How to restore a cable: expert advice

Cables are a type of wire that is used to connect various printed circuit boards and electronic elements inside a device. They have many varieties and soldering features. Depending on the internal cross-section of the installed contacts, the conductivity will be higher or lower. This also applies to the type of soldering material.

If the question arises of how to restore a cable if it is damaged yourself, then many different nuances should be taken into account. The article will describe the main elements and provide information on how to solder contacts on various devices.

Peculiarities

Before you start considering the question of how to restore a torn cable, you should study its features. Depending on the type of device or printed circuit board, this type of wire can be either flat or circular. In addition, various elements in the form of technical varnish, graphite coating or rubberized braiding can be applied over the contacts and the conductor itself.

If the cable on the moving modules of the device is damaged, for example, on the print head of the printer, then it is necessary to clean the contacts from the rubberized braid. Loops on screens and phones can be applied on top of a printed silicon board. They have a flat appearance and are protected by graphite coating.

A little about the train

The cables are insulated wires. They can be either single or combined into one group. In phones and tablets they are usually ribbon. They look like plastic tape, but there are copper strands of wires running inside it. Often this type of cable is subject to various deformations - it can be torn, cut, dissolved by various liquids, or it can simply move away from the board. It can either be replaced entirely or a spot repair can be made. It is the breaking of the cable wires that is a common reason why a tablet or phone does not turn on. Therefore, if you decide to figure out this problem yourself rather than take the device for repairs, then first you need to disassemble the device and check the condition of the cable. Typically, a device called an ohmmeter is used to find a faulty wire. To use it, first the connecting elements are extended to the sides, then they look for a faulty contact that “flickers.”

Purpose

The main purpose of each loop is to transmit a short or long electrical pulse between the device modules. Depending on the type and thickness, as well as the material of the conductor, the signal is transmitted at a certain speed.

This is important to consider, since if it is necessary to replace the conductive element itself, a copper wire of the required alloy will be required. Otherwise, contact may not proceed. The cables are convenient to place in compact equipment models due to their small size. Often this type of connection is used in mobile phones, laptops or screens.

Conductors can vary in the number of wires and contacts inside. Stubs with a single conductor element are usually installed on top of silicon circuit boards. If you need to connect a screen or hard drive, then a multi-threaded connection type will be used. It can have up to 40 grip points. It is these cables that are most often subject to damage, since soldering occurs on all contacts. If at least one of them is damaged, the device will cease to function normally.

Malfunctions related to damage

Determining that equipment is damaged due to a loop is quite simple. If you look at the screen of a laptop or TV, then due to damage to the conductor, the matrix will begin to flicker or the image will partially disappear. This is due to the fact that such a connection channel to the main board is responsible for projecting the signal. The damaged area will be broadcast with interruptions in the image precisely at the point where the contacts are soldered.

In any case, you can make sure that the problem is in the cable only by disassembling the device itself and checking the voltage at each of its contacts. Usually such interruptions are visible to the naked eye.

The main visual signs of damage include the following:

Darkening in the places where the cable conductor goes.
Kinks and tears in the tape.
Damaged contacts at solder points.

In any case, such problems cannot be corrected with ordinary glue. Here you will need rosin, tin, alcohol and a soldering station.

CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING CONNECTORS ON CABLE CABLES

There was a Sony KDL 26P3000 TV in the closet - it’s not a bad television receiver at all and it didn’t work for long, less than three years, but something happened to the image and it began to disappear. Professional specialists at the Sony service center easily agreed to “put it back on its feet” for 12,000 rubles, but considering that it costs 18,000 they politely refused. We bought a new TV, and this one was at my complete disposal. In anticipation of a banal disassembly into its component components, I decided to check the guess made by a radio amateur I knew about a possible malfunction, which there is a chance to correct on my own.

Which devices often need repairs?

Every time the owner of household appliances and electronics is faced with the question of how to restore a cable, he must understand that the operation of soldering or stripping contacts itself carries a certain risk. If you fix a problem on the cable without the necessary tools or materials, there is a risk of damaging neighboring modules.

The owners of the workshops become frequent clients:

TVs, monitors, laptop screens.
Keyboards.
Laptops and PCs.
Phones.

The problem is not the quality of the conductors themselves, but the risk of damage to them. If we consider a mobile phone, the cable is mainly damaged due to contact with liquid. As a result, the contacts burn out at the soldering points.

