22 Dec
2001
22 Dec
'01
11:42 a.m.
Actually, I had two such cables with one damaged headers each.
So I made one good cable out of those. It worked and yes, it
is absolutely required to have or else the thing won't power
up at all. Thanks for the advice.
-Gunther
Tony Duell wrote:
--
Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D. gschadow(a)regenstrief.org
Medical Information Scientist Regenstrief Institute for Health Care
Adjunct Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine
tel:1(317)630-7960 http://aurora.regenstrief.org
However, there
are a few more issues to resolve first. The
little 16-pole ribbon cable that has DIL chip-like plug on
both ends that go into a chip-socket. That plug is bent and
pins are broken off. Seems like that happnes all the time.
Do I have to and if so how can I replace this? This cable
Yes, you can replace it, but I'd probably re-make the cable....
The connector you need is called (at least over here) a 16 pin DIL IDC
header. But there are 2 different types -- the common one links pin1
(numbering the pins as if it were an IC) to the second wire of the cable.
But I have once seen one that links pin 1 to the first wire of the cable.
Obviously for a straight-through cable, DIL header to DIL header, it
doesn't normally matter which type you use provided both are the same. I
don't know which type DEC used on this cable (you might be able to check,
though), which is why I'd re-make the entire cable.
You'd need 2 such DIL IDC headers and a suitable length of ribbon cable.
If you can't find 16 way cable, get the next widest one (20 way?) and tear
off the excess wires.
Just crimp the headers onto the end of the cable, using a bench vice. To
prevent mangling the pins when doing this. stick the header into one of
those solderless plugblock 'breadboards' and squeeze the whole thing up
in the vice. That, BYW, is the only use for such breadboards IMHO :-).
-tony