Repinning an edge connector/harness?

Malice95

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For the edge connectors that are commonly found on Atari
PCBs.. how do I go about popping the split pins out to repin the
edge connector?

Is there a special tool I should use?

Thanks,
Mike
 
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I cut the wires and put a whole new edge connector on it, usually the ones you solder onto.

In this case I actually need to move a few wires arond. The edge connector
is good otherwise.

I didnt think to checkot Bob.. I should have. Looks like he has some sort of
tool to do the job. Basically it looks like a pointy stick:)
 
I use a bobby pin, snip an end off and bend it. Hold it with a needle nose pliers and pop the pin right out. Then I use a razor blade to lift the tab back up a bit, to keep pin from pulling back out of the connector.
 
For the edge connectors that are commonly found on Atari
PCBs.. how do I go about popping the split pins out to repin the
edge connector?

Is there a special tool I should use?

Thanks,
Mike

There are usually tools for about everything.
For these, it depends on who the manufacturer is and which connector series it is... and when it was made by them.

I know little about the AMP variety of edge connectors... but am quite familiar with Molex version.
Molex has several versions of edge connectors but the most versions of these connectors all work same way. Push a small 'tool' in from the end to bend the contacts tang back into the contact's body, then pull wire straight back.

Proper extraction tool is -extremely- expensive for what you get...unfortunately. Some people make their own which tends to save quite a bit of moolah.
What you need for these is the Molex 11-03-0016 extraction tool. There are other nearly identical varieties out there that cost considerably less. Two examples being Molex 11-03-0003 and Waldom W-HT-1884. Although these two cost less, don't waste your time or money on them. They are both slightly too wide to fit into the narrow slot on the face of the Molex plugs -- they're useless unless you modify them with a bench grinder to fit.

If buying somebody's tool from a website and they don't have a specific part number listed then -ask-. You don't want to buy the wrong one.

I plan on having a writeup covering these on my website when/if I find the time.

Ed
 
For the edge connectors that are commonly found on Atari
PCBs.. how do I go about popping the split pins out to repin the
edge connector?

Is there a special tool I should use?

Thanks,
Mike

If the edge connector is an original amp connector, the amp split pins are not available and the Molex split pins do not fit correctly. Your best route is to replace the edge connector with a new Molex edge connector and be done with it.
 
I just had to re pin the harness someone had converted my Asteroids Deluxe cocktail to an Asteroids. The coin up 1&2 and player 1&2 were backwards. What I did I found a junk limit switch and cut the leaf with some tin snips to the width that would fit in the square hole that is on the open end of the harness. Here's a photo..
DSC01198.jpg

I pushed it into the hole and it released the pin. Hope this quick and dirty way helps.
The Real Bob Roberts sell a tool I'm looking to get. Hope this quick and dirty way helps. Here's Bob's toolhttp://www.therealbobroberts.net/156ext.jpg
 
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The Real Bob Roberts sell a tool I'm looking to get. Hope this quick and dirty way helps.http://www.therealbobroberts.net/156ext.jpg

Eesh! That home made one is u-g-l-y! But, hey, if it works then it is far cheaper than the real tool.

for Bob's tool - that price of his is below cost for a genuine Molex 11-03-0016. Might be the Waldom W-HT-1884 which looks identical...but doesn't fit into the slot properly.
The Molex tool will be stamped "11-03-0016" on the side.

Ed
 
I used the split pins that Bob R sells (I bought em years ago though) to replace every pin in my Tempest edge connector and they fit fine. Also used on a Centipede edge connector. You'd be surprised how flattened out some of the old pins are. I like to wrap a piece of masking tape around the housing so I can make marks on it as I remove and replace. You could probably just tell by looking at the plating on the new pins vs the old though.. good luck
 
Dokert beat me to it. Good luck finding pins for the AMP connector. The molex pins do not fit correctly. I would swap the whole assembly out with a molex connector. The molex pins are MUCH better than the old amp ones.
 
Duncan Brown showed me that the staples inside of Atari cabs (to put up the back door sheets, etc) are the perfect size to pop those pins out.
 
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