Crimp terminal & contact sizer

Match the wire gauge to the right crimp terminal and connector contact size — and pick tin or gold plating for the signal and mating-cycle count.

Wire & duty

Wire AWG

Standard crimp contacts cover 24–12 AWG; type 0000 for 4/0.

Signal type

Expected mating cycles

Mating cycles drive plating choice — high counts wear through soft tin.

Recommended contact size: #20(24–18 AWG)
Contact current capacity (typical): 9.0A
Plating recommendation: Tin

Tin (Sn) plating suits general power and dry circuits — good conductivity at low cost. If the connector will be mated often, consider gold.

Contact size reference

Contact size	Wire range	Typical max current
#20	24–18 AWG	3–9 A
#16	18–14 AWG	9–17 A
#12	14–12 AWG	17–25 A

Current values are typical per-gauge ratings for reference — always follow the manufacturer’s derating curves and contact temperature rise.

Tin vs gold — the basics

Gold is the go-to plating when the signal is a low-level analog or data line, or when the connector will be mated hundreds of times — its noble surface keeps contact resistance stable. Flash gold covers light duty; thicker hard gold handles heavy cycling. Tin is a cheap, workmanlike plating for general power and dry circuits, but it oxidizes and wears with repeated mating.

Never mix platings within one connector — a tin pin mated into a gold socket (or the reverse) forms a galvanic couple that corrodes and raises contact resistance. Keep the whole mating pair on the same plating.

Pick the parts

Browse related parts:

crimp terminals contacts / sockets crimping tools

Frequently asked questions

What contact size should I use for 18 AWG wire?

Stamped crimp contacts group into three standard barrel sizes: #20 covers 24–18 AWG, #16 covers 18–14 AWG and #12 covers 14–12 AWG. An 18 AWG wire sits in both #20 and #16 ranges, so the tool picks by the range that contains your gauge and shows the typical current capacity for it.

When do I need gold plating instead of tin on a crimp contact?

The tool recommends gold for low-level signals (under 100 mA) or when the connector will be mated 200+ times, because those situations wear through soft tin. Below that, tin is fine for general power and dry circuits — and you should never mix platings within one mating pair.

What is the current capacity of a #16 contact?

The #16 contact (18–14 AWG) is rated at 9–17 A typical. Per-gauge figures come from the calculator's reference table — 24 AWG at 3 A up to 12 AWG at 25 A — and are typical values only; always follow the manufacturer's derating curve and contact temperature rise.

How it works

IC Source Direct sizes crimp contacts the same way the connector industry does. Stamped crimp terminals are grouped into a small set of barrel sizes — #20 covers 24–18 AWG, #16 covers 18–14 AWG, and #12 covers 14–12 AWG — so you pick the barrel whose range contains your wire and then match the contact plating to the signal and how often the connector gets mated.

Plating is chosen by two rules: low-level signals need gold, and connectors mated 200+ times wear through soft tin. Everything else is comfortably served by tin plating. Current figures here are typical per-gauge ratings for reference — the manufacturer’s derating curve and contact temperature rise always govern.

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IC Source Direct provides this tool for reference only.

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