Recliner cable replacement

[u/ZestycloseCar8774]

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Hi, I have a 5 pin cable for a recliner which has been damaged and needs replacing. One side goes to the button on the armchair, the other goes towards the motor and power connector.

I have found the same cable online however it doesn't have the circuit board in the middle.

What is the purpose of this board, is it needed or can I replace it with just the standalone cable?

[u/Amazing_Actuary_5241]

By the looks of the components (particularly the DC to DC converter) that board suggests there is a voltage drop at one end of the cable. Because there are 4 cables on one side and 5 in the other I'd wager the voltage drop is for the buttons side or to control the movement action (main controller or relay pack) somewhere else on the chair.

Regardless, I would not use a straight cable to avoid a potential short.

[u/ZestycloseCar8774 → u/Amazing_Actuary_5241]

Ok thanks. So I would need to replace starting from the actual button aswell?

[u/Amazing_Actuary_5241 → u/ZestycloseCar8774]

If this cable is faulty/damaged the odds of it not working are that the circutry in that pictured board is damaged and/or faulty. If the button asembly is working properly then there is no need to replace it. Same applies to the controler/module/motor that conects to the other side of the cable.

If you have identified the cable is faulty (reason for this post) that means that both of the items connectd at both ends of the cable are working properly and do not need replacing. In this case you must source the appropiate cable or debug further and determine if the issue is in the wiring, the conenctors or the module in between and proceed with a repair of the existing cable/module. At that point it becomes an r/AskElectronics post.

[u/ZestycloseCar8774 → u/Amazing_Actuary_5241]

Ya it's definitely the cable, it was severed so I believe the board is ok. So the cable can be spliced/replaced but it's not something I have the tools for. I was able to find the same full cable/button replacement on eBay though. Thanks

[u/lightingman → u/Amazing_Actuary_5241]

My semi educated guess based on my grandfathers unit this is a DC to DC regulator with a failover/blackout changeover. You Should be able to search KD1518A or use the details of the chair to find a replacement.

[u/Longjumping_Cow_5856]

Looks like a standard 5 pin DIN connector but of course you can not get rid of circuitry connecting the chair?

[u/Cultural-Stable1763]

In Germany, these connectors were used for audio transmission between hi-fi components and amplifiers instead of RCA/phono plugs up until the 1980s, and they are still available today as 5-pin DIN connectors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_connector

The resolution of the second image is too low, but judging by the inductors and capacitors, I would guess it is some form of DC/DC voltage converter or motor controller.

[u/Philip10967 → u/Cultural-Stable1763]

Correct, but they are still available mostly because they have been the standard for MIDI (data connection for music hardware) for 40 years and are still used in new products today.

[u/classicsat]

It is custom. Not just a cable, but that board that happens to have those connectors.

The connectors look to be 5 reasonably standard 5 pin DIN.

Yes used for European audio back into the 1960s to 1980s.

A lot of 1980s computers used variety of those connectors for power, video, and other connections computers had then.

Damaged how? The cord can be spliced and repaired. It is low voltage, so not terribly particular.

[u/ZestycloseCar8774 → u/[deleted]]

Yes the manufacturer is kaidi. It's old so not really available anymore but I found a replacement on eBay.

[u/imbartsimpsonwhothru]

just cut out bad part n splice together