# Alternatives to ribbon bus cable?

**URL:** <https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883>\
**Category:** Hardware\
**Created:** [May 12, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883 "2018-05-12T23:24:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sethdaniel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/sethdaniel/32/1353_2.png) [@sethdaniel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/sethdaniel)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883/1 "2018-05-12T23:24:53Z")

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Hello. Very very new to Zynthian and trying to gather parts for my first build. I’m buying some of the parts from the Zynthian store but I’m wondering what might be my best alternatives to their 20 euro ribbon bus cable. I want to make my own unique case so I won’t have the same space confinements as you would be if you built a Zynthina from preordered kit. Any recommendations?

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**Author:** ![wolfpaw98](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/ee7513/32.png) [@wolfpaw98](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/wolfpaw98)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883/2 "2018-05-13T01:19:55Z")

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You could make your own. You’ll need two 40 pin connectors and one 26 pin connector [https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10set-FC-6P-FC-8P-FC-10P-FC-14P-FC-16P-To-FC-40P-IDC-Socket/32816934086.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.vTvcbf](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10set-FC-6P-FC-8P-FC-10P-FC-14P-FC-16P-To-FC-40P-IDC-Socket/32816934086.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.vTvcbf) and a piece of ribbon cable.  
[https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-Meter-6-8-10-14-16-20-26-30-34-40-Pin-Way-Gray-Flat/32702045434.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.vTvcbf](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-Meter-6-8-10-14-16-20-26-30-34-40-Pin-Way-Gray-Flat/32702045434.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.vTvcbf)  
You will also need a vice. Check YouTube for videos on how to make ribbon cables. Of course, buying from the Zynthian shop helps keep the project going. 😉

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**Author:** ![wyleu](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/wyleu/32/514_2.png) [@wyleu](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/wyleu)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 11:28am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883/3 "2018-05-13T11:28:50Z")

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Cut up old disk drive ribbon cables

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**Author:** ![jonathaslacerda](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jonathaslacerda/32/1370_2.png) [@jonathaslacerda](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jonathaslacerda)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883/4 "2018-05-23T14:21:07Z")

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I’ll probably will to build my own ribbon cable too. But what schematics I have to follow to build? I have to modify a old IDE cable, our can I use it without any mod? I got this image from Zynthian Wiki and seems like a unmodified IDE cable.

![cable](https://discourse.zynthian.org/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5ad081d92ab4183c817560c8f48afcb4850f45d6.jpg)

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**Author:** ![mheidt](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/mheidt/32/773_2.png) [@mheidt](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/mheidt)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 2:38pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883/5 "2018-05-23T14:38:01Z")

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The magic happens where all the colored ones are leaving the bus.  
And those mustn’t be used later by the screen or whatever follows.  
Still don’t know whether the waveshare35 ppl got it running yet.

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**Author:** ![rockwater](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@rockwater](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/rockwater)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/alternatives-to-ribbon-bus-cable/1883/6 "2018-05-24T01:51:11Z")

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I haven’t at least, sorry 😕