Solo Gimbal HDMI bypass thread

[just_bruce]

Folks:

I'll be posting up files and info here which I've gathered as I sought to develop a bypass for the many broken micro HDMI connectors on gimbals.

I'm hoping someone will be able to use this info. Hopefully to get a board produced, but however it comes in handy.

Please do not post to FaceBook or other walled gardens. Linking is OK, but I want this information to stay out in the open for ANYONE to access.

First up is my spreadsheet of pin data.

 

[just_bruce]

Some high resolution photos of the board with the FPC and HDMI connectors removed

 

[just_bruce]

Different view to allow for tracing

 

[just_bruce]

This is a high-quality FPC connector by Wurth. Part Number 687122182122

I know @RichWest has found the exact factory connector, so consider this an alternative

 

[just_bruce]

This is my choice for a better Micro-HDMI connector for the bypass. I'm not convinced just using a full-size HDMI connector isn't a better idea, but this one by YAMACHI [Part No. PKS019-4000-0] at least has all the pins along one edge so checking for and fixing any cold joints is much easier.

 

[just_bruce]

I wish I were better able to do proper signals layout for things like this. I am PAINFULLY slow at it.

I'm hoping that maybe with all these resources someone else might get to it before the heat death of the universe

 

[RichWest]

Appreciate the shared info. I would homerun a cable directly to Solo's main board. Basically a FPC to Male Micro-HDMI cable assembly... I want to say i mapped the two connection (pin to pin) at one time, but where it is now....I have no clue.

The factory FPC seems temperamental, maybe how the ribbon lays into it makes that way. Starting new, your choice for a Wurth is way better.

Back when, @user_name provided me with several cable assemblies - usb, hdmi and gimbal data. He is the master of fine soldering and terminations. On the USB he used a flexible USB cable with the jacket stripped back. He spliced in some silicon wires to give me a dead soft connection to an IMU I was using for vibration data collection on my gimbal test fixture. I imagine the same could be done here...

 

[just_bruce]

Appreciate the shared info. I would homerun a cable directly to Solo's main board. Basically a FPC to Male Micro-HDMI cable assembly... I want to say i mapped the two connection (pin to pin) at one time, but where it is now....I have no clue.

The first post has a pin mapping of FPC to the existing MicroHDMI connection. Or is that not what you meant?

I had considered a PCB which adapted from the SOLO's HDMI mapping to one of the bog-standard
20 conductor HDMI FPCs. That would let you have the direct connection from easily available parts.

The factory FPC seems temperamental, maybe how the ribbon lays into it makes that way. Starting new, your choice for a Wurth is way better.

Back when, @user_name provided me with several cable assemblies - usb, hdmi and gimbal data. He is the master of fine soldering and terminations. On the USB he used a flexible USB cable with the jacket stripped back. He spliced in some silicon wires to give me a dead soft connection to an IMU I was using for vibration data collection on my gimbal test fixture. I imagine the same could be done here...

After having read up a little bit on HDMI signal pathway layout, I'd say that a dedicated PCB would be most reliable. Capacitances and signal crossovers are part of what causes or rejects artifacts at the data rates that HDMI runs at

 

[RichWest]

I never expanded the pin layout image, now I see that the two are mapped...thanks for pointing it out.

I tend to look at everything as a mechanical issue. The nuts, bolts and torque type of stuff. I often fail to factor in that the magic pixies have to align to make things work beyond just good enough... I always appreciate the exchange from the correct perspective. I'll go back to my corner now....

 

[just_bruce]

I never expanded the pin layout image, now I see that the two are mapped...thanks for pointing it out.

I tend to look at everything as a mechanical issue. The nuts, bolts and torque type of stuff. I often fail to factor in that the magic pixies have to align to make things work beyond just good enough... I always appreciate the exchange from the correct perspective. I'll go back to my corner now....

So long as you don't stay there too long....

 

[just_bruce]

I never expanded the pin layout image, now I see that the two are mapped...thanks for pointing it out.

I tend to look at everything as a mechanical issue. The nuts, bolts and torque type of stuff. I often fail to factor in that the magic pixies have to align to make things work beyond just good enough... I always appreciate the exchange from the correct perspective. I'll go back to my corner now....

For your edification and my/others reference later on:

HDMI Layout Guide

Be warned, it is technical and math-y

 

[fpvsteve]

I like what you are doing!
My solution when I did the Solo gimbal mod for the newer Hero cams was to replace all stock HDMI cabling with one ribbon HDMI all the way back to the main board. That solution doesn’t look very nice, but it’s reliably working now for almost one year now.

 

[Naid01]

Very Nice. Can u possibly link where u bought the hdmi ribbon?

I like what you are doing!
My solution when I did the Solo gimbal mod for the newer Hero cams was to replace all stock HDMI cabling with one ribbon HDMI all the way back to the main board. That solution doesn’t look very nice, but it’s reliably working now for almost one year now.
View attachment 10762

 

[just_bruce]

Very Nice. Can u possibly link where u bought the hdmi ribbon?

They are commonly available. eBay, RC sites, Amazon, Aliexpress.

If I might politely ask that we not dilute this thread too much? I'd like to keep it on the bypass efforts related to the top-of-gimbal HDMI port.