TRS-80 Model 3 Floppy Disk Cable options?

[Gribnitz]

The ribbon cable on my TRS-80 Model 3 is in bad shape. Are there any other better made, more rugged cables I can use in it's place? Where can I buy one?

Thanks!

 

[TRS-Ian]

Do you mean the white cable which connects the FDC to the motherboard?

 

[Gribnitz]

Yes. It goes from the FDD controller card over the top of the motherboard and plugs into the motherboard.

 

[dabone]

I ended up removing the connectors on the boards, installing pin headers, and using a ide cable. (It's single row pins, so just one half of the cable.)

The white cable and connectors are complete crap.

Later,
dabone

 

[Gribnitz]

I ended up removing the connectors on the boards, installing pin headers, and using a ide cable. (It's single row pins, so just one half of the cable.)

The white cable and connectors are complete crap.

Later,
dabone

Good idea. Is there a special pinout or are all of the pins used? It look like some of the pins were bent back, but I can't tell if it's because it is cheap, or they are bent back because they aren't used.

 

[SomeGuy]

That kind of cable is called "flexible flat cable" (FFC). And as I recall, those used a conductor spacing or "pitch" of 0.10 inches or 2.54mm. Unfortunately most of the new stuff out there uses a smaller, metric pitch.

They fall apart quickly because they just aren't designed to be inserted and removed more than a few times.

 

[ldkraemer]

I wonder if these Flat Flex Cables would work from Digikey?
TYCO ELECTRONICS:
20 Conductor - 6" - Solder tab pin - A9AAT-2006F-ND
20 Conductor - 8" - Solder tab pin - A9AAT-2008F-ND

Roll them around a Wooden Pencil for Insertion & Removal, and they last a lot longer.

Larry

 

[gonk23]

I've documented my system's conversion to use IDE cables at:
https://gonk23.wordpress.com/trs-80/replacing-the-white-flat-cables/