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I am looking for a socket which is able to receive the connector of the ThinkPad X41's keyboard ribbon cable. How do I identify the socket so that I can find it on the (German) market?

Background: I want to build a custom keyboard controller, to connect the keyboard via USB.

Annotated photos Picture: Receptacle (left, 20 pins) and plug (22 pins)

pkamb
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feklee
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  • You can buy this as a product: http://www.amazon.com/ThinkPad-USB-Keyboard-with-TrackPoint/dp/B002ONCC6G – markrages Apr 02 '13 at 13:28
  • @markrages Thanks, but none of those keyboards is interesting for me because they are too wide. Also, I would like to add some custom electronics for configuring the TrackPoint without the need for a driver. – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 13:34
  • Too wide? That looks to be the same width as the X60 I'm typing on. – markrages Apr 02 '13 at 15:19
  • @markrages The keyboard you mentioned looks very similar to a T4xx keyboard, and certainly it is much wider than an X41 keyboard (total width: 26cm). For the intended purpose, i.e. desktop usage, it wouldn't make much sense to use a non full size keyboard. My use case is different. – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 15:27
  • I posted a picture of the official ThinkPad USB PCB here: https://superuser.com/a/1548142/122042 – pkamb May 03 '20 at 07:40

5 Answers5

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I've dug up the schematics of the T60 keyboard as well as the X41. There is a very high chance that the keyboard receptacle is AA01B-S040VA1 manufactured by JAE. The landing pattern is the same and it looks very much the same (Google images for the 30 pins version: AA01B-S030VA1)

Molex SlimStack 54363-0478 can be used as a substitute to the AA01B-S040VA1. My previous edits say otherwise because of my bad soldering. After fixing the soldering, it works well.

congIA
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  • It's promising that they still used that receptacle in the T6x, which are not as ancient as the X4x. – feklee Jun 12 '13 at 20:28
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    I find the TE Connectivity's 4-5353512-0 (Data sheet: http://docs-asia.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0db1/0900766b80db1059.pdf) to be a promising candidate. Despite having different male plug, the receptacle looks a lot like what Thinkpads use. Only 2 things need to be checked, first is whether the width at the edges of the keyboard's plug matches the datasheet and if the metal contacts of the keyboard can fit onto the TE's receptacle. I haven't been able to check myself because I don't have a calliper. IBM may use combination of connectors to prevent copying maybe. – congIA Jun 13 '13 at 17:36
  • This all makes a lot of sense. So I mark this answer as accepted, at least until it is ever proven wrong. – feklee Jun 17 '13 at 14:03
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    The AA01B-S040VA1 fits! – feklee Oct 14 '13 at 13:58
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When dealing with unknown connectors, please follow these steps to aid your search:

  1. Measure the "pitch" or distance between connector pins
  2. Count the number of connector pins
  3. Count the number or rows of pins
  4. Measure the pin length/depth
  5. Determine the gender of the connector (male/female... should be obvious ;-) )
  6. Measure the overall dimensions (that's the dimension of the smallest box that can contain the entire thing)
  7. Determine what type of connector it is by function (see next list)
  8. Finally, look for clues for the manufacturer (brand, logo, letter/part number marks, etc.)

Here are the usual types of connectors by functions (lifted from TE's Connector Picture Search which is highly recommended):

  • PCB connectors
  • I/O connectors
  • Power connectors
  • Terminal blocks/strips
  • Terminals/splices
  • RF or Coax connectors
  • Ribbon or Flat Flex Wire
  • Fiber optics
  • Sockets (chip, processor, memory)

Now based on the eighth steps, here's what I can figure out from the information you had provided so far:

  1. -- no guess --
  2. 40 pins
  3. 2 rows (2 x 20 pins)
  4. -- no guess --
  5. you have both the male and female samples
  6. -- no guess --
  7. board-to-board stacked
  8. related to the ThinkPad series of docking stations

Your laptop's datasheet, aka service manual, was released in 2005 so that makes the probable manufacturing year(s) to be around a year or two before that. The connector therefore must have existed in the market during those times +/- 3 years prior or after; somewhere between 2000-2008. Some hints I found (Google) pointed me to this connector datasheet by Japan Aviation Electronics (JAE) which was released (or updated) in 2007 and matches currently known specs of your connector. Please verify further if it indeed is the connector you are seeking by measuring the missing dimensions and comparing it against the datasheet.

