Is there a way to get a LCD cable?

[asimov-solensan]

As much as I want to got my pandora working again, I don't want to annoy him with this. He has enough headache with pyra.

 

[EvilDragon]

If enough people wanted to keep their Pandora running, it might make sense to add another connector on the existing cable where it has all of the components on it and where the speakers plug in, so that only the bit you curl and put inside the hinge can be replaced assuming the rest of it hasn't failed (and in my experience, it doesn't).

Well, that's how it's done in the Pyra That's our display board.
It adds around 15 EUR to the overall costs, but it makes future repairs cheaper.

Isnt there a way to replace just the broken part of the cable with some extender or something? It's not necessary to replace all the components if those are still good... I noticed there are some connector boards but I don't know how easy it would be to strip a flex cable so that it can be inserted in one of those...

Now, the Pandora cables have so many pins, it's impossible to fix them.

 

[PowerGod]

impossible

In this community ?! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL !!

 

[b_o_b]

So it is just a matter of reaching out to companies or individuals and check the costs to make a very low quantity of cables and provide them these drawings?

https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/resources/pandora-lcd-cable.4551/

Maybe check on Ben Heck forums for ideas?
Non commercial use of the drawings is allowed and I think ED couldn't care less if someone should make a few bucks as well (of course after requesting his permission).

I wouldn't mind spending 50 Euro on 2 or 3 cables.

 

[gadgetoid]

OSH Park are doing flex PCB prototyping for $10 per square inch and you get three copies of your board. This is on 4mil polyimide core just like the Pandora cable.

Connector part is here (I believe?) https://www.digikey.co.uk/product-detail/en/0512966094/WM3352CT-ND/2405702

Everything else on the cable is passives. You'd need a mylar stencil and an oven to solder the compnents on- though- this isn't something you could easily do with an iron.

 

[ingoreis]

Connector part is here (I believe?) https://www.digikey.co.uk/product-detail/en/0512966094/WM3352CT-ND/2405702

Everything else on the cable is passives. You'd need a mylar stencil and an oven to solder the compnents on- though- this isn't something you could easily do with an iron.

Wow is that realy the right Connector?

Maybe with this Connector i can Ressurrect here one or two OpenPandoras.

With this Connector maybe my brother can "repair" my Pandora TV Out Edition
and i do have a second Pandora with an damaged Connector.

 

[gadgetoid]

That was the part listed in the rev5 BOM - as "512966094 - Molex/Waldom Electronics Corp - 60 Pin connector, 0.5mm pitch" which I looked up in Octopart to find this list of suppliers - https://octopart.com/51296-6094-molex-7670409?r=ap&s=qItOWX7DSnqkgxJOGRryAg

They can also be had from Mouser - https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDet...i6zecJlRzWEhdNYGSk2Dspxs0rRLudqTeg1wE/Uf1NA==

I think it's feasible for someone to make these in small quantities, but I don't know how durable they might be.

 

[PowerGod]

I think it's feasible for someone to make these in small quantities, but I don't know how durable they might be.

Less durable is still better than nothing at all

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Words of wisdom.

 

[levi]

That was the part listed in the rev5 BOM - as "512966094 - Molex/Waldom Electronics Corp - 60 Pin connector, 0.5mm pitch" which I looked up in Octopart to find this list of suppliers - https://octopart.com/51296-6094-molex-7670409?r=ap&s=qItOWX7DSnqkgxJOGRryAg

They can also be had from Mouser - https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDet...i6zecJlRzWEhdNYGSk2Dspxs0rRLudqTeg1wE/Uf1NA==

I think it's feasible for someone to make these in small quantities, but I don't know how durable they might be.

I've not looked myself, but at you sure this isn't the connector on the PCB? The connector on the cable which joins the cable thru the hinge to the cable coming out of the LCD/touchscreen combo is lower pitch I suspect (since it looks to me to be wider yet is not carrying the audio signals which are split off and go to the speakers rather than go down that flat flex).

Earlier in the thread we were talking about that connector regarding splicing the cable thru the hinge with a new cable, but if you're talking about making your own you need the other one.

 

[gadgetoid]

I've not looked myself, but at you sure this isn't the connector on the PCB?

My information is only as good as the BOM itself, but the linked connector looks like the one on my old - marked Rev 1.3 - ribbon cable from a 1st Batch Pandora.

