So today the small connector on the back of my perforated platform got knocked when removing a print and snapped clean off.
Since day 1 I noticed that this connector seems in a bafflingly stupid place. Slips with the scraper are common and the parts take a lot to remove from the platform sometimes. To have such a small weak connector on the top of the board is just asking for trouble.
I have had a look at soldering it back on but one of the connections has pulled the contact point off the perforated board so there is nothing to solder the pin to.
This pathetic little connector will now end up costing me £70 for an entirely new perforated board. One of the most bafflingly crappy pieces of design on an otherwise well thought out printer.
The only hope I hold out is that one of you might know where the connections go so I might be able to connect up the board to its wire in some other fashion?
Thanks, £70 was a bit high, as I was looking at the Zortrax store and its actually more like £57.
40EUR is a great price, but unfortunately they dont list GB as a shipping country. I have actually found it for £45inc shipping from Dream 3D in the UK so thats a bit better. I'll be designing a shield for the connector when I purchase it.
Every time I think about that pathetic little connector on the perf board I want to bash my head against the wall.
Well, I checked before the post for international shipping, but not for the list of countries in detail.
Think if you ask they will do (should be no problem). Their prices, especially the bundles could compensate shipping costs easily.
Every time I think about that pathetic little connector on the perf board I want to bash my head against the wall.
Then better look for e new head too.
The only hope I hold out is that one of you might know where the connections go so I might be able to connect up the board to its wire in some other fashion?
There's only one conductor on the perfboard I think, and that's the top copper layer which is nickel-plated and then selectively painted, leaving the five contact patches exposed. I can't think of what else that connector might connect to, but I could try to buzz it out tomorrow when I'm at the shop (if I remember...).
It's a 3 pin connector, the two fat ones on the sides 2 are for mounting. Looking at the board from the usual front (connector at back). Pin on the right is used for continuity detection with the print head for auto leveling/cal. The two pins on the left are used for cable disconnect detection and are simply connected together (Zortrax controller can tell if the cable came off before ramming head into plate, by testing continuity between those two pins).
No need to order new plate, just order new connector with same or better connector
Same problem, my solution in the picture :)
Another solution : http://www.makershop.fr/zortrax/17-plateau-zortrax-m200.html
The link shows the V1 perf board. Not a good idea to spent 30 Euros on that!
The link shows the V1 perf board. Not a good idea to spent 30 Euros on that!
Yes but in fact it's the V2
Yes but in fact it's the V2
Then it's a really good price.
Thanks for the help.
Unfortunately when the right pin (looking at the peed board from the front) broke off it took whatever surface copper was on the perf board with it, there is a tiny hole at the back but no way to make solder stick.
If the pad lifted off, just scrap off the pcb mask to reveal copper at another point, and tin it. Alternatively, bodge a wire to one of the corner pads
I was wondering this last night... I'll give it a go.
Thanks a lot guys, especially to pastachunkysauce for the wire layout knowledge, soldering it was a PITA to begin with as I think all 3 wires had managed to connect to the metallic layer under the paint of the perfboard and this threw up a connection error. So in the end I just connected the one wire on the right to the layer under the paint and bridged the other two wires at the female connector end.
It's a big of a bodge job but it will keep this perf board going until it actually needs replacing.
Thanks again to all!