25 pin serial cable advice

[Fivetide]

May I offer a word of caution in referring to the PC's 25 pin connector as serial. Used conventionally the printer port presents the data 8 bits at a time in a parallel format. The serial port proper (RS232) of a PC is usually a 9 pin connector.

Whilst our usual CNC applications (Mach3 or LinuxCNC) using the paraport are not using it in a quite the conventional manner we should be careful not to confuse it with the traditional serial port of a PC.

I hope nobody takes offence at what might seem like pedantry.

Well you have educated me boldford and thats not easy ..ask any of my teachers .. although I think they will all be dead by now lol :)

[irving2008]

Well you have educated me boldford and thats not easy ..ask any of my teachers .. although I think they will all be dead by now lol :)

to continue your education and confuse you further... serial data cables (where the data is sent on 1 wire, 1 bit at a time) used to be 25pin D-types. Thats because you often had a primary and secondary (data and control) channel in the same cable. When IBM designed the PC they decided the serial port was only for modem communications and, since only 8 pins are needed for a single channel, used a 9-way Male D type to save costs. I have several 9-way to 25-way DTE-DCE cables from those good 'ol days. In their infinite wisdom they also decided to add a printer port, but again to save costs, opted not to use the Centronics parallel connector but a 25way D Female (to distingush it from a 'serial' 25 Dtype which is Male on an end device). Thus years of confusion and misery were born while people searched for the correct cable.... :)

[Fivetide]

to continue your education and confuse you further... serial data cables (where the data is sent on 1 wire, 1 bit at a time) used to be 25pin D-types. Thats because you often had a primary and secondary (data and control) channel in the same cable. When IBM designed the PC they decided the serial port was only for modem communications and, since only 8 pins are needed for a single channel, used a 9-way Male D type to save costs. I have several 9-way to 25-way DTE-DCE cables from those good 'ol days. In their infinite wisdom they also decided to add a printer port, but again to save costs, opted not to use the Centronics parallel connector but a 25way D Female (to distingush it from a 'serial' 25 Dtype which is Male on an end device). Thus years of confusion and misery were born while people searched for the correct cable.... :)

DEAR GOD ! why something so bloody simple has to be so bloody complicated ?

anyway ... I'm going to pick up a CS17364 from CPC after work.. this is all pins connected -male -male and 25 pins.

CS9115, CS17364 wiring: all pins connected 1-1, 2-2 etc.
Manufacturer: PRO SIGNAL
Order Code: CS17364
Manufacturer Part No: PS11274
CS17361, CSLEAD106/9 wiring: 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 20-20
Manufacturer: PRO SIGNAL
Order Code: CS17361
Manufacturer Part No: PS11270
CSLEAD28/29 wiring: 1-1, 2-3, 3-2, 4-5, 5-4, 6&8-20, 7-7, 20-6&8
CS17365 wiring: 1-NC, 2-3, 3-2, 4-6, 5-5, 6-4, 7-8, 8-7, 9-NC
CS15858 wiring: 1&6-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1&6, 5-5, 6&, 7-8, 8-7, 9NC (Null Modem)
CS17360 wiring: all pins connected 1-1, 2-2 etc.

[Fivetide]

I've ordered a gender changer but it will take upto 10 days to get here.. bugger

There must be money in making them like farnells got them at over £50 for a ft long ??

http://uk.farnell.com/l-com/csmuz15m...1ft/dp/1896063

[boldford]

I've ordered a gender changer but it will take upto 10 days to get here.. bugger

There must be money in making them like farnells got them at over £50 for a ft long ??

CSMUZ15MM-1 - L-COM - CABLE ASSEMBLY, DB15 MALE / MALE | Farnell United Kingdom

Those prices are enough of an incentive to encourage one get to grips with using a soldering iron!