NEED HELP RE-CONNECTING MINI-USB PORT - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: OneCircuitGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 01:11:20 am
content: My friend has a broken blue snowball microphone and its powers by a mini USB cable plugged into a computer, the mini USB connector somehow broke off the board and has been rattling around its casing, I opened it up and found where its supposed to be connected, is this saveable? could I just solder the connector back onto to board somehow or possibly buy a replacement mini USB connector? is there any way of testing if it would work before I solder it? The pictures posted below are of the board where the connector should go, one of the connector itself, and one of me laying it how I believe it would sit on the board.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 01:25:16 am
content: You can reuse old connector. As of torn trace, you can bend it back as it was, place connector and just solder it. Or second variant, cut the dangling piece off, scrape solder mask from via and make connection to the connector with a piece of thin wire instead. But I suggest first variant since it will be easier if you don't have experience in soldering tiny things.

author: OneCircuitGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 01:32:03 am
content: Thanks for the reply, Someone reccomended this, and upon bending the bending the trace it broke off but there is some left (look at picture attached), but someone from another forum recommended I use copper tape, do you think this would be good, if so, I made a basic chart of how I think it would go, does it look like it would work?https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1jGSjoF1Fvv0g6Kfj7lUkNeSBPao1eTE_2PmYthqGITc/edit?usp=sharing

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 02:10:42 am
content: You don't need copper tape. Use one thin strand of wire.

author: OneCircuitGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 01:51:22 pm
content: would I add this thin wire before I solder the connector to the 4 pads on the board?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 01:53:07 pm
content: After

author: OneCircuitGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 01:57:02 pm
content: so would I solder this wire onto the board or onto the mini-USB connector itself?

author: goaty
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 02:05:13 pm
content: First solder the connector, then run a wire from the top of the pin of the connector to the via (hole).

author: OneCircuitGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 15, 2020, 02:48:27 pm
content: so would this be a single strand of copper wire, thats just long enough to reach fron the middle pin of the connector, to the broken part on the hole?

author: goaty
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2020, 07:46:22 am
content: Use enamelled wire, not unisolated copper wire.Yes, it´s a single wire, not a strand of wires, which would be too thick anyway.From old coils or transformers you can salvage some enamelled wire.Thickness maby 0.1mm or 0.2mm.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 16, 2020, 01:00:14 pm
content: Quote from: goaty on October 16, 2020, 07:46:22 amFor what? There is no reason to use enameled wire whatsoever. Since you connect 2 nearby points directly, not overlapping any traces. If you use enameled wire, you will have like 1-2 mm of insulation left after it's removal from the ends which you need to solder. Use one strand from multi-strand wire.

author: goaty
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2020, 03:29:04 pm
content: Your´re right, wasn´t waching the image too closely.Simple wire will do.