenolic pad per hole board, similar to MaxHeadroom's suggestion, I used large gauge solid copper wire for the high current connections. The was used daily for years until the need for it went away.
I see . so for higher current amps, the type of copper wire is more prioritized instead of the board itself?
 

Thread Starter

Interestor

Joined Jul 25, 2021
16
the only path for the high current was through the copper wire. This was pad-per-hole board, not stripboard.
i gotten a 20AWG wire for the supply in. From what was told to me by the salesperson, the wire can have higher capacity of current. So if I use this wire on a stripboard, its no different then?
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,843
20AWG wire is good for up to 10A. For the perfboard you showed you'd need to put at least 5 tracks in parallel for 6A because of the holes. If you filled the track with a good mound of solder you might get it down to 2 or 3, but a single piece of 20AWG along one track is much easier and neater. If its just copper rather than tinned-copper use a good flux or burnish it with a light emery cloth before soldering.

The cheapest way is to use reclaimed 1.5mm T&E with the insulation stripped off. Hunt in builders skips; a few metres goes a long way!
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,153
It is not just the current rating of the wire, but the temperature rise that must be considered. I found the wire size necessary for my application by trial and error because that was the only way I knew how.
 

Thread Starter

Interestor

Joined Jul 25, 2021
16
20AWG wire is good for up to 10A. For the perfboard you showed you'd need to put at least 5 tracks in parallel for 6A because of the holes. If you filled the track with a good mound of solder you might get it down to 2 or 3, but a single piece of 20AWG along one track is much easier and neater. If its just copper rather than tinned-copper use a good flux or burnish it with a light emery cloth before soldering.

The cheapest way is to use reclaimed 1.5mm T&E with the insulation stripped off. Hunt in builders skips; a few metres goes a long way!
Thanks! i guess i used a single 20AWG and soldered it along a track. Also I forget to mentioned that the 6A will only be coming from the supply, but not by the load. The highest current a load will draw is about 1.2A individually. Having 2 of that load ,I will need 2.4A that is if i were to run it simultaneously
 

Irving

Joined Jan 30, 2016
3,843
If your load is 2.4A (2 motors maybe?) and the rest of your control system consumes a few mA then the feed from the power supply will only be just over 2.4A, even if your PSU is rated at 6A. Current is 'pulled' not pushed... Of course, if your loads are motors and 1.2A is the run current then the starting or stall currents could be much higher.
 
Top