For the good of the community, this is what I determined you need to replace the keyboard ribbon on a M102.
FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) Pitch = 1.25 mm Pins = 18 Type = B Length = 150 mm (miniium, a bit longer should work). I ordered them from Aliexpress: Link <https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000889934825.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.1b4112b3257n7H> I measured the width of the cable as 23.75 mm and the online spec sheet says [pitch * (N + 1)] , which is 23.75 for 1.25 pitch. The type B means the exposed conductors are on opposite sides of the ribbon. In a month I will know if I just wasted my money.... On Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 9:59 PM Bert Put <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Keith, > > I will take you up on that offer, thank you. I'd like more than one > since I'm sure I'll manage to mess up the replacement :-) I'll email > you off-list. I doubt I can get them any sooner then you, and I'll be > more than happy to pay for shipping and whatever number of ribbons > you're prepared to let go of :-) > > Thank you for you offer Sir, it is much appreciated! > > Cheers, Bert > > > On 2020-07-29 19:30, [email protected] wrote: > > Hey Burt, > > > > Funny you mention that. I had the same problem with my M102. I tried to > > glue the tracks down and it didn't work for me. > > > > I'm actually going to be placing an order on Aliexpress tonight. I found > > 100 ribbons for $20. > > > > They will take till early September to get here. I would be willing to > > mail you one when I get them... I would like a few spares... but 100 is > > overkill. > > > > If not I can post the specs. and you can order them yourself. > > > > Keith > > > > On Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 7:12 PM Bert Put <[email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > Watching all the recent activity about the bad memory battery > > replacements scared me sufficiently to go ahead and open up my M-102 > and > > M-100 to check them. I did, and sure enough the battery in the M-100 > > had started to corrode but luckily with very little reaching the > > motherboard, so I whipped that puppy out, and I'll hit up > arcadeshopper > > for some replacements :-) The M-100 is back together (minus a > battery) > > and working great. > > > > The battery in the M-102 looked OK but I think I'll go ahead and > replace > > it as well. Cheap insurance. However, I messed up the re-assembly > of > > the ribbon cable for the keyboard. I agree with Josh that they > cheaped > > out on building the M-102, although it was still working after 30 > years > > so I guess I can't really complain :-) > > > > I have not succeeded in re-installing the ribbon cable into the edge > > connector on the keyboard end. It turns out that it's difficult to > get > > a straight-line force to insert the edge. Some metal tracks on the > end > > of the ribbon have moved and I'm concerned that if I keep fiddling > with > > it I'll tear it up even further. I've left it disconnected while I > > think about it some more. I'm wondering if I can glue the tracks > down > > on the ribbon or something similar? The keyboard connectors on the > > M-100 are much more sturdy and I had no trouble at all getting that > back > > together. > > > > Any thoughts about how to proceed from here? The keyboard ribbon > cable > > on the M-102 is the only problem at this point. All the caps in both > > machines looked good, no sign of swelling or leakage. > > > > Cheers, Bert > > > > p.s. the REXCPM is going into the working M-100. That was always the > > plan since the M-102 has a REX classic in it. > > > > >