Keyboard wires wear out from frequent use of keys and switches. This leads to the fact that the conductor itself wears off over time and conductivity decreases. If we consider laptops and personal computers, the problem may arise due to a power surge or incorrect connection of the conductor itself.

Kolkhozim flexible cable in 15 minutes.

Good day.

Not long ago I saw a heated discussion on the Internet about where to buy foil film. A man needed a flexible cable. Well, it turned out almost like Mendeleev’s - I thought about it while falling asleep. I woke up with an idea. I tried it and it worked.

The base will be thermal tape, also known as Kapton tape (most likely according to the distorted name of the manufacturer), or polyamide tape. This material is new to me, I bought it on DX because it’s cheap, at the behest of the toad. I found details about it here. Surprisingly, I still didn’t know what this cute thing was for :)

Unfortunately, I have only one hand, so I’ll report on the important moments in close-up later, when another victim wanders into my den. - If the need arises. Actually, a video.

Something, as it turned out, is not entirely obvious. Of course, you can apply thermal tape from the side of the microcircuit, but the result will not be a fountain - due to the gap between the wires and the board, it will not stick evenly, the wires will move relative to each other and it will be uneven.

And yet - in theory, you can use any flexible materials - even glue on a rag. Only here is the heat resistance/conductivity... Although I remembered the film for laminators - it might turn out even more interesting.

Source

Screens

The question of how to restore the display cable is quite complex. It all depends on the brand and model of the matrix and the boards to which such a screen is attached. It could be a laptop, monitor, tablet, all-in-one or TV. Each of the listed devices uses its own soldering method and technology for applying binding materials.

Damaged contacts at the coupling points must be completely cleaned. You can use a blade or scalpel for this. Then you will need to strip the wires to fix them in place where they are soldered to the board. It is better to use a soldering iron with a small tip to prevent tin from getting on other elements. If you need to build up a damaged area if it is broken or bent, then you will need a similar wire model. You can find it on the radio market or on the Internet, on thematic resources.

When considering the question of how to restore a cable on a matrix, it is necessary to test each connected element or contact before starting the repair. This is done using a voltmeter. It shows the voltage at each section. This must be done in order to not only find the source of the damage, but also its cause, which may be a damaged part.

Restoration of film graphite loops

Restoration of film graphite loops

The situation was like this: the indicator shone only a couple of vertical and horizontal stripes, in short, everything was in Chinese. The indicator supports the entire alphabet, so apparently either the one who was repairing it touched the cable in the middle, or as a result of some kind of blow there was a break in the middle. The resistance is about 5-10 MOhm, but it should be 1.5-2 kOhm, after all, it’s graphite.

I did the following: I retreated 5-10mm from the breakout points with a margin, then, using a freshly sharpened round needle file, closer to the connection of the cable with the board, I pierced holes around the entire perimeter in the middle of the conductors (you need to be especially careful and precise so as not to make a hole greater than the width of the conductor, it should be barely visible in the light.), it is advisable to try in one line. Then he turned the cable over and pierced holes closer to the indicator, retreating 1.5-2 mm around the entire perimeter, and if it is possible to remove the indicator itself, if the cable is pressed against it with a bracket holder, then it is better, of course, to remove it so as not to interfere, and it is more convenient it will be so. Then I stripped the wire MGTF 007-015, unraveled it about five centimeters into wires (the stripped wire is pulled between the index finger and thumb, unwinding it several times into separate wires) then cut off with a sharp blade (if you bite it off, the ends become wrinkled, and then it is very difficult to insert it into the hole ), then the wire is inserted into the hole with tweezers (2-3mm from the clamp) which is closer to the connection to the board, or the one pierced first, on the side from which it was pierced, then the wire is pulled out halfway on the other side and inserted into another hole in the same way until it won’t end, just not too much, otherwise you might break the bridge between the holes.

