USB cable with solderable wire

[Ogitek]

If you will cut a USB cable in half. The wiring are so thin or not solid enough to be soldered. What kinds of wiring is this?

How do you find USB cable with wiring that is solid enough to be soldered?

[BlownUpCapacitor]

If the conductors are thin, It's likely just because it's a cheap cable.

The wire is called stranded wire. It is also of high gauge because it's cheap.

To find a USB cable with thicker conductors, you buy a higher quality cable.

[wraper]

If you have problem soldering it, it's problem with you, not the cable. Data wires normally should be 28 AWG.

[pickle9000]

Some wire is woven with plastic. That allows it to be much thinner and flexible, not to mention cheap.

Try exposing the wire as best you can, quickly heat up with an open flame, blow it out if it catches on fire. Apply flux and drag
the end through some molten solder on your iron. You should see a small 1mm section tinned. Cut up to that and away
you go.

[wraper]

Some wire is woven with plastic. That allows it to be much thinner and flexible, not to mention cheap.

Try exposing the wire as best you can, quickly heat up with an open flame, blow it out if it catches on fire. Apply flux and drag
the end through some molten solder on your iron. You should see a small 1mm section tinned. Cut up to that and away
you go.

This is high speed data cable, not earphone cable.

[Ian.M]

OTOH it could be fake CCA wire.   A flame test would detect that.

[xrunner]

If you will cut a USB cable in half. The wiring are so thin or not solid enough to be soldered. What kinds of wiring is this?

How do you find USB cable with wiring that is solid enough to be soldered?

If it's the same tiny wire I've run into before, it might seem like it doesn't take solder. I've repaired a friends earphones which had the tiny earbuds, it was hard to do.

The point is that tiny wire that's used has a coating on it sort of like enamel wire does, which insulates it. But it's not an enamel coating. It won't take solder unless you "burn" off the insulating material. You must leave the iron on it till that coating melts off, and then it's ready to be soldered.

I don't know if this is the trouble you are having or not though. I may be describing the same thing as this -

Some wire is woven with plastic. That allows it to be much thinner and flexible, not to mention cheap.

Try exposing the wire as best you can, quickly heat up with an open flame, blow it out if it catches on fire. Apply flux and drag
the end through some molten solder on your iron. You should see a small 1mm section tinned. Cut up to that and away
you go.

[voltsandjolts]

Consider not cutting the cable, and instead plug the cable to a connector on breakout board.
Lots of breakout board options available on eBay etc.

Example micro usb breakout:

[Jwillis]

Just a side note word of advice. Don't buy those cheap USB cables sold at checkouts. They aren't worth dog snot. They won't last a couple hours charging a cell phone before they burn up. The wire is thinner than a Gnats pubic hair. Leave them in proverbial junk bin they are displayed.

[Ogitek]

USB 2.0 uses 28 gauge AWG wire.

I found out the LEMO crimps can only accept gauge 26 to 22.  The 28 is too small for it so it can slip when crimping. The 32 to 28 gauge crimps are not carried by any suppliers.

So where can I find a USB 2.0 with 26 gauge wires (instead of the normal 28 gauge)? Are there milspec USB 2.0 cable with 26 - 22 gauge wires inside?

I found out USB 3.0 cable has 26 gauge wires but it has 9 wires inside instead of just 4 wires. Getting 9-wire USB 3.0 cable with only 4 connecting to the LEMO connection can mess things up.

[wraper]

USB 2.0 uses 28 gauge AWG wire.

I found out the LEMO crimps can only accept gauge 26 to 22.  The 28 is too small for it so it can slip when crimping. The 32 to 28 gauge crimps are not carried by any suppliers.

So where can I find a USB 2.0 with 26 gauge wires (instead of the normal 28 gauge)? Are there milspec USB 2.0 cable with 26 - 22 gauge wires inside?

I found out USB 3.0 cable has 26 gauge wires but it has 9 wires inside instead of just 4 wires. Getting 9-wire USB 3.0 cable with only 4 connecting to the LEMO connection can mess things up.

There is a simple hack for that. You strip insulation from a longer piece of wire, and fold it back and forth several times until you have required conductor thickness. For example if you have 28AWG wire but need 26AWG for crimp, you fold it just once.

[Ogitek]

USB 2.0 uses 28 gauge AWG wire.

I found out the LEMO crimps can only accept gauge 26 to 22.  The 28 is too small for it so it can slip when crimping. The 32 to 28 gauge crimps are not carried by any suppliers.

So where can I find a USB 2.0 with 26 gauge wires (instead of the normal 28 gauge)? Are there milspec USB 2.0 cable with 26 - 22 gauge wires inside?

I found out USB 3.0 cable has 26 gauge wires but it has 9 wires inside instead of just 4 wires. Getting 9-wire USB 3.0 cable with only 4 connecting to the LEMO connection can mess things up.

There is a simple hack for that. You strip insulation from a longer piece of wire, and fold it back and forth several times until you have required conductor thickness. For example if you have 28AWG wire but need 26AWG for crimp, you fold it just once.

Have you or anyone actually tried that with a Lemo crimp? Also without any Lemo crimping tools. Can I just use long nose pliers to crimp them? It's just one cable I need.

[wraper]

Have you or anyone actually tried that with a Lemo crimp? Also without any Lemo crimping tools. Can I just use long nose pliers to crimp them? It's just one cable I need.

