Xenarc 702TSV torn flex cable after custom fit

**nobb** · 05-02-2009, 12:14 AM

Have you looked into getting a silver solder pen? I have no experience with them, but it would probably be easier than soldering.

**rodweb** · 05-02-2009, 02:34 AM

Is the cable plugged in at both ends or is the other end permanently connected?

Perhpas you could be looking for a new cable. There is a seller on eBay called RaidGear (from memory) who I bought a ribbon extender for the buttons on the 706TSA.

**mrbean_phillip** · 05-02-2009, 03:32 AM

Ah, no worries.

Thx anyway, and goodluck with it

**STI_FFY** · 05-02-2009, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by rodweb

Is the cable plugged in at both ends or is the other end permanently connected?

Perhpas you could be looking for a new cable. There is a seller on eBay called RaidGear (from memory) who I bought a ribbon extender for the buttons on the 706TSA.

I don't think so. I've not taken the backlight/LCD assembly apart yet, but I probably will eventually. The flex cable becomes as wide as the assembly at the top, and disappears into the full width of that assembly. There is a piece of tape over top of the opening through which it passes. I am imagining that the LCD panel (minus the backlight and houusing) has this cable permanently attached to its top edge much as the touch panel does.

Xenarc have removed the ID label from the back of this assembly so I can't tell who manufactured it.

**STI_FFY** · 05-02-2009, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by nobb

Have you looked into getting a silver solder pen? I have no experience with them, but it would probably be easier than soldering.

Although this is an interesting idea, I think it won't work because the tear does not fit perfectly back together. The edges of the tear curl a bit. There is nothing in the gap on which to draw. If I made an epoxy extension of the stiff portion of the flex cable (where the contact fingers reside) to just beyond the tear, I might be able to do this. It's worth considering.

**colin** · 05-02-2009, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by STI_FFY

Although this is an interesting idea, I think it won't work because the tear does not fit perfectly back together. The edges of the tear curl a bit. There is nothing in the gap on which to draw. If I made an epoxy extension of the stiff portion of the flex cable (where the contact fingers reside) to just beyond the tear, I might be able to do this. It's worth considering.

If you made an epoxy extension you could just use the solder paste, thats what I meant.

**STI_FFY** · 05-02-2009, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by colin

If you made an epoxy extension you could just use the solder paste, thats what I meant.

Yeah, sorry I didn't respond to you previously. Your idea might also work.

**STI_FFY** · 05-05-2009, 12:37 PM

I got the replacement LCD yesterday and installed it last night. The monitor works again.

**Crooozin** · 07-01-2009, 01:15 PM

Same problem here. The screen is dimmer than it was, and has a wierd yellowish tint to it at all times, gamma, contrast, and brightness (gets worse the brighter the screen is).

My issue stemmed from a broken connector block on the mainboard. I sent the unit back to Xenarc for repair; their quote was to replace the mainboard and the LCD unit, original quote (verbally, over phone) was 218 bucks. I figured, heck, that's almost the whole thing anyway minus the touchscreen, so sure. I never got a written quote until I got the bill of lading when they returned it. Replacing those two items made the most sense since the ribbon was hosed and the connector on the mainboard was broken.

When I got the unit back, they had replaced the <i>touchscreen</i> and the mainboard. The first two times I contacted them their response was, "yeah, that's what we did, and no, we never said anything about the LCD." They claimed that the touchscreen was "broken" even though it worked just fine before I shipped it off (I was even using it as a fun input device in other places). After that, they have stopped returning phone calls or emails. Frustrating.

Anyway I've been thinking of taking the ribbon cable, using a fine x-acto knife and actually seperating each strand in the cable to solder to it. Only issue is that you've also somehow got to make another connector to get into the ziff on the mainboard (don't get me started on that ziff, it's a pos). Only way I can think of is to get rid of it altogether and solder straight to the board, not an easy thing to do without the correct (very, very expensive) reflow equipment.
I also tried shaving off part of the plastic as someone suggested, albeit to make a new connection point into the ziff, before I sent it back. The problem with that is that it will not make correct connection/secureness within the ziff, leading to the cable pulling back out within the auto environment. This is a fixable issue but the fix is at the ziff (and not with the cable) and generally requires some patience and trial/error.

The other design issue with that darn thing is that the ribbon cable is SUPPOSED to have some extra length to it. That's standard practice. Since there isn't, we're stuck with these hokey attempts at fixing it.

Might I ask what your specific symptoms were/are originally?

**Crooozin** · 07-01-2009, 01:19 PM

Oh, and before you bother, the cable is hard-connected at the LCD side; you can't remove it. That would've been the easiest fix of all (order a new cable assembly).