extend ribbon cable in PSone screen

If you're making a portable you probably need something to watch it on. (Unless you want to guess what's happening in the game, but I wouldn't advise that) Anyway, this forum is your "Hacking a pocket TV/screen" one-stop solution. Share your experiences and knowledge here.

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gulag picture radio
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extend ribbon cable in PSone screen

Post by gulag picture radio »

Hiya,

Great to see this awesome forum. I haven't really done more than hacked a few systems for S-video output (a couple times I've used Ben's mod), but the whole notion of building a portable is really intriguing. Before I do that, I have a few projects that I'd like to try with the PSone screen.

The PSone screen is a wonderful screen, and I have a lot of places that I could really use a little display. For one project, I'd really like to separate the screen from the motherboard by about a foot. The problem is that thin-film ribbon cable thingy that connects the screen to the PCB.

Does anyone know a way to extend that cable easily? The best thing is if there were some commercially available extension. I asked Ben about it a while back, and he agreed that soldering the 30 or so teeny-tiny contacts would be murder i.e. impossible.

Has anyone here done this? Any ideas? Thanks for any help!
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Motoman
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Re: extend ribbon cable in PSone screen

Post by Motoman »

gulag picture radio wrote: Does anyone know a way to extend that cable easily?
Sorry dude, but their is no easy way of extending the ribbon cable what-so-ever unless of course you solder each tiny wire individually which, is murder.
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CronoTriggerfan
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Post by CronoTriggerfan »

Sorry, motoman is right. I've wondered the same thing from time to time, but in the end I always figure that messing up a PSOne screen isn't worth it.

Just curious: What project would require this move? Is it really that necessary?

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Kurt_
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Post by Kurt_ »

Well it's possible (according to me, but I'm too scared to attempt it) to chop the PCB of the PS1 screen safely a centimetre or so past to screen top. Extending the ribbon cable would allow you to move the top of the screen down to the top of the chopped PCB.
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superdeformed
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Post by superdeformed »

You might try getting some FFC extensions and connectors (make sure they aren't the ZIF type) then sandwiching the cable ends together in the connector. I haven't tried it myself but I know a lot of people have done it with success on LCD monitors and the like (for use in projectors). Digikey stocks the extensions at relatively cheap prices, but I think the longest they have at .5mm pitch is 6 inches.
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Post by Skyone »

Motoman's sig wrote:"So I dub thee Unforgiven................"
PEACE!


*ahem*

I don't know what you guys are talking about. you just desolder the white connector and extended that.
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Post by CronoTriggerfan »

Skyone wrote:
Motoman's sig wrote:"So I dub thee Unforgiven................"
PEACE!


*ahem*

I don't know what you guys are talking about. you just desolder the white connector and extended that.
Of course Sky comes in with some easy explanation we should've thought of from the beginning and make us all look like idiots :roll: . How ironic.
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Anyways, just be careful, because that part of the board isn't through hole, it's SMT; just have a steady hand, mate!

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Post by Electric Rain »

CronoTriggerfan wrote:
Skyone wrote:
Motoman's sig wrote:"So I dub thee Unforgiven................"
PEACE!


*ahem*

I don't know what you guys are talking about. you just desolder the white connector and extended that.
Of course Sky comes in with some easy explanation we should've thought of from the beginning and make us all look like idiots :roll: . How ironic.
AH! CRAP! I was gonna say that! :evil: Stupid... Skyone and his... posting before me... thing...y. >.> ... Oh everybody just shut up and leave me alone...

P.S. Welcome to the forums, gulag picture radio! Not to brag, but everyone here is awesome. :P You should like it. 8)

Edit: Also, he's probably going to use it for a projector. That's the only thing I know of that would require moving the control board that far away from the screen, or really moving it at all.
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timmeh87
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Post by timmeh87 »

well its still just as many little contacts you gotta solder.

you should probably use wire thats a little thinner than ribbon cable. it might be hard to squeze so much ribbon cable so close together. perhaps something with a solid core instead of braided.
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superdeformed
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Post by superdeformed »

I looked up a couple different connectors that match the one on the PSone screen and the average pin width seems to be around .15-.20mm. This means you would be looking for a solid ribbon in the 30-35 gauge range (the closer it is to the actual pin size the better) with a pitch as close to .5mm as possible. I'm sure there is stuff like that out there, but I haven't been able to find anything that's readily available. I did come across this site while looking for ribbon that small, but I'm not sure how much it would cost or if it would even be worth it to just buy a couple. Unless you can find a cheap FFC extension with a female connector on one end, I still think your best bet is to sandwich two cables together.

Edit: If you're up to soldering something that small, you could try soldering two connectors together. The vertical ones would probably be easiest to do this with, but I don't know if the pins would line up right.
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Post by Klefmung »

Some of them do not connect to a circuit. Some are just there for being there. So it is more like 15. And there are solder points after the ones that are connected to something.
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Post by im_an_alien »

Electric Rain wrote:everyone here is awesome.
That includes me? I'm awesome! :D :P
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opadave2000
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Post by opadave2000 »

I used to repair nextels - cute little plugs just like that - 64 pins to the inch.
It's doable. Just use a FINE tip, 600 degree or less, a huge lighted magnifier, lots of patience, and excedrin (you know, the headache stuff).
The 80 conductor cables for ultra-ATA drives is pretty close to the right spacing, I believe - cut a chunk of that. Use an exacto with a #11 blade to separate it out. I'm looking at trying it myself so-o-o.....Good luck
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