I've bought packages of this connector from Digikey. However, according to the manufacturer, the crimp tool for the USB cable onto these connectors are no longer sold. For the DIY hobbyists out there, I would like to read about your suggestions on crimping the kit onto the USB cable after soldering is complete. Thanks!
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If you have to use that, a skilled technician with the wrong tools. Needle-nose pliers would be the first and least ideal resort. Something involving a block of metal with a hole drilled in it and then slit in two and mounted in a vice might be better, but harder to design. Or perhaps take jaws for some other similar style of crimper, anneal them and modify.
But the better answer is to avoid hand assembly of such connectors if there is any means at all to do so - it is quite hard to get right, and there's a high risk of the wires coming un-soldered or shorting together inside.
You would generally be better off purchasing manufactured cables with molded on ends and cutting the other end off, or see about having them custom manufactured in a facility that can fill them with some kind of plastic or potting compound.
answered Aug 9, 2011 at 19:45
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\$\begingroup\$ The reason I'm hand-assembling the cable is b/c of a electric modification (or deliberate short) that's on the connector level. What would be your thoughts on that knowing more about the context? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 9, 2011 at 23:04
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\$\begingroup\$ Generally, don't do that. Or if you mean shorting the data lines to signal that you are a charger, do it on the other end. It's not that you can't hand assemble these, but that even very good techs have trouble doing it in a way that's durability would be comparable to a mass produced factory item. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 10, 2011 at 0:01
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\$\begingroup\$ I'm trying to short a Not-Used pin and ground pin according to the design schematic. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 10, 2011 at 1:00
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\$\begingroup\$ If you mean for something like OTG mode switching, my recommendation would be to make one as best you can for the short term and then order such a cable assembly (they are not uncommon for smartphones with limited host capability) to use in the long run. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Aug 21, 2011 at 18:58