HELP!! The sky has just fallen (not really, but I just broke the ribbon flexible cable in Nikon Coolscan 9000ED!!!)

[yossi]

As above. I am so very sad now

This Coolscan 9000 has served me well for nearly 10 years. Ever since Nikon SG stopped serving it few years ago, I had done a DIY mirror cleaning with no issue. Today I opened it up and did a good cleaning of the dusty mirror and after I assembled in and powered it up, its yellow LED showed error. I opened it up again and detected that one end of the ribbon flexible cable was not installed properly and when I tried to push it into the slot, one corner of the flexible cable broke!! (as shown in picture below.)

I am not sure if is a standard replaceable part (doubt very much so). If someone here had encountered the same issue and found a solution, could you please kindly share your solution. Thanks in advance.

yossi

 

[koraks]

I am not sure if is a standard replaceable part

Nope. Don't think so. You could count the number of contacts, measure the contact pitch and overall dimensions of the cable and see if you can find something similar. It'll take many hours of searching sites like RS, Mouser, Farnell etc.
Keep in mind that they've included a few wider traces, probably for power supply and ground lines. Replacing these with narrow traces will likely get you into trouble with either major errors or increased image noise. Even if you find a cable that physically fits, you'll have to figure out something to reduce the impedance on those few traces.

Your best bet is to find a 'donor' 9000 and borrow the cable from that one. eBay might help as there's always people parting out scanners and selling the parts at exorbitant prices. But even an exorbitant price may justify getting a 90000 to work again...

Alternatively, you could go creative with a soldering iron and replace this cable with something more standard, but it will take *a lot* of precision soldering and patience.

I'm sorry for your loss...

 

[Photomultiplier]

It looks like the contacts are routet through in an 1:1 fashion, altough several of them are grouped together on wide traces to make a higher current carrying capacity.

So if the contact pitch (center to center distance between two contacts) is available in an standard FPC flat cable, it can be tried to use that instead.

Is it that one from the image at point 7?

Nikon Super Coolscan LS-9000 disassembly procedure

www.shtengel.com

Considering the worth of a 9000 i would go to great lengths to get it working again.

The first thing i would try, beside looking for the genuine spare part: Determine pitch (0.8mm or 0.5mm are usual values) and pin count and look for an off the shelf FPC cable like koraks said.

 

[yossi]

It looks like the contacts are routet through in an 1:1 fashion, altough several of them are grouped together on wide traces to make a higher current carrying capacity.

So if the contact pitch (center to center distance between two contacts) is available in an standard FPC flat cable, it can be tried to use that instead.

Is it that one from the image at point 7?

Nikon Super Coolscan LS-9000 disassembly procedure

www.shtengel.com

Considering the worth of a 9000 i would go to great lengths to get it working again.

The first thing i would try, beside looking for the genuine spare part: Determine pitch (0.8mm or 0.5mm are usual values) and pin count and look for an off the shelf FPC cable like koraks said.

@Photomultiplier - Thanks for your advice and suggestions. Yes, it is that flexible cable at point 7. See the pix BEFORE it was broken:

Looking at so many rolls of 120 films in my fridge, I will not let the Coolscan 9000 die just because of this ribbon cable. I will get it fixed, one way or the other.

yossi

 

[Photomultiplier]

Measure the pitch. The Cable has 40 pins from what i see on the silkscreen marking on the PCB picture on the website.
That means 39 spaces between the pins. Measure the distance between pin 1 and pin 40 and divide it by 39 to get the pitch.

edit: typo/wording

 

[Kino]

Maybe you can custom make a cable using ribbon wire. Clearance and flexibility will be a challenge, but...

Flat Ribbon Cable - Winford Engineering

www.winford.com

 

[Photomultiplier]

Not practicable. 1.27mm pitch is too corase and fine soldering is often an art.

Original spare or off the shelf FPC is the best way.

The original part is a flexible PCB with stiffeners in the contact area, so the (white) FPC cables are probably too thin in this area but they can be made thicker using several layers of tape, as it is
an one off prototype.

@yossi: if you determine pitch and cable length, i can help you finding something suitable at the distributor.

