Re: [NTLK] DB9-to-MiniDIN Serial Cable

At 10:08 AM 6/14/2006, you wrote:
>Dear all,
>
>To come back to the technical issue:

Spoilsport, oh okay.

>According to the definition of a serial connection there is a so called DTE
>and DCE.
>Any PC or computer like is considered DTE,while a modem is a typical DCE.
>(DTE = Data Terminal Equipment and DCE = Data Communication Equipment)

Well, no, since the early 80s (the introduction of the IBM PC) there
have been numerous deviations from this guideline as can be seen by
the proliferation of gender changers, null modem devices, and 9 pin
to 25 pin converters. This is not just in the realm of PCs, is an
embedded computer a DTE or a DCE? For convenience many devices are
made to look like a DCE (modem) so that they can plug into a PC with
a "straight through" cable even though they are DTEs (computers) by nature.

Unless you have good control on the designers of both ends of the
conversation, interchangeability has always been a problem with
RS-232. This is why I said "Yes, it has".

>Thus it is not easy to tell who is right.
>There is only one thing that can be stated:
>in case the cable works, it is DEFINITELY NO MODEM cable,
>but who cares?

Exactly, but it seems to be a modem cable because in it's original
use case it was used to hook a Mac to a modem. If you take it out of
it's intended use case some adjustments may be necessary. (let me
look in my box of converters and I'm sure we have a combination that
will make it work)

>I hope this clarifies the issue.

Well put, but I'm afraid I can't argue with you anymore, the time on
this thread is up :-)

Andrei

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