Where to order a cheap custom flex cable?

koffieleut

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Hi I'm having some issues with a flex cable from my ereader, one connector is scraped off.
Is there a way to fix this problem, or do you guys know a guy who can make custom flex cables?
I've tried to look for a replacement cable online but the only one I could find was the original Sony cable and it costs 45 dollars.
 

FAST6191

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What sort of features does it have to have and what sort of design is it? If it is just a single side of copper on some acetate/plastic then that can be done easily enough if you can work a PCB design program, maybe also a knife and some glue if it is one of those ones with a thicker end on the connector side. If it is full custom connectors and such I have never found anywhere I can do it for cheap and one off or two, in fact even trying to get just one fabricated for something expensive it hard to get companies to want to do anything. I have a box of them I pull from printers and such, sometimes get lucky there (sometimes you can also find a cheap device with the same cable) and find what I want but if this is to be crammed into a small ereader that is harder still.

You might be able to fix it as there is such a thing as conductive ink. It is expensive and I don't like it much but it has got me out of a jam before. If you know somewhere that does electronics repair they will often have some and if it is only a tiny line you can try them.

Sony parts are often expensive. It can be an option to buy a more working version and scavenge the part from that -- if a battery in one has died someone might stick it on ebay for spares and repairs. A search of ebay for sony ereader gives me some cheap things and some crazy expensive things though.
 

koffieleut

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First of, thanks you for answering my question ;)

It's a really tiny connection point. I would like to give it a try with the conductive ink that you were talking about. I think it's a .2 mm line.
By the by the cable is used for the buttons on the front of the reader and to charge the battery.
The model number is Sony Prs - T3S. I had no luck looking on the internet for the boards layout, otherwise I would just solder a thin wire between the points :P
 
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FAST6191

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Nothing saying you have to make a single ink line the size you want -- you could always cover it and cut it away with a scalpel afterwards. Similarly if there is still a bit of trace on there then it can go where you want by surface tension alone; normally I see it used where cracks form in the flex (which obviously breaks connection or sends the resistance too high) but worn or lifted contact is doable too if there is enough there.

Anyway I think just saw the ribbon at about 3:50 on


That is not clear enough to see the ribbon but usually such things are straight through or forking as jumping things is hard to do. Depending upon how many traces are broken you can probably guess where things should be rather than reading it off a pinout. I would hate to do it (and if $40 gets me a new ribbon I would probably do that, even on a device I could pick up for not many times more) but some enamel covered wire could probably pull that off.
 

koffieleut

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It's just one trace ;)
So maybe just give it a try with soldering a wire.
I found this useful picture on a Russian website, don't know where they were talking about, but the picture is the most important thing ;)

screens_45.jpg

Here it is.
Or if you can read Russian, here is the link
https://e-ink-reader.ru/chg_dsp.php
 
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