Then I did the following: I took a new 0.125W resistor or a piece of 20-30mm wire, the tip was stripped and tinned -1-2 mm. Then both wires that are pulled through the cable are soldered to it, and it turns slightly tight between the fingers - in one direction. As soon as the twisted wire gets closer to the cable, we stop so as not to twist it and tear that very good thing. Then we bend the cable to its normal state, as if estimating how much wire to leave, then we press the wire to the cable, following the laws of bending, so that the wire is not under tension, but is pressed against the cable along its entire length until it is connected to the board, then it is there soldered, if necessary, first clean and tin the conductors on the board close to the beginning of the loop, as well as all the following wires - this applies to those conductors that are sealed on both sides with film

All attempts to unstick the film and rub it with a pencil will not lead to good results, just as with open areas where it is pressed against the indicator, rubbing it with a pencil will not do anything, in any case, it will not provide long-term work. Such places need to be restored with a special conductive varnish (the smell is the same as nail polish). You can buy it at places of sale of electronic components, or find it on the Internet and order it. I did not regret buying 300 rubles for a small glass modest tube in which there is less than half of the glue, but due to the metal composition the weight is felt. The tube comes with a brush, which I don’t recommend using; it’s better to take a toothpick and apply the composition loosened in the bottle with the tip of the toothpick. Places where you did not apply glue carefully, that is, places of short circuits, open them with another toothpick or a needle, but it’s better to do this before it dries, otherwise it will be difficult later. You can also use the tip of a toothpick to make dots at the puncture sites where the wire is inserted, although there is good contact even without this if everything is done correctly.

But the glue is still cool, it justifies itself, and it has the ideal elasticity for trains, in short, you can do wonders with it! There is also automotive glue for heated windows, but I saw the product of some master - a terrible sight. Apparently it was done with the same brush where the conductor is 0.5 mm, and the gap with glue is 5 mm and there is no elasticity at all - hard as a stone, it was not possible to clean it off. And it was a cable from a JVC video camera, which had a three-layer configuration with resistors and buttons! I would have restored it if he hadn’t climbed in first, otherwise I’d have to look for a new one, he also poked it with a soldering iron, and in one place he actually burned a hole the size of his finger. Of course, you can fix this matter if you really really want to, either at the barrel of a barrel, or the barrel of a muzzle, shorter than a gun, but otherwise it won’t justify the time spent with the money paid! Yes, I also poked the bastard at the percentage that is next to the cable connector with a soldering iron, which apparently is used to solder radiators from cars!

I also used wire to connect the torn trains, but you just need to secure them together in an overlap of 1.5-2mm, you can use tape and then sew them together with wire and also tape on top. The main thing is to separate the wires from each other so that they do not short out!!! In the pictures where it was sealed with tape (there was no transparent one), that is, the place of the wire intervention, I then peeled off the tape, and when I was already completely confident that the cable was 100% functional, I applied PVA glue, I just need a good thick branded one, although any PVA will probably do. sample. After 5-9 hours the product is ready for use. If, when turned on, all segments glow, or very contrastingly, then the glue is not dry and needs more time. After drying, it turns from white to transparent and very durable, protecting the work done from the playful hands of others.

What else can be done with that varnish (or glue, I don’t know what it’s called exactly, since I immediately threw away the packaging)? If there is a single break or a clear visible break in the cable conductor, you can pierce it in this place with a needle sequentially on one side and the other at a distance of 0.5-0.7 mm, and then apply that same wonderful varnish with a strip on one side and the other, that same wonderful toothpick. If necessary, seal with tape on both sides.

Vladimir Booster St. Petersburg

Source: shems.h1.ru

Keyboards

Fans of computer games and constant correspondence become frequent clients of workshops asking how to restore a cable on a keyboard. It is a common practice for a keyboard to become unusable after several years of active use.

A frayed cable will have to be replaced. For these purposes, you will need copper wire of a suitable cross-section. The contact itself is flat and located over the entire area of the printed circuit board, which is responsible for transmitting information after pressing a specific button on the keyboard. You will need to clean the varnish layer and remove the frayed wire. After this, a new one is placed in its place and fixed with conductive glue. Then technical varnish is applied.

It is not difficult to restore the keyboard cable. If performed correctly, the operation will take no more than 30-40 minutes. The main thing is that all contacts are well treated with varnish and glue.

Laptops

There are several ways to restore a laptop cable. The contacts and wires located on the motherboard are of a replaceable type. If damage is detected on them, it is better to replace the wire itself. It costs much less than the materials that would be required to restore it.

If the components cannot be found, you can replace it. To do this, you will need to select a suitable wire cross-section. This method is not suitable for multi-core loops.

The damaged conductor is removed from the contact point on the board. After this, the braided wire is carefully threaded into the forks at the clutch points. They use latches so you can secure them with a flathead screwdriver.

