Saab SID display

[Mr. Land]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone here has attempted (and hopefully had
success with) repairing their own Saab SID display.

These System Information Displays are renowned for having segments of
the display go dead. The problem is caused by faulty connections
between a ribbon conductor that connects pads at one edge of the main
board to the (separate) display unit. My understanding is that Saab
chose to attach (and connect) the ribbon conductor to the main board
pads using some sort of conductive adhesive. Over time, the
connections become intermittent and you start losing rows and/or
columns of the segment display.

There are a myriad of fixes for this on the Internet along with
replacement SIDs for sale on places like eBay. Most of the fixes
involve applying additional pressure to the adhered connections to try
to reestablish continuity. I've tried these but those that give some
improvement don't last.

So I am wondering if anyone has tried to repair one of these
themselves and what success you've had. I was thinking of trying to
replace the existing ribbon cable with either something thicker or
something wire-based so that I could perhaps solder the connections to
the board using a low temp solder.

Any info/insight/experiences are appreciated...

 

[N_Cook]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone here has attempted (and hopefully had
success with) repairing their own Saab SID display.

These System Information Displays are renowned for having segments of
the display go dead. The problem is caused by faulty connections
between a ribbon conductor that connects pads at one edge of the main
board to the (separate) display unit. My understanding is that Saab
chose to attach (and connect) the ribbon conductor to the main board
pads using some sort of conductive adhesive. Over time, the
connections become intermittent and you start losing rows and/or
columns of the segment display.

There are a myriad of fixes for this on the Internet along with
replacement SIDs for sale on places like eBay. Most of the fixes
involve applying additional pressure to the adhered connections to try
to reestablish continuity. I've tried these but those that give some
improvement don't last.

So I am wondering if anyone has tried to repair one of these
themselves and what success you've had. I was thinking of trying to
replace the existing ribbon cable with either something thicker or
something wire-based so that I could perhaps solder the connections to
the board using a low temp solder.

Any info/insight/experiences are appreciated...

Can you rob zebra strip from some suitable sort of scrap equipment and then
add pressure somehow?. How removable is the original stuff?

 

[gareth magennis]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone here has attempted (and hopefully had
success with) repairing their own Saab SID display.

These System Information Displays are renowned for having segments of
the display go dead. The problem is caused by faulty connections
between a ribbon conductor that connects pads at one edge of the main
board to the (separate) display unit. My understanding is that Saab
chose to attach (and connect) the ribbon conductor to the main board
pads using some sort of conductive adhesive. Over time, the
connections become intermittent and you start losing rows and/or
columns of the segment display.

There are a myriad of fixes for this on the Internet along with
replacement SIDs for sale on places like eBay. Most of the fixes
involve applying additional pressure to the adhered connections to try
to reestablish continuity. I've tried these but those that give some
improvement don't last.

So I am wondering if anyone has tried to repair one of these
themselves and what success you've had. I was thinking of trying to
replace the existing ribbon cable with either something thicker or
something wire-based so that I could perhaps solder the connections to
the board using a low temp solder.

Any info/insight/experiences are appreciated...

IME I would have to say this is a major design fault that has no solution,
other than the adding pressure bodges you have already seen, that merely
address the symptoms, not effecting a cure. I very quickly gave up
attempting to repair similar ribbon connectors found in
synthesisers/keyboards etc.

Hard wiring 200 or so connections each end at this density is really beyond
the realms of sensibility, even if it could be done with some degree of
reliability.

Your suggestion of low temp solder is probably the best you could hope for,
given the ribbon connector is plastic.

There is a product call Chipquick http://www.chipquikinc.com/ which is an
alloy that melts at 58 degrees C. It might be possible, using the right
fluxes and techniques, to solder the plastic ribbon connector to the PCB,
but I suspect you might have to spend a good few months and use up quite a
few Saab displays before you get this to work properly.




Gareth.

 

[Eeyore]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone here has attempted (and hopefully had
success with) repairing their own Saab SID display.

Post your question in the Saab group. It's come up many a time.

Graham

 

[Mr. Land]

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone here has attempted (and hopefully had
success with) repairing their own Saab SID display.

These System Information Displays are renowned for having segments of
the display go dead.  The problem is caused by faulty connections
between a ribbon conductor that connects pads at one edge of the main
board to the (separate) display unit.  My understanding is that Saab
chose to attach (and connect) the ribbon conductor  to the main board
pads using some sort of conductive adhesive.  Over time, the
connections become intermittent and you start losing rows and/or
columns of the segment display.

There are a myriad of fixes for this on the Internet along with
replacement SIDs for sale on places like eBay.  Most of the fixes
involve applying additional pressure to the adhered connections to try
to reestablish continuity.  I've tried these but those that give some
improvement don't last.

So I am wondering if anyone has tried to repair one of these
themselves and what success you've had.  I was thinking of trying to
replace the existing ribbon cable with either something thicker or
something wire-based so that I could perhaps solder the connections to
the board using a low temp solder.

Any info/insight/experiences are appreciated...

Thank you all for your input - all quite helpful.

I will look in Saab group as suggested, maybe post
question there. Sorry if this was OT, but I figured it
was an electronic problem, so...

 

[gareth magennis]

I don't know the layout, ribbon density, etc, but ribbon cable is pretty
standardized. I don't see why you could'nt solder a ribbon header to the
boards, and just trim the ribbon and lock it in.
JR

http://www.saab9-5.com/howto/sidrepair.htm

 

[Mr. Land]

I don't know the layout, ribbon density, etc, but ribbon cable is pretty
standardized. I don't see why you could'nt solder a ribbon header to the
boards, and just trim the ribbon and lock it in.
JR

JR, I'm not familiar with ribbon cable/headers but it looks like it's
time to
study up. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Mr. Land]

http://www.saab9-5.com/howto/sidrepair.htm

Seen (and tried) this one, but thanks very much for posting it.