iPod Social Outreach Program

iPod repair log.

Model:
iPod shuffle 512MB

Initial Condition:
USB connector has broken off.

Apart from this obvious damage the shuffle plays and the controls operate normally.

Action:
Opened shuffle; used a guitar pick to remove slider then slid out the insides.

USB connecting ribbon has torn in two places.

Was expecting a standard USB connector with 4 wires but this connector has an additional 5 contacts, giving a total of 9 (not sure what these extra contacts are for?). The cable running between the USB connector and the main circuit board has 10 conductors.

The USB plug has a very small circuit board inside it. The board can be removed by breaking the glue bond that holds it in place and sliding it out the back of the plug.

This is the component side.

Tested the ribbon conductors, all 10 appear to be separate channels.

It’s impossible to solder to a ribbon cable this small so I decided to remove the ribbon connector from the main circuit board and solder directly to the connectors pads. Below is the replacement ribbon soldered to the main board.

Here’s a close-up.

The original ribbon connector has 12 contacts, the first 3 of these are tied together on the ribbon. I had to add a jumper to the circuit board to keep the connector pads tied.

At the shuffle’s USB plug I soldered enamel copper wire to the ribbon connector pads (the enamel coating insulates the wires from each other).

I soldered these wires to a ribbon cable.

Then I soldered the coloured wires to the ribbon cable.

Time to test the repair,

and it works!
(actually it wasn’t that simple. Before I got to this stage I made a mistake and soldered the ribbon cable on backwards; luckily nothing blew up)

I glued the USB connector to the end of the main unit (the masking tape is temporary),

and with everything working I slid the circuit inside the shuffle’s housing (I had to trim some plastic off the back of the battery test button to make way for the new wires, but you can’t tell from the outside).

I glued the USB connector in place with supper glue.

One more test to make sure everything still works.

Report:
Replaced internal ribbon cable in shuffle.

iPod shuffle now fully functional.

Notes:
none

Component Summary:

Memory

Battery

Logic Board (removed ribbon connector and replaced with soldered cable)

USB connector (remade connector cable)

Controls

iPod has been returned.