If it is necessary to restore a multi-core cable, then the damaged area should be cleaned and the break should be extended using conductor compound. Conductive glue is often used for these purposes.

Phones

Another popular question is how to restore a cable on a phone after it gets into water. Upon contact with it, the screen of the mobile device begins to darken. This is a sign that the cable contacts on the matrix are damaged.

In order to fix this, you will need to replace the conductor. It must be carefully cut away from the place where it is fixed on the main board and disconnected from the phone screen. After purchasing a new wire, it should first be soldered to the main board exactly in the place where the old wire was. Next, the contacts are attached to the smartphone matrix.

What is a cable in a phone: types and features of operation

This procedure can be performed using a specialized set of Pentalobe screwdrivers, which can be ordered online. It is worth noting that all manipulations to disassemble the iPhone and replace certain of its components should be performed only when the phone is turned off. This procedure can be performed using a specialized set of Pentalobe screwdrivers, which can be ordered online. It is worth paying attention that all manipulations for disassembling the iPhone and replacing certain of its components must be carried out

What you need to know about recovery

If we talk about how to restore a track on a cable, then first of all you should understand the procedure for repairing such a conductor. A special feature of the tracks is that they are not contained in a protected casing or rubber braid, but on the printed circuit board itself.

The main difficulty is that the contacts are flat, and in order to remove them you will need to clean off the base layer of protective varnish. To correct the damage, they can be replaced with wires and round copper fishing line. The conductor is fixed using conductive glue. After this, varnish is applied on top.

When connecting a stranded conductor, it is important that each individual contact is well soldered. You can verify the conductivity of all flows using a voltmeter.

Flexible Printed Circuit Board Making Tutorial

This manual covers the flex circuit manufacturing process. This technology has been tested for several years and can therefore be adopted by others.

To complete the project we will need:

Wax printer or any other preferred toner transfer method (This tutorial even suggests using an inkjet printer)
Pyralux flexible material (Dupont no longer provides free samples. This material can be purchased from Adafruit or eBay)
Well ventilated area
Protective clothing (goggles, gloves, gown, face shield)
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrogen peroxide
Acetone (Nail polish remover may also work).

You must decide in advance that this method will be suitable for you. Based on experience, such flexible circuit boards are very easy to manufacture. You can make very complex circuits (I usually use 0604 series components). But, based on personal experience, they are not very durable. Over time, these flexible circuits develop tiny cracks where the flexible and rigid materials touch. The results of this method are quite acceptable, but if you need a more reliable circuit, then use standard printed circuit boards. (DuPont sells various materials that can help glue problem areas, but I have not tested them yet. Some types of elastic coating may also be useful, but these have not been tested either).

What materials and tools will be required

When considering the question of how to restore a track on a cable, you need to know what materials and tools will be needed to perform this action.

In most cases, when repairing or replacing a conductor, a soldering iron or soldering station will be needed. When using a nozzle, it is important to install the needle as a heater, since it is this that will allow you to accurately apply the tin to adhere all the elements.

Technical varnish and conductive glue will also be needed when repairing the cable. Depending on its type and shape, you will have to purchase consumables in the form of wires of the required size and cross-section. In order to increase the accuracy of the adhesion of each element, it is recommended to use a magnifying glass or microscope.

How to restore a cable: expert advice

How the repair is carried out

There are several ways to restore the loop contacts. The main and simplest of them is the use of conductive glue. It can be found in specialized equipment repair stores.

All types of work differ depending on the device model and the nature of the damage. The general procedure for performing recovery is as follows:

Clean the cable where it is damaged.
Remove the damaged area.
Apply glue or install a new conductor.
Secure the wire at the junction.
Using a soldering station, apply tin for joining.
Apply a protective layer of varnish over the conductor or wrap the conductor with electrical tape.

Do not start the device right away, as the protective layer of varnish or tin may not fully harden. It is important to be careful when applying all liquid solutions to the board to avoid touching other conductive components.

What are the types of conductive glue for cables?

Initially, adhesive technologies were used to mount a chip on a substrate using a special conductive paste. In this case, soldering (that is, heating) was not required; the paste solidified, providing the necessary heat removal and conduction of electricity.

Later, the technology was adopted for connecting various kinds of displays and other digital equipment components.

