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Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 1:05 am
by Firefox
Is there a good source for new ZX Spectrum edge connectors? I assume there must be, because there seems to be quite a cottage industry going cranking out new DivMMCs and the like.

Apologies if this is obvious, but after quite a bit of searching around I've not found an answer.

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 7:39 am
by PeterJ
https://ebay.us/NkRUD4

These are from Retro Computer Shack

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 9:37 am
by 1024MAK
Edge-connectors are also available from the larger electronic suppliers. You want 0.1” pitch.

For use on Sinclair computers, all of them require cutting down and a locating pin adding.

There are various ways of forming a locating pin. In no particular order...
  • Pull out the appropriate contacts with thin long nose pliers. Drill a hole from the top to the bottom of the plastic. Then using a hot soldering iron, drive a nail through the hole. Finally use a small hobby size cutting disk to cut the unwanted part of the nail off flush with the plastic.
  • Bend the appropriate contacts together and then solder.
  • Find a suitable size piece of plastic (bits of old cassette cases are apparently suitable), or a piece of PCB or matrix board (strip board) cut to size. You want a tight engineering fit. Pull out the appropriate contacts with thin long nose pliers. Then carefully glue the plastic/PCB in place.
Mark

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 8:02 pm
by Firefox
Blimey, you used to be able to get them ready-made and new from Maplin and RS and the like...

Well, many thanks for the pointers!

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:25 pm
by 1024MAK

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 9:24 pm
by Firefox
1024MAK wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:25 pm Well, various people will do the hard work for you...
Now then, I really like the look of this one:

http://www.divide.cz/index.php?y=ZX_ExpBoard_3.en
Image

That's perfect for experimenting with the Spectrum's expansion port. 0.1" pin headers are widely available for next to nothing, and having more than one port would make it easy to hook up a logic analyser to see what's going on.

Many thanks for the tip!

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:32 am
by zx64
How do you solder them? Space between pins rows is 5mm, and PCB is usually only 1.6mm thick

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:28 pm
by shock__
Bend them down slightly and then do surface mount style soldering with larger blobs.

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:22 pm
by 1024MAK
Yeah, I would describe it as more than slightly bent.

If you were a manufacturer and were ordering tens of thousands, the female edge-connector receptacles can be ordered from the manufacturers with either short straight PCB legs/leads, designed to be mounted vertically on a PCB in through holes. Or with longer legs/leads that are bent for mounting horizontally edge ways to a PCB.

Most of the female edge-connector receptacles that are available to us are actually the type intended for vertical use. So you have to bend all the legs/leads so that the bit of the leg/lead touches the PCB pad (preferably at a low angle).

Mark

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 4:32 am
by zx64
Thanks guys I will bend them.

Re: Source of new Spectrum edge connectors?

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:57 am
by Shaos
1024MAK wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:25 pm Well, various people will do the hard work for you...

https://www.tindie.com/products/TRC/zx- ... -connector
I "retired" my edge connector as a product to sell (yes, T.R.C. is my store) after my old bunch of cheap connectors ended (I sold like 200+ of them as part of ZX-fixer, other peripherals or individually) now I have enough more expensive connectors to work with, but I don't think it makes enough sense to sell them individually like for $3/each retail price - it's ridiculously expensive. Or not? What do you guys think? ;)
BTW I can teach anybody how to make ZX-edge connectors reliably if somebody interested :)