A decade ago, I replaced a failed electronic code entry system on a bank door, because the old one had failed. Basically you type the correct 6 digits and it powers a lock to release the door, rather than using keys.
As I am inclined to do, once home - I pulled it apart to try find out what was wrong with it and eventually determined it was the myler film ribbon cable linking the keyboard PCB, to the main logic board, so I repaired it up with some ordinary ribbon from an old HDD lead. It worked fine, until I tried to get it back in its housing - because of my replacement ribbon taking up more space, it would jam the buttons up. The two PCB's were spaced off the front panel and away from each other by plastic spacers, so I spent ages trying to get these right, so it would work and still fit in its cast alloy box, but it was a bit of a botch using tiny washers, trying to get it to fit and work.
Fed up of walking out to my garage / workshop in my garden, forgetting the keys and going back, I decided to install the entry system on one of my garages side door, to trigger a Yale electronic release. Since when it has worked fine for long periods, but because I'd had to botch it with the ribbon in such a crapped space + my dodgy PCB spacers, I was constantly having to readjust things, whilst I waited for a proper roundtuit.
My roundtuit arrived this week, so I decided to proper go at sorting it out, getting the spacers just right, so it would fit comfortably and properly into its box. Tidying the ribbon up so it was absolutely flat, tidying up the my soldering so there were no spikes to short things out and turning some proper spacers in the lathe, to precise thicknesses from glass fibre rod of 3.2mm between front panel and keyboard PCB and 5.9mm between the two PCB's.
This time it easily went into its box, so I'm fairly confident it is finally fixed.
Yes, I could have gone out and bought a new one, but where is the fun and satisfaction in that?
As I am inclined to do, once home - I pulled it apart to try find out what was wrong with it and eventually determined it was the myler film ribbon cable linking the keyboard PCB, to the main logic board, so I repaired it up with some ordinary ribbon from an old HDD lead. It worked fine, until I tried to get it back in its housing - because of my replacement ribbon taking up more space, it would jam the buttons up. The two PCB's were spaced off the front panel and away from each other by plastic spacers, so I spent ages trying to get these right, so it would work and still fit in its cast alloy box, but it was a bit of a botch using tiny washers, trying to get it to fit and work.
Fed up of walking out to my garage / workshop in my garden, forgetting the keys and going back, I decided to install the entry system on one of my garages side door, to trigger a Yale electronic release. Since when it has worked fine for long periods, but because I'd had to botch it with the ribbon in such a crapped space + my dodgy PCB spacers, I was constantly having to readjust things, whilst I waited for a proper roundtuit.
My roundtuit arrived this week, so I decided to proper go at sorting it out, getting the spacers just right, so it would fit comfortably and properly into its box. Tidying the ribbon up so it was absolutely flat, tidying up the my soldering so there were no spikes to short things out and turning some proper spacers in the lathe, to precise thicknesses from glass fibre rod of 3.2mm between front panel and keyboard PCB and 5.9mm between the two PCB's.
This time it easily went into its box, so I'm fairly confident it is finally fixed.
Yes, I could have gone out and bought a new one, but where is the fun and satisfaction in that?
