How To Repair Idc Cable

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I need help to repair this ribbon cable

• Thread starter Trevor Rymell
• Starting time date May 20, 2021

• #1

Can anyone suggest what solvent I might use to remove the shellac or varnish or whatever the coating is, from this busted ribbon cablevision? It's out of an HP Elite x2 1012 G2 tablet and is the "affect cablevision" which enables the impact screen. The chief brandish cable is fine and I can continue to use the tablet with a mouse and keyboard.

But I'd like to try to repair it if I can. As can be seen from the photo, I managed to span the first two tracks but had little success with the five thinner ones. The soldering fe kept melting the coating which contaminated the articulation. I figured I'd take better luck if I could make clean the coating off more effectively with a solvent (rather than trying to scrape it off with a blade). I might need to cut the broken ends back a bit and endeavour to bridge the gap with bits of fine insulated copper wire. I have a proficient bench microscope for SMT piece of work then it shouldn't be impossible as long as I can get a few mm or so of clean copper on each track.

Needless to say, if anyone can propose a better alternative method for a repair similar this, I'm all ears.

In instance anyone is wondering, my first thought was to try to buy a replacement cable which is listed as p/n 924453-001, Cablevision Kit in the Maintenance and Service manual which I assume means both cables. My local HP can't or won't sell me the cable(s) proverb I have to pay them to supplant the unabridged LCD display screen with the cables. This would cost the best function of a $thou/-. I've searched all over for a supplier and can run across the Cable Kit listed on many web sites with the price simply and then far oasis't found one either with the office in stock or who tin can ship to Singapore.
Thanks for reading
Trevor

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• #2

Try an ebay search. There are flex cables for many products listed.

• #3

I've seen them but don't see the one I need. I tried every combination of search terms I could think of merely haven't had whatever luck so far.

• #4

Just utilize very fine annoying, eg. 600 or 1000 form, to carefully take the top insulation off the flex PCB traces for a centimetre or so either side of the damage.

Then use unmarried strands of wire from a normal multi-strand cablevision, laid forth each trace and soldered down so there is at least 5mm overlap each side of the damage.

For each trace, solder at one side while holding the end of a well over-length bit of shaped wire in place, then cut the costless end to length, hold that down with a jewellers screwdriver and solder that side.

If you start out with the strands of wire are two - 3 inches long you tin easily hold them by hand to position the first finish without the function you are holding getting likewise hot. Bend the stop you are gripping or make a minor loop in it, so y'all can command the angle.

• #5

Thanks for this, rjenkinsgb. It'south gonna be a claiming for my 74 years old fingers, but with the little Chinese Andonstar microscope I bought, I might become away with it.

I bought the scope and so I could practice SMT soldering for the kickoff time. All my experience prior to this had been with .1" through-hole PCBs using a normal x10 magifier but this is totally inadequate for SMT.

There were one or two .5mm pitch ICs to mountain but with the telescopic and some actually helpful YouTube videos about draw-soldering I managed to make a decent job of it.

• #6

One matter that is really helpful with SMT soldering is LIGHT – the more than, the ameliorate.

• #7

I had success recently scraping the insulation off the general purpose grade of this kind of cable (ie, plain ribbon) by scraping across the conductors with the tip of a abrupt craft knife. It was easier and quicker and more than accurate than using annoying. I suppose there's an increased risk of causing more than harm however.

I was going to propose 0.1mm magnet wire (cheap on eBay) for the repair, simply rjenkins' suggestion is arguably easier. Magnet wire is great if you're used to information technology...

Hot tip! When you lot finally get to really soldering the wires on, tape everything down before soldering. Kapton (or the cheap version, Koptan) tape is ideal, but you could use maskng tape. Sellotape/Scotch tape is stable, merely melts too easily (unless you accept the very former cellulose stuff). I wouldn't employ electrical tape, it has too much adhesive on information technology and is likewise stretchy. Tape the ribbon to the bench, tape your repair wires to the ribbon. When you've soldered ane end, record downwards the end you soldered earlier soldering the other stop (because the solder will cook once more and the wire will movement and your beautiful craftsmanship instantly turns into a botched mess. I speak from experience!). If you feel you tin safely cutting the wires after they''re soldered in place, information technology's easier to use long strands and trim them afterwards soldering. (But it's more than important to not exercise more damage, obviously)

There are at least a couple of YouTube videos showing repair of these cables, might be worth a look.

• #8

Thanks over again, throbscottle for the corking tips. I've got the cable taped to a piece of fibre glass PCB and that's taped to the base of my scope so cypher moves.

I managed to get a couple of mm of the ends of each broken track tinned and then soldered in two bridging wires successfully. I was able to apply regular Cellotape to anchor one terminate of the wire with the other end cut to right length so I just had the spare wire at the anchored cease to remove. In practice I institute there was no problem caused by the heated wire melting or softening the adhesive. Speed soldering the joint is key.

I've never seen or used "magnet wire" merely the best wire I could find was a single strand from the centre core of some RG-174 coax which is .15mm dia, bare copper. It worked fine once anchored fairly and didn't need to exist pre-tinned.

Simply three more than to become! I'll mail a shot of it if I tin can complete it successfully without getting over confident and botching the whole thing.
Thank you again
Trevor

• #9

Well it own't pretty simply it's electrically OK. I encapsulated it with some epoxy resin which should aid keep the damaged department rigid. Once information technology has fully cured, I'll re-install the cable and keep my fingers crossed it works. Information technology was pretty much a nightmare working at such extreme manification but as I've said, the biggest problem was the conformal coating that kept melting into a chemic sludge all over the joint. Acetone nail varnish remover had no upshot. Gentle scraping works fine for cleaning the copper just the coating between the tracks need to exist cleaned abroad. If I'm e'er clumsy enough to harm a flex cablevision over again and try to repair it myself, I'll put more effort into tracking down the right solvent to get rid of that blanket completely earlier trying to solder.

Still can't figure why information technology'southward and then difficult to purchase a new replacement. Every bit I said in my first post, HP insisted on replacing the LCD display with the two cables attached and doggedly refused to accept that the cables are listed as a spare part with a function number despite me pointing this out in the very same maintenance manual they sent me. Later all, the tablet is out of warranty and has been out of product for about 4 years.

My judge is they merely don't want to release parts to retail end users for self repair. That could well exist just local policy. HP Partsurfer in the U.s.a./United kingdom lists the cable kit and even quoted the price in Sing dollars just will just ship to their home land. That would be fine but they accept no stock and seem reluctant or unable to say when they will accept them in again. There seem to be no shortage of like cables for other models on eBay and elswhere only not for this one.

Many thanks to yous and rjenkinsgb for all the helpful advice.
Trevor

EDIT: Happy to report my repair worked! My touch screen is working again. Phew!

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Terminal edited: May 23, 2021

• #x

Dainty looking repair. It'south at least as practiced as annihilation I could ever do - well done!

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