Looking for a connector (for angel eyes)

[jitspoe]

So I'm rigging up some eyes on my angel, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to connect the wires to the board cleanly.  The connector is designed for some kind of ribbon cable or thin circuit board.  I think it's called an FPC or FFC connector.  I've attached a picture.  It's the one with 4 contacts on the upper left.  The slot is a little longer than 5mm and wide enough to fit an LED lead in (.5mm, maybe?)

[XtremeBain]

It's a 4 contact, top-entry, 5mm, 0.5mm pitch ZIF connector.  I'm pretty sure your cables for your eye transmitter/receiver drop in there.

[jitspoe]

They do if you spend $50 or whatever outrageous price they want for them.  Phototransistors and LED's cost like $0.16.  I've got like 60 on the way to make the shipping worthwhile, haha.

[XtremeBain]

That board looks like it was a 6yo's first time using a SMT station.  I did a better job than that my first time doing a SMT board.

[jitspoe]

You've printed your own circuit boards?  Or are you just talking about the soldering job?  Looks like any other old circuit board to me.

I'm having a really hard time finding the male end for that connector.  I can find stuff that looks almost exactly like what's on the board already, but not what plugs into it.  This is what the eye looks like: http://www.skanline.com/pages-productinfo/product-3862/angel-wdp-wdp-reciever-eye-ribbon.html

So I either need to get a couple ribbons like that, or just a connector that I can solder wires onto.

[XtremeBain]

You've printed your own circuit boards?  Or are you just talking about the soldering job?  Looks like any other old circuit board to me.

Both.

I'm having a really hard time finding the male end for that connector.  I can find stuff that looks almost exactly like what's on the board already, but not what plugs into it.  This is what the eye looks like: http://www.skanline.com/pages-productinfo/product-3862/angel-wdp-wdp-reciever-eye-ribbon.html

So I either need to get a couple ribbons like that, or just a connector that I can solder wires onto.

They're just silly little ribbon cables.  I would look for one of them in an old cdrom or printer and just trim it to 4 contacts (since you seem like you're in a DIY kind've mood).  Soldering the diodes onto the other end may be another story.

[jitspoe]

Good call on the printer.  I knew I kept it around for something besides testing ceiling mounts.

[KnacK]

OK I'll bite:

What's the ceiling mount for.....

[XtremeBain]

OK I'll bite:

What's the ceiling mount for.....

That was for when jitspoe was training to become a professional boxer.

[jitspoe]

That was for when jitspoe was training to become a professional boxer.

Haha!

Actually, it was for a projector, but I like bain's idea more.