<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Yeah, in the Netherlands I got this 😏: <div><img width="139" alt="PastedGraphic-2.png" src="cid:89FC572A-1734-457D-9594-4A888522BF31"><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On 3 Feb 2024, at 17:13, Mike Bryant <mbryant@futurehorizons.com> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div><meta charset="UTF-8"><div class="elementToProof" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Well you've confused Google. In the UK that shows the 2cent Euro coin :-)<br></div><div id="appendonsend" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"></div><hr tabindex="-1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; width: 927.078125px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;"></span><div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>From:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces@synth-diy.org> on behalf of cheater cheater via Synth-diy <synth-diy@synth-diy.org><br><b>Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>03 February 2024 15:24<br><b>To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Ben Stuyts <ben@stuyts.nl><br><b>Cc:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>synth-diy <synth-diy@synth-diy.org><br><b>Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Re: [sdiy] PCB extenders with a flexible ribbon cable - looking for suggestions on construction method</font><div> </div></div><div class="BodyFragment" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><font size="2"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><div class="PlainText">I guess this isn't easy to google, so here's the exact thing I mean:<br><br><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=eurokopplung+&tbm=isch">https://www.google.com/search?q=eurokopplung+&tbm=isch</a><br><br>On Sat, Feb 3, 2024 at 4:20 PM cheater cheater<br><cheater00social@gmail.com> wrote:<br>><br>> On Sat, Feb 3, 2024 at 4:16 PM Ben Stuyts <ben@stuyts.nl> wrote:<br>> ><br>> > You don’t mention the length of the cable, but perhaps some other possibilities are:<br>><br>> between 10cm and 2m, usually 15-50 cm. Thanks for asking!<br>><br>> > - rigid/flex pcb (but could be expensive depending on length of the tail, panelising will help here)<br>> > - FPC cables (e.g.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.we-online.com/en/components/products/em/connectors/fpc_connector_and_ffc_cab/wr-ffc_flat_flexible_cable_0_50mm)">https://www.we-online.com/en/components/products/em/connectors/fpc_connector_and_ffc_cab/wr-ffc_flat_flexible_cable_0_50mm)</a><br>><br>> I'm not looking for a connector! I already have one. I'm looking for a<br>> good way of quickly and reliably soldering ribbon to a pcb, and I'm<br>> also looking for an enclosure.<br>><br>> > Consider 3d-printing the case.<br>><br>> I did! It's mentioned in the OP. It's better to find something that<br>> already exists. Currently I'm thinking about whether a cable mount<br>> europlug receptacle will be good for that, it seems to have the right<br>> dimensions, and i can just remove the mains related inner life.<br>><br>><br>> > Ben<br>> ><br>> > On 3 Feb 2024, at 12:26, cheater cheater via Synth-diy <synth-diy@synth-diy.org> wrote:<br>> ><br>> > Hi all,<br>> > I need to build a bunch of PCB extenders. Basically, they're two PCBs,<br>> > connected with a ribbon cable. I have to build like a 100 or so. Both<br>> > sides have gold finger PCB edge connectors, there is no slot on either<br>> > side.<br>> ><br>> > I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to best do this to<br>> > keep the cost, assembly time, and rejects to a minimum.<br>> ><br>> > The specs are:<br>> > - The signals carried are up to 35Vpp, tiny current, sub-500kHz, balanced<br>> > - Each pcb is 25mm wide (but can be a little wider) and can be<br>> > anywhere between 10 and 80mm long. No logic, purely 1-1<br>> > straight-through connection. They can have vias if needed, but<br>> > hopefully not needed. Produced in a pcb house, not at home.<br>> > - The card edge is on the 25mm long edge and the ribbon would be going<br>> > out of the opposite edge<br>> > - 32-36 pins need to be carried by ribbon. 32 is the minimum, but more<br>> > is fine (I'd just carry ground)<br>> > - The ribbon needs to be as flexible as possible. what is the most<br>> > flexible ribbon you've ever seen? I'm looking to keep BOM cost down<br>> > but if the thing is tough to bend like a stick then that doesn't help.<br>> > Are more core strands better? Mouser lists a few stranding options:<br>> > ones that start with 7 and ones that start with 19. The options seem<br>> > to be: 7, 7x34, 7x36, 7x38, 19x40, solid. I assume the left number is<br>> > the number of strands and the right number is the AWG. What's better<br>> > here for flexibility? The cable isn't going to be moved a lot or<br>> > strained, but up to 2 meters of it are going to hang off the<br>> > connector. I assume higher AWG (=smaller strand diameter) is better,<br>> > and more strands is better, but is 19x40 not going to be, in<br>> > aggregate, thicker than 7x38, and therefore less flexible?