From bgvocals@yahoo.com Tue Feb 07 06:01:46 2012
Subject:Re: BX-3 Found - Questions On Possible Repair

Yeah Chris, I think Bruce had in mind re-connecting them again! :-)

Ribbon cables are a potentially HUGE reliability issue in most kinds of equipment.  Unless the connectors (both the pins AND the sockets) are gold, they can have corrosion issues.  And the way the contacts wipe are generally not the best.  Then there is the problem where the crimp or "bite" of the connector onto the ribbon cable can be bad.  If that is the case, the connector must be removed and a new connector crimped on again.  The CX-3 might not succumb to flexing issues, but if it did that would mess things up too, and usually shows up as a bad cable to connector crimp or a broken cable wire.

But what alternative does a designer have when you have to transport dozens of signals from one board to another?  You could solderthe connections instead of using removable connectors.  I mean the only reason to have a removable connector is if you we going to remove the board.  But soldering dozens of wire is expensive in the manufacturing world.  And soldering has its own set of problems, particularly flexing.  Another alternative could be the use of a high-speed serial bus (like I2C) where there are only 4 wires instead of dozens.  But when those are used, it introduces an albeit small latency in the signal.

I think they used plastic ribbon cables so the owners could learn the blues a little better!  :-)

Lou

>________________________________
> From: Chris Richmond
>To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Monday, February 6, 2012 9:45 PM
>Subject: RE: [CWSG] BX-3 Found - Questions On Possible Repair
>
>Hey Bruce,
>
>  I'm no rocket scientist, but wouldn't it help to actually disconnect,
>then *reconnect* those cables?
>Maybe a little contact cleaner on the connectors between steps wouldn't
>hurt, either.
>
>Chris
>

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