 

[koraks]

Maybe you can custom make a cable using ribbon wire.

That's the kind of "lots of precision soldering and patience" route I suggested. It would involve stripping both ends of the ribbon cable, tinning the leads, scraping the solder mask from the PCB traces (after removing the FPC connector) and soldering the ribbon cable directly to the traces. Lots of work, very error prone, and extremely frustrating.

Original spare or off the shelf FPC is the best way.

Indeed. And otherwise another FPC with the appropriate specifications, with a little modification for the high-current traces.

 

[Kino]

Maybe this:

DIY Flexible Printed Circuits - Engineering Technical - PCBway

A printed circuit board (pcb) mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components using conductive tracks, pads and other features etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-cond...

www.pcbway.com

 

[Radost]

There is a new 120 scanner being released this year. Apart from speed it will be very good scanning quality close if not better than 9000

 

[Photomultiplier]

Why risk a valuable machine with diy methods? The diy flex PCBs shown have no surface protection or anything.

Just get off the shelf FPC cables if there are suitable ones available and if it would be really really absolutely necessary, a one off Flex PCB just like the original one could be made professionally for <300usd.

I don't think it is very expedient to present the OP as many tinkerer-methods as possible.
One short circuit and the mainboard could be toasted.

It is just not worth the hassle. One has to consider: Do i want to tinker around or do i want do do a repair on a otherwise fine machine?

 

[Kino]

If there are suitable off the shelf cables, yes. But that doesn't mean you can't suggest other possible alternatives if the off the shelf cables cannot be secured.

 

[Photomultiplier]

Of course yes, but i do want to point out the risks associated with those methods.

 

[4season]

No such thing as standardized, off the shelf parts for that sort of item, but if you are unable to source a NOS replacement, you can have a new one manufactured based on CAD recreation.

 

[Paul Ozzello]

join the Facebook Nikon coolscan group and post over there. There are several experts that repair them and can probably figure something out.

 

[koraks]

Maybe this:

That'll be flaky at best, but anything is worth a try.

i do want to point out the risks associated with those methods.

Odds of the machine working with no intervention / repair: 0%
Any solution that increases this percentage is an improvement over what he's got.

 

[Photomultiplier]

yeah, but willingly risking a otherwise perfectly repairable machine just by using wonky methods while far better ones are most likely available is not a very good decision.

i am saying that because i have repaired a fair share of devices that had already been tinkered with by their owners using questionable methods.
sometimes it was 10min to fix the fault itself and 4hrs of fixing the collateral damage done by them. ripped off traces, damaged vias on multilayer boards, burnt ICs by short circuits and so on.

it's not that i am against funny and creative repairs in general. i just dont think they should be encouraged unless they are the very last resort.

 

[RMD]

Probably a VERY VERY long shot but the following Coolscan repair service based in the U.K. might just have the part you are looking for
-wouldn't harm to ask :

website - https://lincolnscan.co.uk/Coolscan.html

e-mail - coolscanuk@gmail.com

 

[yossi]

I am really really very grateful and touched with so many helpful suggestions/advices. I could almost sense that my Coolscan 9000 would spring to life (with a new FPC), very soon

Not practicable. 1.27mm pitch is too corase and fine soldering is often an art.

Original spare or off the shelf FPC is the best way.

The original part is a flexible PCB with stiffeners in the contact area, so the (white) FPC cables are probably too thin in this area but they can be made thicker using several layers of tape, as it is
an one off prototype.

@yossi: if you determine pitch and cable length, i can help you finding something suitable at the distributor.

Thanks for the great idea. While I am not that familiar with FPC, if no other choice I would give it a shot.

join the Facebook Nikon coolscan group and post over there. There are several experts that repair them and can probably figure something out.

Thanks for the suggestion. Joined the group and posted my sad story and seeking help.

Probably a VERY VERY long shot but the following Coolscan repair service based in the U.K. might just have the part you are looking for
-wouldn't harm to ask :

website - https://lincolnscan.co.uk/Coolscan.html

e-mail - coolscanuk@gmail.com

Thanks. Yes, no harm asking, even if it's a long shot.

