View Single Post
  #2   Report Post  
Posted to sci.electronics.design,sci.electronics.repair,alt.engineering.electrical
[email protected] bill.sloman@ieee.org is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 39
Default Repairing mylar cable?

On Apr 9, 5:25 pm, John E. wrote:
Cable was damaged by melting several (6) traces worth of conductors. It's
part of an expensive controller assembly for which no individual replacement
parts such as this are available. Terminated end is under membrane switch
panel which is affixed to the front of the controller. Disassembly to reach
the other end of the cable would be near-destructive.

So I'm resolved to fix it. The best approach I can think of is to scrape away
the light protective coating over the conductors (which aren't copper PC, but
some painted-on conductive substance) but not scrape too deeply (I've found
by experimenting that this is Not Good )c: ) and affix 30 ga wires via
conductive epoxy, bridging the damage.

I dread this approach because of the fine pitch of the conductors, and not
knowing until I've finished each patch whether 1) there remains enough
conductor to patch and 2) the epoxy "took".

There is about 1 inch undamaged conductor on either side of the damage to
effect a connection, so if any one attempt at bridging a conductor fails I
can attempt another, if need be.

It's going to be rough going, I fear.

Any other suggestions? Maybe find source for this type of cable and graft it
to the existing one?


What is the pitch of the conductors?

Printed circuit manufacturers make flexible printed cables - flexies -
which are patterns of copper on a variety of substrates. They are
usually supplied with an insulating layer on both sides of the
conducting traces.

You define where you want the copper with "Gerber plots" in the same
way that you describe a rigid printed circuit board you want
manufactured.

Tell us where you are, and someone may be able to suggest the name of
a supplier in your area.

--
Bill Sloman, Nijmegen