How To Fix An HDMI Cable Head | Guide To Repair A Broken HDMI
Here’s the deal: you just installed a 5-meter HDMI cable in the walls of your office (or home). Then you realize that someone stepped on the HDMI connector, and your HDMI connector is now broken. What can you do?
You can either repair the broken HDMI cable or buy a new one. Buying a new cable will cost a lot, so replace the broken connector with a new one instead of buying a new one. So in this article, we will describe How To Fix An HDMI Cable Head, so keep on reading if you are a DIY person.
Tools needed to repair a broken HDMI cable.
When repairing a broken HDMI cable connector, you will need the following tools for smooth work. These are:
– Solder
– Desolder wire
– Second HDMI cable (optional)
– HDMI to HDMI connector (optional)
– HDMI connector
– Traps
– Scissors
– Extra power cables
– Multimeter
– Aluminium (optional)
– Crocodile clamp assist (thing)
Steps To Fix A Broken HDMI Connector By Soldering
When repairing your HDMI connector, you must follow the below-mentioned instructions for a smooth operation and great touch-up in your project.
Remove the connector and plastic jacket
First, remove the connector from the broken end by untightening the screws. If the screws don’t open, cut the connector connected to the cable. Now cleanly cut the HDMI cable end, and make sure that the ends are cut equally. Now remove the outer fibre-like covering outside the plastic insulation of the cable on the plastic coat jacket( typically present on HMDI 2.1).
- Strip the plastic jacket coating with a striping tool or a cutter plass.
- Now insert an insulation jacket below the cut cable section.
- It will help later to insulate the cable back in shape.
Remove the metal fibre
After removing the plastic jacket, you will see rough metal wires covering the cable. Also, remove this metal fibre with a cutter plass or blade cutter. Now you will see a metal foil covering the inner copper wires. Strip the foil with a cutter blade. Inside you will see a network of coloured copper wires and a single silver wire. Keep the silver wire away from the coloured wires, as the silver wire acts as a ground wire.
Striping and aligning the inner wires
Now strip the copper wires. For easy operation, first, twist the copper wires a bit, then strip them with a cutter blade accurately until the core of the copper wires is exposed. After stripping the wires, align their wires. Align the wires accurately according to your HDMI connector soldering pattern.
Soldering and making the connections
Arrange the copper wires in a 10 Connector pattern for soldering with a connector. Start soldering the wires one by one. First, solder the wires with a shorter length, then vice versa. A solder of 20-30 watts is enough for the soldering process.
If you have soldered a wire incorrectly, you can remove it by desoldering paste or wire. Make sure that you have made all the connections correctly according to the respective connection site.
Insulating the cable
After done with the soldering, it’s time to give a final finish. Now close the end of the cable with insulation tape upto the new soldered connector end. Keep the ground wire outside the insulation tape from copper wires and between the insulation jacket. Now bind the insulation jacket inserted before with the help of a heat gun. Slightly heat the jacket to make a perfect bind to the cable.
Connectig with metal case
In the final step, cover the HDMI connector with a metal case. These can be found in any computer repair shop and will give your HDMI look like the old one. Place the connector inside the metal case and then press the reaired connector inside with the help of the thumb.
Install the top end of the metal case by tightening the screws, and you are ready. Check your cable by connecting with your device. If it’s working like before, then you are good to go.
How to fix a broken HDMI cable Connector without Solder Wire
If you want to repair or install a new HDMI connector on the end of your cable without a solder wire, you can do so. But in addition to the tools mentioned above, you will also need some other tools, which are:
- 10 Pin connector jig.
- 9 Pin connector jig.
- Hand Tool.
Removing the Connector case and cutting the jacket
First, remove the connector from the broken end by untightening the screws. If the screws won’t open, then cut the connector connected to the cable. Now cleanly cut the HDMI cable end, ensuring the ends are cut equally. Now remove the outer fibre-like covering outside the plastic insulation of cable on the plastic coat jacket( typically present on HMDI 2.1).
- Strip the plastic jacket coating with a striping tool or a cutter plass.
- Now insert an insulation jacket below the cut cable section.
- It will help later to insulate the cable back in shape.
Remove the metal fibre
After removing the plastic jacket, you will see rough metal wires covering the cable. Also, remove this metal fibre with a cutter plass or blade cutter. Now you will see a metal foil covering the inner copper wires. Strip the foil shield with a cutter blade. Inside you will see a network of coloured copper wires and a single silver wire. Keep the silver wire away from the coloured wires, as the silver wire acts as a ground wire.
Aligning and striping the copper wires
Now strip the copper wires. For easy operation, first, twist the copper wires a bit, then strip them with a cutter blade accurately until the core of the copper wires is exposed. After stripping the wires, align their wires. Align the wires accurately according to your HDMI connector soldering pattern.
Insert the wires in Conncector JIG
Align the copper wires inside the 10-pin connector jig accurately, but before inserting them inside the jig, cut them in an inclined pattern from left to right. Now insert them into ten pin connector jig. Now arrange the remaining wires according to 9 pin connector jig as did before. Ensure to make the connection correctly because any miss wiring or a broken wire will lead to a failure in connection. So it’s vital to make wire connections correctly to avoid any failure.
Insert the guiding JIGS into Connector holder
After inserting the wires into the guiding jigs, install the HDMI connector. Install and press both guiding jigs into the connector. Make sure that you have installed it according to the pattern. As:
- Blue Holder is for the ten-pin side.
- Green Holder is for the nine-pin side.
Press the two holders with your thumb until they are locked with the connector. Insert the assembly into the hand tool of the HDMI pattern. Excessive wires are cut with the assembly tool. Remove the Connector plastic covering holding the connector.
Cover with metal case
In the final step, cover the HDMI connector with a metal case. These can be found in any computer repair shop and will give your HDMI look like the new one. Place the connector inside the die-cast metal case and press the connector inside with the help of your thumb.
Install the top end of the die-cast metal case by tightening the screws, and you are ready. Check your cable by connecting with your device. If it’s working like before, then you are good to go. Always plug the newly installed connector in the right way; otherwise, you may not get the desired results.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you repair your HDMI cable connector head. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments.
FAQS
Q: Is there a signal loss in the repaired HDMI connector?
A: Signal loss occurs when the connection is not properly made at the end of the HDMI cable.
Q: Can I repair my device’s HDMI terminal?
A: It depends on your techniques and skill set. If you know you can, then it’s worth the effort.
Q: Can I use AV interference to get a high-definition output from my device?
A: If you want to enjoy the home theater experience, then you can’t have such an experience with a video and audio cable because they only give a maximum display quality of upto 1080p.
Q: Can I attach multiple HDMI devices with a single output device?
A: You can use an HDMI splitter with a single pinout to multiple devices or connections.