 

[koraks]

i just dont think they should be encouraged unless they are the very last resort.

Sure. If he can get an original FPC replacement or if it's possible to have one made to the original, that would be obviously the best solution.

 

[yossi]

Not practicable. 1.27mm pitch is too corase and fine soldering is often an art.

Original spare or off the shelf FPC is the best way.

The original part is a flexible PCB with stiffeners in the contact area, so the (white) FPC cables are probably too thin in this area but they can be made thicker using several layers of tape, as it is
an one off prototype.

@yossi: if you determine pitch and cable length, i can help you finding something suitable at the distributor.

Why risk a valuable machine with diy methods? The diy flex PCBs shown have no surface protection or anything.

Just get off the shelf FPC cables if there are suitable ones available and if it would be really really absolutely necessary, a one off Flex PCB just like the original one could be made professionally for <300usd.

I don't think it is very expedient to present the OP as many tinkerer-methods as possible.
One short circuit and the mainboard could be toasted.

It is just not worth the hassle. One has to consider: Do i want to tinker around or do i want do do a repair on a otherwise fine machine?

@Photomultiplier These are really helpful advice/info. If I really couldn't find a replacement FPC, I would have no choice but to fabricate one as you have suggested. Appreciate your help.

 

[Paul Ozzello]

@Photomultiplier These are really helpful advice/info. If I really couldn't find a replacement FPC, I would have no choice but to fabricate one as you have suggested. Appreciate your help.

It looks like someone on the Nikon coolscan FB group gave you some good advice about a replacement cable - that’s awesome. Let us know how it works out !

I recently had my 9000 serviced by Gleb Shtengel (one of the experts in the group) in Virginia and he did a FANTASTIC job on it. Mine needed one of those tiny capacitors on the CCD board replaced (they degrade over time and cause noise and interference in the shadows). He removed the board and put it under a stereo microscope and I swear it must have taken him less than 30 seconds to replace . While he had it apart he cleaned the mirror and lubricated the rails and my scans are much better than before.

If you have problems with film flatness with the Nikon film holders - there’s a German guy on there - Stephan Scharf that makes these incredible 3D printed custom film holders that hold the film super flat. He made me a fluid mount holder to scan 617 and the scans are tack sharp from corner to corner. Best $300 I ever spent!

 

[yossi]

It looks like someone on the Nikon coolscan FB group gave you some good advice about a replacement cable - that’s awesome. Let us know how it works out !

I recently had my 9000 serviced by Gleb Shtengel (one of the experts in the group) in Virginia and he did a FANTASTIC job on it. Mine needed one of those tiny capacitors on the CCD board replaced (they degrade over time and cause noise and interference in the shadows). He removed the board and put it under a stereo microscope and I swear it must have taken him less than 30 seconds to replace . While he had it apart he cleaned the mirror and lubricated the rails and my scans are much better than before.

If you have problems with film flatness with the Nikon film holders - there’s a German guy on there - Stephan Scharf that makes these incredible 3D printed custom film holders that hold the film super flat. He made me a fluid mount holder to scan 617 and the scans are tack sharp from corner to corner. Best $300 I ever spent!

Hello Paul,

Yes, I followed one FB group member's advice and just placed an order for a generic FBC. Once I receive it, I will carefully install it (still nervous) and hopefully my Coolscan would work again. Thanks.

 

[brbo]

If you have problems with film flatness with the Nikon film holders - there’s a German guy on there - Stephan Scharf that makes these incredible 3D printed custom film holders that hold the film super flat. He made me a fluid mount holder to scan 617 and the scans are tack sharp from corner to corner. Best $300 I ever spent!

Can you point me to Stephan Scharf's contact info. I don't have a Coolscan but I'd like to ask him if he'd be able to make holders for other scanners, too...

 

[koraks]

Mine needed one of those tiny capacitors on the CCD board replaced (they degrade over time and cause noise and interference in the shadows). He removed the board and put it under a stereo microscope and I swear it must have taken him less than 30 seconds to replace

That's a 30 second job indeed. Did the same a few weeks ago on a 8000 of a member here.