Looking at the traces, I wouldn't fancy trying to splice this but you *may* have luck using a hotplate to remove the connector (and even the passives) from an existing cable for transplant onto a new flex PCB.

Edit: Note- the pictures used on Mouser/DigiKey are often completely useless and you have to rely on mechanical specifications in the datasheet.

 

[Eight Bit]

I think best is to re-do the design... maybe something like this?
All the components could maybe even go on a regular not flex print board, not too sure how much space there is but if need be the whole board could go on a small strip on the side or something as well...

 

[levi]

@gadgetoid Fair enough.

I removed the one on my Pandora PCB after I shorted out the backlight power pins (I suspect) which stopped the unit powering up by mangling the installation of a new LCD cable. I didn't have a hotplate or hot air gun at the time, so I simply used my soldering iron to warm the whole thing up then try to lift up one edge of it and work my way along. It turned out to be very brittle and came away in pieces, and I lifted some traces when getting it out also (although presumably nothing that stops the machine booting and operating, as I was still able to use it via a TV out cable until that eventually spontaneously disassembled itself.

But if you have the right tools, and use some flux to clean the solder and make it melt more easily, you might have more success in getting one of them out in one piece, but I'd advise you to be very careful when you do.

Edit: @Eight Bit: I suggested that before, and ED noted that's the way they do it with the Pyra (the display PCB taking the space of the top of the cable). It might be a way to go if you're making your own replacement, although availability of both types of connector is likely to be lower than the availability of just one of them (though you could realistically use almost any flat flex connector with the right number of pins, and cope with the different shape in the bottom cable), and later availability of the bottom bit once that fails on you is on your own back. The cost of using two connectors and ordering two flat flex components would be more expensive for a one-off purchase, on top of the cost of redesigning the parts.

 

[mamemaniac]

@EvilDragon: Any update on the Pandora LCD cables new batch production?

 

[levi]

@EvilDragon: Any update on the Pandora LCD cables new batch production?

This seems pretty definitive to me: https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/is-there-a-way-to-get-a-lcd-cable.83641/#post-1451568

 

[mamemaniac]

This seems pretty definitive to me: https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/is-there-a-way-to-get-a-lcd-cable.83641/#post-1451568

Yes, but maybe ED has finally found a new company to produce some more Pandora LCD cables (hopefully with a more tolerable MOQ). I really hope he can bring us some good news.

 

[EvilDragon]

No, there's no chance. I have a couple left I send out if asked directly, but that's it.

 

[mamemaniac]

Ok, you got a PM.

 

[Tequesian]

Hello all.

Bit late to the party, but I am a long time fan of Pandora. Actually owned a pair for a while. My main one is certainly showing it's mileage, but mostly only in a cosmetic sense... until a few weeks back. Yay, pink & green is my screen now too.

As a jury rig until I could find something more permanent, I folded a small piece of paper and slid it down the lcd cable. This actually worked until a few openings/closings dislodged the paper. (I did not expect it to work, so I did nothing to secure the paper in place.) Alas, tiny screws are fragile, so looking at cutting the head off one that stripped.

Handy the the upgrade OS gives the option for having TV-out enable at start up. Probably should do that. In my museum of passing interests, there may be another portable option if my poor little screen is all done.

On another note, remember I said there is another Pandora? Yea, I did something to it early on. Meant to figure out how to fix it, but as I had another to turn to... sort of lost it's priority. However, in the process of relocating, it has turned up. However, still has the original boggle, and I can not seem to find the fix for it. I figure reflashing is the solution, and I have the most current OS on a card which my trusty Pandora finds with no issue. However, the virtually new Pandora will not find the card to update my OS and give me the opportunity to give it a new password.

Seems like not being able to get my password into it was why I abandoned it in the first place.

If anyone has any advice as to a remedy, I am all ears, but it may take a bit for me to see it, as my only internet access is at a library. Oh, and apologies if I have put this in the wrong location. First post in the community jitters, and getting close to the end of my library time.

Happy to be here though, and my hopes that the paper insulator trick gets someone out there a bit more Pandora time.

Cheers.

 

[levi]

ISTR that some old update to the pandora os update made uboot a little less picky about sd cards it would boot from. Perhaps your old unit predates this and won't recognise your trusty sd card.

I guess your only outs for that are (a) finding a different good card (old small sized ones tend to be better) or (b) reduce the size of the primary partition on the card to just what's needed. I think the latter helps, but it may just be my imagination.