Tip: Use wire wrap terminals to connect serial cable

Recently, I needed to attach a serial cable to my GoFlex Home, following the instructions at http://cyanlabs.co.uk/tutorials/seagate-goflex-home-recovery-via-serial. Some of the GoFlex Homes come with a header for the serial port already installed on the PCB, but mine was simply bare solder pads with holes (2 rows of 5). The usual advice is to solder the wires of your serial cable converter to these pads, but for those challenged with a soldering iron, like me, that's a problem.

Instead I used wire wrap terminals (Wikipedia:Wire Wrap). I simply cut the bottom off some wire wrap terminals to about 1/8 inch, and used the wire wrap tool to push them into the pad holes on the PCB. It takes a fair amount of force. Then, I could easily connect the jumper cables of my serial/usb converter with no soldering. As a bonus, it is easy to swap the jumpers around. In my case, I needed to swap the TX and RX cables for some reason.

Unfortunately, since wire wrap is a fading technology, the tool is rather expensive ($37 seems to be the going price on ebay). Ask around. Maybe one of your older friends has one in his toolbox he can loan you. You might be able to get away with using needle nose pliars, but that can be risky. You could easily slip and damage your device. Maybe someone can come up with a cheaper solution.

Parts:

1. Serial/USB Converter: Search ebay for "usb ttl PL2303". Be sure to get one with the jumper cables. About $1.60.

2. Wire Wrap Tool: search for "WSU-30M". $37 and up. Ouch!

3. Wire Wrap Terminals: search for "wire wrap T46" on ebay. 10 pieces goes for about $1.20. I actually bought my terminals decades ago, but I'm *pretty sure* T46 is the right kind.

ouch, I found a scrap PCB at work with some pin headers at the right pitch, de-soldered them and soldered them onto the board, then I printed a circuit board (I did try soldering onto the pins of the header, but it's a bit fiddly, using a tiny PCB (I've done a fair bit of prototyping for PIC projects I've done) and I can break the wires out to a bit more convenient location) and brought them to a 4 pin socket mounted on the side of my GFH - this powers a proper serial level converter and gives me full speed serial interface via a conventional serial port

I use this wire wrap tool
Radio Shack Wire Wrap Tool

laprjns Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use this wire wrap tool
> [url=http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?p
> roductId=2103243]Radio Shack Wire Wrap Tool[/url]

Thanks laprjns! got one from Radio Shack today. They do have them in many different store locations in US, for $6.99 :) but these store don't have the wirewrap terminals. I guess it will have to be eBay?

-bodhi
===========================
[color=#3333FF][url=http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,23630]Forum Wiki[/url][/color]
[url=https://mibodhi.blogspot.com]bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)[/url]

@PhantomsDad,

Thanks for the info! I'd never know such alternative for soldering even exists.

One of the plugs I have, instead of just holes, they are filled with solder. I suppose I would need to desolder them? anybody?

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

If you find the header with the correct ptich (I did on a old hard drive), you can also use old sound card to CDROM cables, they have a matching female connector.

Anybody knows what is the number for wire wrap terminals that are smaller than the T46?
TIA

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

PhantomsDad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Recently, I needed to attach a serial cable to my
> GoFlex Home, following the instructions at
> http://cyanlabs.co.uk/tutorials/seagate-goflex-hom
> e-recovery-via-serial. Some of the GoFlex Homes
> come with a header for the serial port already
> installed on the PCB, but mine was simply bare
> solder pads with holes (2 rows of 5). The usual
> advice is to solder the wires of your serial cable
> converter to these pads, but for those challenged
> with a soldering iron, like me, that's a problem.
>
> Instead I used wire wrap terminals
> (Wikip
> edia:Wire Wrap). I simply cut the bottom
> off some wire wrap terminals to about 1/8 inch,
> and used the wire wrap tool to push them into the
> pad holes on the PCB. It takes a fair amount of
> force. Then, I could easily connect the jumper
> cables of my serial/usb converter with no
> soldering. As a bonus, it is easy to swap the
> jumpers around. In my case, I needed to swap the
> TX and RX cables for some reason.
>
> Unfortunately, since wire wrap is a fading
> technology, the tool is rather expensive ($37
> seems to be the going price on ebay). Ask around.
> Maybe one of your older friends has one in his
> toolbox he can loan you. You might be able to get
> away with using needle nose pliars, but that can
> be risky. You could easily slip and damage your
> device. Maybe someone can come up with a cheaper
> solution.
>
> Parts:
>
> 1. Serial/USB Converter: Search ebay for "usb ttl
> PL2303". Be sure to get one with the jumper
> cables. About $1.60.
>
> 2. Wire Wrap Tool: search for "WSU-30M". $37 and
> up. Ouch!
>
> 3. Wire Wrap Terminals: search for "wire wrap T46"
> on ebay. 10 pieces goes for about $1.20. I
> actually bought my terminals decades ago, but I'm
> *pretty sure* T46 is the right kind.

It seems T46 is not the right size. I've tried on one of my 2 GoFlex Homes which has only row of holes. Could not force them into the hole jackets. I'm afraid to break the board if I'd use more force. They are good for temporary connection, though. If anybody knows which smaller size of wirewrap terminals to try, I'd appreciate the info!

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)