Erm, this was painful so if you can buy a replacement don't even think about this lol
However, I didn't have that option. Now, I'll try and sort some actual photos out but for now it's generic.
Ribbon cables, like this one:
If you WANT to break it, it's hard as h*ll but one false move and it rips so easy? Anyway, buying a new one was NOT an option, the kit was too old. So, a fix is required.
First off, it's just gonna rip more so it needs to be strengthened. I cut a bit of plastic off a blister-pack (like you get mobile phone accessories in). About 6mm wide and long enough to go across the whole ribbon. Glue this to one side using Superglue and clamp until it sets. Turn the cable upside down and tape it to the bench/table/whatever (summat flat).
Now you need to remove the plastic insulation from the repair side. I used two needle files (round and half-round). The copper tracks are only about a thou thick (0.0254mm for youngsters) so take care. Once you have bright copper in view you'll need some conductive paint - Halfords do it at about £12 a bottle.
I tried painting the tracks lol, I ended up painting a brush-wide 'splodge' across all the broken tracks. When it gets tacky, use a needle file or sharpened matchstick to draw lines between the tracks then leave the paint dry overnight.
Now tape the ribbon to the bench with the tracks running away from you (rather than side-to-side). Use a wedge-shaped needle file (or similar) to remove excess paint between the copper lands. Use a multimeter to check continuity of tracks and no shorts between tracks.
Apologise to the missus and borrow her nail varnish (colour is unimportant), paint over the repair to provide insulation. Re-install and voila! Is fixed
However, I didn't have that option. Now, I'll try and sort some actual photos out but for now it's generic.
Ribbon cables, like this one:
If you WANT to break it, it's hard as h*ll but one false move and it rips so easy? Anyway, buying a new one was NOT an option, the kit was too old. So, a fix is required.
First off, it's just gonna rip more so it needs to be strengthened. I cut a bit of plastic off a blister-pack (like you get mobile phone accessories in). About 6mm wide and long enough to go across the whole ribbon. Glue this to one side using Superglue and clamp until it sets. Turn the cable upside down and tape it to the bench/table/whatever (summat flat).
Now you need to remove the plastic insulation from the repair side. I used two needle files (round and half-round). The copper tracks are only about a thou thick (0.0254mm for youngsters) so take care. Once you have bright copper in view you'll need some conductive paint - Halfords do it at about £12 a bottle.
I tried painting the tracks lol, I ended up painting a brush-wide 'splodge' across all the broken tracks. When it gets tacky, use a needle file or sharpened matchstick to draw lines between the tracks then leave the paint dry overnight.
Now tape the ribbon to the bench with the tracks running away from you (rather than side-to-side). Use a wedge-shaped needle file (or similar) to remove excess paint between the copper lands. Use a multimeter to check continuity of tracks and no shorts between tracks.
Apologise to the missus and borrow her nail varnish (colour is unimportant), paint over the repair to provide insulation. Re-install and voila! Is fixed
