Repair STAR SD C4 Multiplexor connection

[Conor]

Hey all

I'm having a connectivity problem with my STAR system right now.

Nothing else changed on the system so I suspect it's a loose wire somewhere. When I went at it yesterday I noticed one of the connectors had come loose and I could see the individual wires exposed. The connections are soldered so one could have easily broken.

Does anybody know how to open up this connector so I can access the PIN breakout board and inspect each connection?

Also, while i'm here. Has anybody put STAR onto a modern computer and used a USB -> RS232 (Serial) adapter? The old Dell laptop I have for it is old and I expect the HDD to give up any day now.

Many thanks
Conor

 

[Blobcat]

Looks like you can hold the red arrowed bit and unscrew the yellow arrowed bit from the picture - just be careful when unscrewing that the cables don't turn or you'll have them all snapped off...

 

[Conor]

Thanks BC but my apologies - it's a bad photo.

The black pieces you have marked out are separate to the metal piece .. which is the problem. All the individual wires are exposed now.

I need to extract the board with the pins/solder connections so I can resolder (2 are broken).

Arrgh.

 

[Blobcat]

It is a fiddly job (I used to make off mulitcore Nato Connectors)

 

[Conor]

It is a fiddly job (I used to make off mulitcore Nato Connectors)

It seems fiddly but is a necessity now

Do you know if you can extract the board with the solder pins? I wonder where I would get the pinout diagram?

 

[Blobcat]

It seems fiddly but is a necessity now

Do you know if you can extract the board with the solder pins? I wonder where I would get the pinout diagram?

View attachment 81533

Probably - What's the other end look like?

 

[Snake Charmer]

The black plastic parts look like a cable gland, loosening that will give you a bit more room.

 

[Snake Charmer]

 

[Conor]

Errr.... do I need to just de-pin each pin out the back, re-solder and then re-pin?

 

[Blobcat]

Errr.... do I need to just de-pin each pin out the back, re-solder and then re-pin?

If you can get the rest of it to slide out you could just solder onto the back and put some heat shrink around it. Getting the pins put and back again can take effort as there's usually a barb that prevents them sliding out - getting that barb out of the way without damaging the pin or the surround is challenging.

 

[Conor]

Ok.. so my colleagues over on the Mig Welding forum advised me of the solution... you need to insert the connector back into the opposing connector and the mane body of this connector unscrews. Like magic.

Oh and I found pinout online too. http://stardiag.net/star-diagnosis-c3-main-cable-rs-232-485-pinout-diagram/

Given time i'll maybe post a tutorial on a fix.. but if I don't get around to it, i'll try and keep this page updated and future readers can reply with questions if needed.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Ok.. so my colleagues over on the Mig Welding forum advised me of the solution...

Excellent forum, no politics!