Buying replacement Type C connectors

https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/a627879b-c9c8-4dd2-9c5f-7ef4319ef5fd.jpeg

When buying a replacement for a USB-C connector, are there specific details I should look for such as pin counts, pin arrangements and mounting post dimensions? Or can I just buy any connector that looks similar?

This is the connector for an XP-PEN Deco mini7 graphics tablet. It loses connection when moving the cable, and the inner part is slightly loose, even though I’ve barely used the thing

Tolookah,

All the dimensions matter, if you don’t get the posts right, it won’t hold to the board well and you’ll be back here, possibly with worse problems.

If the pins aren’t right, you just won’t have anything. See if you can find a part number or manufacturer marking anywhere on the connector, as it would narrow your search down plenty.

jaspersgroove, (edited )

This is the biggest flaw with usb c, though I seem to get downvoted and ridiculed whenever I point it out. The retaining pins are part of the port itself, not the cable plug as is the case with micro usb and lightning cables. So when the retaining system breaks, you can’t just go buy a new cable, you have to replace the port.

The pinouts are standardized so you should just be able to count the number of solder joints and find a connector that mounts to the pcb the same way as the one you’re replacing. Just eyeballing it I found one that looks pretty closed linked below, but I would advise you to do some more research on your own and not just take my word for it.

www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/…/13913753

Looks like this is a fairly common issue for your device, unfortunately. reddit.com/…/xppen_deco_pro_small_ccable_port/?rd…

TrickDacy,
@TrickDacy@lemmy.world avatar

though I seem to get downvoted and ridiculed whenever I point it out

Apparently not. I love how when people say this they usually have more upvotes than downvotes

jaspersgroove,

There’s a first time for everything. Maybe it’s because my previous conversations on this topic happened on Reddit and anyone that doesn’t join the USB C circlejerk there is immediately treated like a moron.

TrickDacy,
@TrickDacy@lemmy.world avatar

I’m guessing it sounded like you were shilling for apple.

I will say that the “circlejerk” circlejerk is tired.

Standards are good. Proprietary apple garbage is not

jaspersgroove, (edited )

Could be, guess it’s my fault for thinking that a charging system should first and foremost be a robust connector and cable system capable of charging a phone, not a fragile “do it all” cable. The biggest drawback with any “do it all” system is that the “all” that is done is inevitably done poorly. You want to defend a connector system that requires going to a repair shop and waiting for hours or days instead of a 10 minute trip to the nearest gas station or convenience store to remedy, be my guest.

TrickDacy,
@TrickDacy@lemmy.world avatar

Haven’t had to have a repair shop deal with any of the 30+ usb-c devices I’ve had.

The funny thing here is you’re trying to say that lightning cables are just meant for charging and they weren’t. They were meant to make money by creating a proprietary licensable technology that mimics usb-c in almost every way

jaspersgroove,

We are literally having this discussion in a post where the usb c port is broken so your choice of sharing your anecdotal experience is deliciously ironic.

I don’t care what it was designed to do, I care about what it does. And what it does is hold up better than usb c, not require a trip to a repair shop if the connection fails, and do a perfectly good job of charging a phone or any other device that it supplies sufficient current to charge.

glibg10b,

I know this is just an anecdote, but I’d like to add that this is the second time this has happened to me with this model of device, and both times were after minimal usage

TrickDacy,
@TrickDacy@lemmy.world avatar

TIL if you post a picture of your anecdote, it becomes universally objective truth. If you describe it in a comment, it’s useless and “delicious irony”

Apple is trash, shill all you want.

southsamurai,
@southsamurai@sh.itjust.works avatar

I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m looking for better understanding of your opinion.

My understanding of the retention being part of the port is to make it less likely for the port to be damaged by use, requiring more difficult replacements compared to the added stress from on cable retention on older formats.

So far, that’s matched my personal experience, where my usb-c devices’ ports hold up better than my micro usb ports. The handful of micro usb devices I have left all have loose ports currently, and did after as little as a year of use. None of my usb-c do, with of of those approaching three years of use (iirc, might be a little less).

Isn’t that a good thing for long term device life?

jaspersgroove,

It all depends on the user and the use case, really. My usb port on my Nintendo switch failed within 2 years and I had to get it replaced, but I have other devices where the usb c seems to work fine. I think the one on the switch broke because I tended to rest it on my stomach while I was playing undocked. On the other hand I have an iPhone 11 that I still charge using the lightning cable that came with my iPhone 6, cuz it just sits there on my bedside table and never really sees any mechanical stress.

USB C is great don’t get me wrong, but to me creating a situation where it is harder for the end user to deal with a failure does not seem like a good thing. Not everyone has the training or the tools to disassemble complex electronics and perform delicate soldering jobs, to say nothing of the e additional time required to make that kind of repair compared to just running to the nearest convenience store and grabbing a new cable or, more likely, just grabbing another one of the 6 you already have in your junk drawer.

southsamurai,
@southsamurai@sh.itjust.works avatar

Fair enough! Thanks for the time :)

I can see that being an issue for sure, what with repairability already being such a dismal thing in electronics. I kinda forget that not everyone is comfortable with opening things up as well. Just that barrier to entry is enough for plenty of people to just buy the next thing instead of repairing.

dgriffith,

Eh? You’ve got your thoughts backwards on the pins.

The inside of a USB C socket is simply a central tang. The inside of a USB C plug has the flex pins that grip said tang and provide the electrical connection. The USB plug, on the cable, is designed to wear out before the socket and it’s easily replaced.

The issue however is that some manufacturers skimp on the mechanical mounting of the socket on their device and flexing of the connector + socket damages its connection to the board.

Funnily enough, lightning connectors are designed the other way around with the components that wear out inside the expensive device. How strange…But that’s coming from a company that doesn’t even want to make a robust covering for the wires in their cables.

nilloc,

People keep mentioning that lightings sockets are built to wear out, but I have iPhone 5S and 5C (the really old color) phones that are still working perfectly. Cleaning lint out occasionally is the only irritant I’ve had with these connectors.

I know it’s anecdotal, but between my family and our years of devices, and that my MacBook Pro with USB-C charging is the most finicky of all my devices, I’m a disappointed by the switch from Lightning connectors. Time will tell though I suppose.

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