EDIT:

From the new dimension data you have provided, the connectors you're looking for is still manufactured by JAE with part numbers AA01A-S040VA1 for the female/socket and AA01A-P040VA1 for the male/plug. Check out the datasheet here.

shimofuri
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  • Thanks a lot for the suggestions! Just some notes: 1. The connector is inside of the laptop, i.e. *not* related to a docking station (position 8). 2. The connector by JAE looks quite different, especially the cable attached to it (keyboard has ribbon cable). – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 18:22
  • Just added dimensions. That gives: **1.** 0.5mm, **4.** 1.5mm, **6.** 15mm × 6mm (socket) – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 18:49
  • The JAE socket is definitely not it. The difference is symmetry of pins: In the ThinkPad plug, the pins in the two rows are mirrored. In the JAE plug, the pins are arranged in a zigzag pattern. – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 19:09
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    I had edited my answer as I was able to match your dimension data with another JAE connector. – shimofuri Apr 02 '13 at 20:33
  • Thanks a lot for digging that up! But, I had a look at the 3D model and unfortunately, the dimensions don't quite fit. The JAE AA01A receptacle has chamfered edges, while the keyboard's plug is strictly rectangular. Maybe I'll should just buy another old X4x and take the receptacle from that. If I'm lucky, then there is something printed on it. – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 23:15
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    You know, you could try contacting JAE with the pictures/info and they might be able to help you @feklee – Passerby Apr 02 '13 at 23:42
  • @Passerby Done. Though, I'm not too optimistic. – feklee Apr 03 '13 at 00:22
  • @Passerby Reply from Jae: "I have looked at your requirement and unfortunately do not recognize it as being a JEA connector." – feklee Apr 04 '13 at 13:19
  • @feklee If you can desolder the connector, try to check and match instead the landing pattern. You can substitute another mating pair of connectors (that's easily sourced) as long as the landing patterns and electrical connections are similar. – shimofuri Apr 04 '13 at 16:12
  • @shimofuri I understand that you suggest I change the connectors to ones that are easy to source - please correct me if I'm wrong. But, I'm not interested in that: In the end I want to have a solution that is compatible with unmodified X40/X41 keyboards. – feklee Apr 04 '13 at 16:41
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I would say sift through a component distributor's website, such as Farnell

Then go about sorting one option at a time.

Connectors > Board-to-board/Wire-to-board/stacking (stacking would be my first choice) > then start selecting various parameters, such as 40 pins, 2 rows, 1.27mm pitch (I'd measure this if possible, but it's fairly standard and looks about right).

Hopefully there won't be too many components found, around 100 or so (4 pages).

If you still can't find it, then try a different branch higher up the tree, such as board-to-board connector, or even ffc/fpc based on your second picture.

Sorry I don't know outright, and good luck!

raaymaan
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  • Thanks for the suggestions! I already found some candidates. Pitch (distance between centers of pins) is 0.5mm, by the way - this socket is *small*. – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 13:55
  • The only problem is that all of the sockets I found are SMDs, but there seem to be solutions, e.g. the [SOIC to DIP Adapter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-32orELxkpE). – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 14:34
  • Is there a reason you don't want surface mount? I don't mean to sound condescending, but if you can't solder SMD components, invest in a decent iron with a needle tip (I use a Weller 0.2mm) or a butane gas iron with solder paste. It really is worth it in the long run! – raaymaan Apr 02 '13 at 16:37
  • I first want to experiment with a breadboard. There is going to be quite some reverse engineering, since I don't know the pin out. – feklee Apr 02 '13 at 17:00
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Use a better magnifying system and look for something that might be a partial model or series number or manufacturer's logo or abbreviation. If you can't see it on the exposed laptop part, look on the mating part instead, they'll both indicate the common series of parts you need to look for. If you still can't see it, desolder one or both connectors and check the bottom. Usually there is some kind of marking on such connectors.

whatever102904
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  • Actually, that was my plan for today. :-) Also I've ordered a second used and broken X41 off eBay. Off of that I can just desolder both components, for usage and for inspection. – feklee Apr 03 '13 at 08:48
  • I now used a microscope to look at the connectors. The only thing printed (embossed) on the outside was a "B" on the plug. Of course it could be that on the backside of the components or on the board itself there is more information. But that requires desoldering, which I may do once I receive the other X41. – feklee Apr 03 '13 at 10:45
  • I finally desoldered (actually destroying the component): There is no manufacturer or model information visible, neither on the board, nor on the backside of the component. – feklee Jul 27 '13 at 19:52
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I was unable to find a supplier for the part in the accepted answer, but I did find another part that can be modified slightly to fit: Molex SlimStack 54363-0489 (distributors).

The dimension D in the datasheet is 0.5 mm too long on the 54363-0489, but can easily be trimmed down with a scalpel. (Actually, it was only 0.15 mm too long for my keyboard connector, but that's within tolerances.)

Molex SlimStack 54363-0489 drawing Molex SlimStack 54363-0489 dimensions

Snowball
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  • Thanks! At least on Taobao, it's fairly easy to get the [original part](https://electronics.stackexchange.com/a/72550/21817). If you have a link to your keyboard project, please consider adding it here. – feklee Mar 19 '21 at 05:38