232 Cables
30 August 2008, 07:16 by Chad Reynoldson
Choosing the pin-out of 232 cables seems to be a 50/50 guess. There is a method to make this more of a 90/10 educated guess and it has to do with the gender of the connectors. Please take note that this is not a 100% guarantee because some manufacturers don’t seem to conform to the standard set by the EIA.
If a device is using a male connector (like the AMX NI controllers), then there is a good chance it is pinned out as a DTE device (data terminal equipment). If a device is using a female connector, then it is probably a DCE device (data communication equipment).
So if you need to connect a DTE to a DCE (male to female) you would use straight-through connectivity (2-2,3-3,5-5). This AMX cable is a 10-752. If flow control is needed (7-7,8-8), this AMX cable has not been identified.
If you are connecting a DTE to a DTE (male to male) you would use cross-over connectivity (2-3,3-2,5-5), typically referred to as nulled. This AMX cable is a 10-756. If flow control is needed (7-8,8-7), this AMX cable is a 10-843.
So if you didn’t understand anything from above, just remember this simple rule to get you a 90/10 result. If the 232 cable you are making has opposite genders on each end, then use a straight-through cable. If the 232 cable that you are making has the same genders on each end, then use a cross-over cable.
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