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Need the proper name for something.

J

Jim Adney

I need what is pictured below. The problem is that I don't know what it
is called. "ribbon cable" gets me a bunch of false positives (hard drive
type cables).

I need a term I can enter into google so I can order some new ones.

http://www.healeyopolis.com/CableThing.jpg

Are you just asking for the wire (cable?) Then it is indeed called
just ribbon cable, or flat ribbon cable. You need to specify the # of
conductors (looks like 28 or 30 in your photo) and the pitch.

Go to Digikey and search for ribbon cable....

If you just need a few inches, then you could probably make what you
need from some hard drive or floppy cables. If you need it with
particular connectors on the ends, then there are several varieties of
these available there, too. Most of them are insulation displacement
types which you can install yourself with the help of a vice.

-
 
M

Mark Healey

Are you just asking for the wire (cable?) Then it is indeed called just
ribbon cable, or flat ribbon cable. You need to specify the # of
conductors (looks like 28 or 30 in your photo) and the pitch.

Go to Digikey and search for ribbon cable....

If you just need a few inches, then you could probably make what you
need from some hard drive or floppy cables. If you need it with
particular connectors on the ends, then there are several varieties of
these available there, too. Most of them are insulation displacement
types which you can install yourself with the help of a vice.

It is not a normal ribbon cable. It is thin plastic with conductive
material painted on, similiar to a keyboard membrane.
 
T

Tim Schwartz

Mark said:
I need what is pictured below. The problem is that I don't know what it
is called. "ribbon cable" gets me a bunch of false positives (hard drive
type cables).

I need a term I can enter into google so I can order some new ones.

http://www.healeyopolis.com/CableThing.jpg
Mark,

Sometimes these cables are called 'FLEX FOIL' or "FLEXFOIL' cables.
The ones that have connectors at each end can be standard parts. The
ones that solder to a circuit board at one or both ends are often custom
and would have to come from the manufacturer of the device.

Best of luck in your search,
Tim Schwartz
Bristol Electronics
 
R

Ross Herbert

:On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:27:38 -0500, Jim Adney wrote:
:
:>
:>>I need what is pictured below. The problem is that I don't know what it
:>>is called. "ribbon cable" gets me a bunch of false positives (hard
:>>drive type cables).
:>>
:>>I need a term I can enter into google so I can order some new ones.
:>>
:>>http://www.healeyopolis.com/CableThing.jpg
:>
:> Are you just asking for the wire (cable?) Then it is indeed called just
:> ribbon cable, or flat ribbon cable. You need to specify the # of
:> conductors (looks like 28 or 30 in your photo) and the pitch.
:>
:> Go to Digikey and search for ribbon cable....
:>
:> If you just need a few inches, then you could probably make what you
:> need from some hard drive or floppy cables. If you need it with
:> particular connectors on the ends, then there are several varieties of
:> these available there, too. Most of them are insulation displacement
:> types which you can install yourself with the help of a vice.
:
:It is not a normal ribbon cable. It is thin plastic with conductive
:material painted on, similiar to a keyboard membrane.


Off-the-shelf flexible pcb typ connector cables are not available as far as I
know. They are generally a custom made item and too costly for small production
runs.

If you are looking for replacement for existing equipment you will have to talk
to the manufacturer of that equipment.

If you want to use a flexible cable as a connection in a new product you will
need to have it custom made to your requirements. In this case you will have to
order a large quantity to be viable.
 
A

Arfa Daily

Mark Healey said:
I need what is pictured below. The problem is that I don't know what it
is called. "ribbon cable" gets me a bunch of false positives (hard drive
type cables).

I need a term I can enter into google so I can order some new ones.

http://www.healeyopolis.com/CableThing.jpg

Known as Flexible Printed Circuits, FPCs and flexiprint connectors. I saw a
good range of them advertised somewhere here in the UK a few months ago, but
I'm buggered if I can remember where now ...

There are many different conductor pitches of these things, and one that is
the correct pitch, but too wide, can be cut down to the number of conductors
needed, with a sharp craft knife. If you just needed a few for a project,
domestic electronic equipment, particularly hifis, are riddled with them,
and you could probably pick up what you needed, as scrap from your local TV
repair shop.

Arfa
 
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