<br>> > - What sort of material should the insulation be made out of to be<br>> > (and remain over a few, say 5, years) the most flexible? The options<br>> > are: EPDM, PO, EVA, FEP, PFA, Polyester, PE, PP, PUR, PVC, TPE. Am I<br>> > right to assume that PVC and Polyester are going to be the least<br>> > flexible?<br>> > - Are there tools that can strip all wires of a ribbon at once? Are<br>> > they good? Are they expensive? Can someone suggest such a tool?<br>> ><br>> > Here's are some construction methods I was considering:<br>> ><br>> > Method 1. Take a ribbon that's been stripped and pre-tinned in a<br>> > solder pot with 7mm bare wire sticking out. using a press, pre-bend<br>> > the bare wires so if the ribbon is placed flat on a surface, the wires<br>> > aren't "up in the air", and clip the leads to size (think something<br>> > like the surface-mount leads of a QFP or something). The pcb has<br>> > surface-soldering lands on it that will mate those 3mm bare wires.<br>> > Take the pcb and lay the ribbon parallel with it, so the tips of the<br>> > wires align with the pcb. However, the ribbon should go from that edge<br>> > *towards the card edge connector side* which is "the other way" than<br>> > you would expect. Then, you stick the whole thing in a solder pot, and<br>> > after a few seconds, it's all soldered in place. Add a mechanical<br>> > brace around the pcb+ribbon for retention. Finally, bend the ribbon<br>> > 180 degrees so it's going in the right direction.<br>> ><br>> > Method 2. similar to above, but instead of using a pcb ribbon, use a<br>> > hot bar soldering iron tip. Mount the soldering iron in something that<br>> > looks like an arbor press, put the pcb and ribbon in, press down while<br>> > feeding solder.<br>> ><br>> > Method 3. Everything's through hole, put the wires through the holes,<br>> > and put the thing in a solder pot; add a mechanical brace.<br>> ><br>> > One thing that's kind of questionable is whether the pcb is wide<br>> > enough to comfortably solder a 32-wire ribbon without microsoldering<br>> > needed for bridge removal. If not, I considered putting the ribbon on<br>> > a diagonal across the PCB.<br>> ><br>> > Do you think any of that would work? Which method is the best? If<br>> > yes/no, what's necessary to make it work better? Does anyone have<br>> > better suggestions?<br>> ><br>> > Finally, I'd have to find some sort of enclosure. Basically, I'm<br>> > trying to make something that will look like the "cartridge" in this:<br>> ><br>> ><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://devkits.handheldmuseum.com/IS-CGB-EMU/index.htm">http://devkits.handheldmuseum.com/IS-CGB-EMU/index.htm</a><br>> ><br>> > ...but obviously I'd need some sort of cartridge casing. I'd prefer to<br>> > buy something that's ubiquitous and can be repurposed for what I'm<br>> > doing. Sadly gameboy cartridges are just too wide for my use, at 60mm<br>> > (vs 28-30mm being perfect), and I'd like to find something thicker<br>> > because I'd like to fit the ribbon inside them for mechanical<br>> > retention. I considered DB-15 connector back shells, but they have<br>> > those "wings" on the side that the mounting screws go through which I<br>> > guess I would have to cut off or something, plus idk if these cases<br>> > would be easy to mount a pcb in. 3d printing is an option, but I'd<br>> > really like to avoid it, given the cost + maybe they're not as<br>> > mechanically durable (it's a connector after all). Essentially i'm<br>> > kind of looking for something shaped like the rectangular container of<br>> > a PEZ dispenser, so I'd welcome suggestions. It's fine if I have to<br>> > lop off one of the sides to make an opening.<br>> ><br>> > Also, after assembling the extender, I guess it would be nice to have<br>> > a test harness (pass/fail on all signals indicated by LEDs plus<br>> > per-wire LEDs).<br>> ><br>> > PS does anyone know why PCIE slot connectors (like on motherboards)<br>> > have those slanted "rasps" on one side? Always found that weird. What<br>> > are they for? Some sort of retention mechanism? Curious.<br>> > ________________________________________________________<br>> > This is the Synth-diy mailing list<br>> > Submit email to: Synth-diy@synth-diy.org<br>> > View archive at:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/">https://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/</a><br>> > Check your settings at:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy">https://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy</a><br>> > Selling or trading? Use marketplace@synth-diy.org<br>> ><br>> ><br><br>________________________________________________________<br>This is the Synth-diy mailing list<br>Submit email to:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:Synth-diy@synth-diy.org">Synth-diy@synth-diy.org</a><br>View archive at:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/">https://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/</a><br>Check your settings at:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy">https://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy</a><br>Selling or trading? Use<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:marketplace@synth-diy.org">marketplace@synth-diy.org</a></div></span></font></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>