25 pin serial cable advice

[boldford]

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 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.

[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!