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A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

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rubber_jonnie
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A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Hi all.

I'm trying to get a 10 or 20 cm FFC and the pitch is as follows:

IMG20250402112227.jpg
IMG20250402112227.jpg (288.22 KiB) Viewed 468 times

To me the contacts look like 1mm with a pitch of somewhere between 1 and 1.5mm. If anybody can advise on the pitch I'd be grateful as I may be missing something and every one I've ordered has had the wrong contact size and pitch despite what the details said.
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by DoG »

I would guess 1,27mm which is half of 2,54mm and both are standard. Otherwise I would use a caliper to measure.

EDIT: But searching seems to suggest that normal FFC pitch is 1,25mm.
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by rubber_jonnie »

DoG wrote: Wed Apr 02, 2025 3:07 pm I would guess 1,27mm which is half of 2,54mm and both are standard. Otherwise I would use a caliper to measure.

EDIT: But searching seems to suggest that normal FFC pitch is 1,25mm.
Thanks
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by DoG »

Hmm...

According to this your cable is something special?
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by rubber_jonnie »

DoG wrote: Wed Apr 02, 2025 5:24 pm Hmm...

According to this your cable is something special?
Wouldn't surprise me tbh. It's a laptop keyboard ribbon and very annoyingly dead.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by alexh »

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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by Badwolf »

Looks like 1.25mm pitch to me. I think @alexh has it right.

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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by rubber_jonnie »

alexh wrote: Thu Apr 03, 2025 10:11 am Something like this ?

https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/d ... 69/4427997
Thanks, I think that's correct in terms of pitch, but 8" is way too long and my other concern is the digi-key pricing for shipping, which in this case is £12!!!

Food for thought though, thanks.

BTW I broke out the calipers and it is 1.25mm pitch with 1mm contacts.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Badwolf wrote: Thu Apr 03, 2025 10:32 am Looks like 1.25mm pitch to me. I think @alexh has it right.

BW
I agree. Off on a cable hunt.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: A little help please - Flat Flex Cables

Post by rubber_jonnie »

OK, I found some possible candidates at AliExpress with the correct pitch and pin count, so fingers crossed!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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