Modern conductive adhesives can be:

Isotropic. They differ in that inside the conductive material there are no restrictions on the direction of current propagation; the medium is homogeneous. These can be ICA (isotropic adhesives) or ICP (isotropic pastes).
Anisotropic. Inside a conductive material, current travels only in a certain direction. This group includes ACA (anisotropic conductive adhesives) and ACF (anisotropic conductive films).

The latter are most widespread in household appliances. So, using ACF you can glue a cable to the LCD TV matrix . The current will flow between the connected contacts strictly perpendicular to their surface inside the anisotropic tape.

The use of any adhesive mixtures is associated with certain restrictions. Various ACF films (adhesive tapes) are designed for joining certain types of materials; they require compliance with temperature and humidity conditions, the absence of dust and other small particles that impede adhesion, as well as certain conditions for pressing the bonded surfaces (minimal force, heating, etc.).

Precautionary measures

When considering the question of whether the cable can be restored, it is important to know what problems may arise during this action. It is not recommended to solder the conductor in modern smartphones. Unlike older phone models, special equipment will be required to repair matrices. It will be impossible to do this at home using a blowtorch.

When replacing a conductor, only install an identical one. If you replace it with a high- or low-conductivity one, as a result of a voltage surge, the connected element may completely fail. After replacement, all stripped elements must be covered with a protective layer. They should not be left open, as this may lead to overheating of the conductor itself.

What to do if the cable installation failed

Having figured out how to restore the cable, you can get to work. To achieve a successful result, you must carefully follow each step and apply the solder adhesive carefully. Only after the applied mass has hardened can the device be tested. To do this, check the voltage level on the connected element with a voltmeter.

If there is no voltage and the cable itself does not function, it is better to seek help from a specialized workshop. Not all parts and cables can be glued or soldered at home.

However, experienced specialists note that a set of tools and materials will not be enough to carry out soldering. To do this, expensive equipment and various devices are used, which would be problematic to purchase on your own. Therefore, to avoid the risk of damage, it is better to immediately seek help from professionals.

How to make homemade pedal plugs?

No duplicates found

As a child, this problem was solved with a cork from a champagne bottle.

Lubricate the nuts with thicker lithol and seal this hole with a glue gun. All.

If you have to disassemble it, it's not a big problem to dig out the adhesive plastic.

Also an option. Yes, even with epoxy.

But, just lubricate the hole with thick grease before doing this. If you don’t do this, the plug will stick to the pedal and will be difficult to remove.

good pedals from Ali will be cheaper than a turner's work.

Hmm yeah, no words from technical geniuses)

Starting from epoxy to the 2nd nut)

The purpose of this particular plug is to protect against dust/dirt; it is also IMPORTANT that when scrolling the pedal, the lock nut does not have any contact with the pedal body (so that it does not twist or unscrew).

Also, for the geniuses of “champagne corks,” the exit of the cork from the outer body of the pedal should be minimal, otherwise there will be a constant disruption of the “sort of” cork with the foot, in any incorrect “relaxed” position of the foot.

You can seal it with blue tape

Well, this is already heavy artillery! Don't break the young man's brain)

Dude, what are you talking about? There are still coaster brakes left, but only on singles, I think.

I mean that now all the brakes are manual.

Yes, they may stay on these, or maybe not. I saw a wheel that can be used with a foot brake, but you can turn it off. You can’t ride backwards with a foot brake. There are also bikes without brakes, a kind of extreme sport. I have a friend on one I moved in with my mother. I’m no longer an extreme person.

Sculpt from epoxy or silicone or plasticine. Soviet champagne cork. 3D printer. Cover with grease. I can give you many more options.

I can give you many more options.

Why cold? Regular) Shrink film also.

regular one with a plastic pedal?

sir, you have a great original)

Then the issue of plugs will disappear immediately. There is no problem, which means it has been solved) Such plugs are also sold in office furniture stores.

Plugs are an elementary topic; any turner can handle it, even someone like me.

I didn’t have any photos of the plugs, so I’ll just attach a similar part.

In short, you just need to grind out a threaded plug for an internal hexagon. But the hexagon should not be made through, as on this plug. Cut the thread with a diameter 1-1.5mm larger than the inner diameter of the hole in the pedal. Aluminum is harder than plastic and will cut its own threads when tightened. I repaired Fireeye hot candy pedals this way. This plug also holds the bearing there. They are still driving.