Help finding strange connector for a ESP-16 pressure scanner - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: zigunov
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 11, 2021, 04:57:16 am
content: Hi, all, hope you're doing alright! Just wanted to see if any of you got an idea of what this connector is (perhaps it's a custom connector?).I broke this as I was assembling some experiment in aerodynamics; and when I got a quote from the manufacturer I was absolutely outraged! They're charging $700 for the replacement cable. $700 for a damn cable?!! I wonder if these cables are made by Swedish virgins.I took some measurements, and the end that is broken is a 3 row, 4pins/row, staggered arrangement, 2.54mm pin spacing and row spacing. The pin diameter, though, is 0.47mm, which is strange (headers of 2.54mm pitch are 0.75mm pin diameter). I'm genuinely thinking of making a little PCB and making my own replacement connector for this. If I do so, I'll post the kicad design (perhaps someone else may find this) in a Github page later this weekend. But I just wondered if anyone had an idea of what this connector is / whether it really is a custom hand-made thing.Hope you have a great weekend!

author: zigunov
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2021, 03:39:56 pm
content: In case you want to make one yourself, I'm attaching the Kicad design. I sent it to manufacturing; hopefully it'll work =)

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 13, 2021, 04:11:13 pm
content: That is such a terrible design it could only be custom made.Perhaps it was designed to be broken so they could charge $700 for the replacement.There is only one broken pin, maybe it wasn't used!

author: perieanuo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2021, 09:58:05 am
content: using pogo pins and 3d printer, for those $$$, you have the printer bonus and a future-repairable designfor $700, in some countries in EU, you buy the virgin

author: zigunov
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2021, 02:58:40 pm
content: Quote from: voltsandjolts on September 13, 2021, 04:11:13 pmTurns out the broken pin is an important signal pin. But I agree, this is a terrible design. Believe it or not, this is made by TE connectivityQuote from: perieanuo on September 14, 2021, 09:58:05 amCan you tell me which countries would that be? Asking for a friend

author: perieanuo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2021, 08:24:09 am
content: romaniasorry for being offtopic

author: aqibi2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2021, 08:34:29 am
content: Why not do the sensible thing and chop off this broken connector and the other side it connects into and replace it with something better?

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2021, 05:08:46 pm
content: Quote from: zigunov on September 14, 2021, 02:58:40 pmOut of morbid curiosity, do you have a model number or series name?

author: zigunov
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2021, 11:35:11 pm
content: There we go! Fixed it =)In 3 hours of work got us to save $2100 (we had 3 broken cables!). I call that a win!Here's the design Kicad files for someone who may face the same issue in the future!https://github.com/3dfernando/ESP16_Connector

author: zigunov
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2021, 11:38:14 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on September 20, 2021, 05:08:46 pmSorry, I didn't see your post! This is a cable that comes with the ESP-16 (seehttps://www.te.com/usa-en/product-CAT-SCS0065.html) pressure transducer. It doesn't seem to be sold separately, except if you contact TE connectivity; for the heinous price of $700.The device itself is $4600 new, or at least that's about what we paid for it.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2021, 08:19:19 am
content: Quote from: zigunov on September 30, 2021, 11:35:11 pmNice! I wouldn’t be surprised if the original cable isn’t built in a similar way, inside its black overmolding.Quote from: zigunov on September 30, 2021, 11:38:14 pmYyyyeah. That’s total “we’ll charge whatever we want for the cable because the kind of organizations that use this stuff don’t care about money” pricing.

author: lunacyworks
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2021, 04:35:51 pm
content: If you are using a custom designed connector, this pdf might help explain why the original cable was so expensive.https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19950023032/downloads/19950023032.pdfSeems the device is rated for cryogenic temperature range.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2021, 05:13:21 pm
content: Quote from: lunacyworks on October 24, 2021, 04:35:51 pmNope, the regular version of that module is not cryogenic, having an operating range of -25C to 80C. (The NASA paper expressly talks about temperatures of -190C.) I think it’s fair to assume that if the OP were dealing with the cryogenic version, they’d have the funding to buy it.

author: lunacyworks
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2021, 05:57:12 am
content: Quote from: tooki on October 24, 2021, 05:13:21 pmI suppose I should have been clearer with my comment. Since the original cable needed to endure extreme temperatures it probably justified the cost. Thus creating a new less expensive option seems viable if your use case excludes extreme temperatures.