I've done this with many different connectors with no issues. As of not having crimping tool. I guess you could try crimper for small ferrules but YMMV.

[Ogitek]

What is more difficult to solder?

1. a new wire into a new USB male head
2. a LEMO connector
3. a 0603 SMD resistor/capacitor?

My only experience is soldering DC jack like this. I can't imagine how to avoid the 4 pins from sharing one blob of solder. I tried soldering a 0603 SMD resistor but destroyed the PCB. Is soldering a Lemo as difficult as soldering a 0603? About the crimp. If it is not attached to the plastic connector securely. It can eject back when plugging in the equipment, isn't it.

[wraper]

My only experience is soldering DC jack like this.

It's not even soldered, just wire covered in solder blob that is not attached to connector terminals at all.

[wraper]

If it is not attached to the plastic connector securely. It can eject back when plugging in the equipment, isn't it.

Contacts are held by two barbs that have nothing to do with crimpable part.

[xrunner]

My only experience is soldering DC jack like this.

It's not even soldered, just wire covered in solder blob that is not attached to connector terminals at all.

I agree, that is a poor solder job. Looks like you need more flux ... 

[wraper]

Looks like connector terminals were heavily oxidized and no surface cleaning was done.

[Ogitek]

I have never used flux before in soldering. And I don't want to do it first time with a LEMO.

Ok. Who can help me solder a USB cable to the LEMO?  The following is the pin configuration:



I plan to use this LEMO connector at Ebay. You can order it so it ships directly to you. Then please choose the best USB cable. Will you use shielded cable? Of course before anything else. I'll pay you in paypal or amazon gift certificate. The finished product will be shipped to New York pickup at your place via UPS (you book it so your address is kept hidden (you can use fictitious "from" address)).

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185704165011?epid=1918294288&hash=item2b3cd4ae93:g:HqgAAOSwcxFjoC~~&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwJacea6RlePBSif3FvqANJSeChrPB%2FpAPzQ%2BeDDoVBaL1dnUFb8y3zUkkHcKVJAQr0Ww7kQQhB6zUWWH9wmlKn5P5zUDcIUt9lVKgRp0Knq99GM6G5bpM%2Bj%2FGWEXIRf9UBxVH5uKM4yJFpiVgzaaWrFIhp7JCSJchGDnGUK%2B6YeEPSCAvFTUPB1nTj62qNGE95inwHc1nmTcnuOaqdRjR74sQ4fheg7VPKDFSqfMG3tFD7v525PAm4OeN%2B1J9fkfZQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9rgxYmfYw

[xrunner]

I have never used flux before in soldering. And I don't want to do it first time with a LEMO.

Yes you have. It's inside the electronic solder you are using (rosin core solder) ... unless ... you aren't using solder for electronics (rosin core solder). 

Please tell us you are using rosin core electronics solder.

Adding more flux is NOT going to be a problem. I think you need to perfect your soldering skills before you go into any more projects. But what do I know I've only been doing this for over half a century. 

[Ogitek]

I have never used flux before in soldering. And I don't want to do it first time with a LEMO.

Yes you have. It's inside the electronic solder you are using (rosin core solder) ... unless ... you aren't using solder for electronics (rosin core solder). 

Please tell us you are using rosin core electronics solder.

Adding more flux is NOT going to be a problem. I think you need to perfect your soldering skills before you go into any more projects. But what do I know I've only been doing this for over half a century. 

100% of electronic solder has flux inside now? The soldering lead is made in china, very cheap.

The LEMO connector doesn't have to be FGG.0B.304.CLAD52Z... it can use CLAD42 for example, and doesn't have to have the Z (strain relief) at end.  Does any USB cable have diameter of 4mm instead of 5mm?

[Ogitek]

Doesn't anyone of your do electronic service/repair for a living? Please pm me. I need your service in soldering the USB-LEMO cable.

[Ogitek]

I've come up with a natural solution that doesn't require me to solder the connector. There is this Eonvic FFG.0B to USB cable suggested to me earlier but I didn't get it because the keying is wrong (FGG instead of FGC and I don't want to saw the key to avoid wrong rotation). But after learning more about them and acquiring a set of used FGC shell that is obsolete now. I will just try to replace the shell of the Eonvic with that of the FGC. Does anyone know the pin configuration of the "PD Movie". What's a PD Movie? If the pins don't match. Then I have to cut the cable in half and rewire all the 4 wires, at the cost of lost of any shield (if there is).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKV73C1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

What other USB to 4 pin LEMO do you know besides it, which I can acquire and reconfigure?

[MathWizard]

1 thing I don't like about fixing USB cables, is when they have powder on the wires. I've had wires that seemed sticky, and had dust/powder on them. The powder would be for helping them flex.

[Ogitek]

After more searching. I realized the original PD Movie USB-LEMO cable made by Ikan has really original LEMO connector but no stock. The Eonvic only uses china LEMO clone. I have 2 china LEMO connector clones coming from Aliexpress anyway. I don't know how mixing china internal part in an original used FGC shell will do. And not to mention rewiring all the wires in the USB, which has powder?  If I indeed rewire them. I can just connect the shielding by touching them without soldering?

Ok. What is the worst thing that can happen if the pins touch each other and data lines were shorted to positive or ground. Are all USB 2.0 protected from shorting, or are there USB ports that don't have any protection at all?