Quick Tips RS232 Cable Pinouts

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RS232 Cable Pinouts
RS-232 (Recommended Standard 232) is the standard for establishing serial data
signals connection between DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) and DCE (Data Circuitterminating Equipment). For over 40 years this standard is commonly used in
computers, networking and telecommunication. A similar ITU-T standard is V.24.
Detailed description of the standard is available from Wikipedia and many other
sources in the Internet. This page provides only the list of signals used in RS232 and
pinouts of most commonly used types of serial cables.
In all the cases the length of the cable should not exceed 25 feet (about 7.5 meters)
unless a signal booster is used. Most commonly used types of serial cable connectors
are 9-pin connector DB9 and 25-pin connector DB25. Each of them can be of female or
male type as shown on the following image.

Signal Names and Descriptions

DB25
Pin #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

DB9
Pin #
3
2
7
8
6
5
1

Name Direction
TD
RD
RTS
CTS
DSR
SGND
CD
-

OUT
IN
OUT
IN
IN
IN
-

SDCD

IN

Description
Protective/Shielded Ground
Transmit Data (Tx, TxD)
Receive Data (Rx, RxD)
Request To Send
Clear To Send
Data Set Ready
Signal Ground/Common Return
Carrier Detect (DCD)
Reserved
Reserved
Unassigned
Secondary Carrier Detect. Only needed if second
channel being used.

13

SCTS

IN

14

STD

OUT

15

DB

OUT

16

SRD

IN

17

DD

IN

18

LL

19

SRTS

OUT

DTR
RL/SQ
RI
CH/CI

OUT
IN
OUT

24

DA

25

20
21
22
23

4
9

Secondary Clear to Send. Only needed if second

channel being used.
Secondary Transmit Data. Only needed if second
channel being used.
Transmit Clock (TCLK, TxCLK). Used only in
Synchronous mode.
Secondary Receive Data. Only needed if second
channel being used.
Receive Clock (RCLK). Used only in
Synchronous mode.
Local Loopback
Secondary Request to Send. Only needed if
second channel being used.
Data Terminal Ready
Signal Quality Detector/Remote loopback
Ring Indicator
Signal Rate selector
Auxiliary Clock (ACLK). Secondary Channel
only.
Unassigned

DB25 to DB25 Cable Pinouts

Straight Through
Cable
DB25
DB25
Connects
Pin #
Pin #
To
1
<-------->
1
2
<-------->
2
3
<-------->
3
4
<-------->
4
5
<-------->
5
6
<-------->
6
7
<-------->
7
8
<-------->
8
9
<-------->
9
10 <--------> 10
11 <--------> 11
12 <--------> 12
13 <--------> 13
14 <--------> 14
15 <--------> 15
16 <--------> 16
17 <--------> 17
18 <--------> 18

Null Modem Cable

DB25
DB25
Connects
Pin #
Pin #
To
1
2 <-------->
3
3 <-------->
2
4 <-------->
5
5 <-------->
4
6 <--------> 8,20
7 <-------->
7
8 <--------> 6,20
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

Loopback Connector
DB25
Pin Connects
Pin #
#
To
1
2 <-------->
3
3 <-------->
2
4 <-------->
5
5 <-------->
4
6 <--------> 8,20,22
7 <-------->
7
8 <--------> 6,20,22
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 <-------->
17
16
17 <-------->
15
18
19

19
20
21
22
23
24
25

<-------->
<-------->
<-------->
<-------->
<-------->
<-------->
<-------->

19
20
21
22
23
24
25

20
21
22
23
24
25

<-------->

6,8

<-------->

22

20 <--------> 6,8,22
21
22 <--------> 6,8,20
23 <-------->
23
24
25

DB9 to DB9 Cable Pinouts

Straight Through
Cable
DB9
DB9
Pin # Connects To Pin #
1
<-------->
1
2
<-------->
2
3
<-------->
3
4
<-------->
4
5
<-------->
5
6
<-------->
6
7
<-------->
7
8
<-------->
8
9
<-------->
9

Null Modem Cable

DB9
DB9
Connects
Pin #
Pin #
To
1
<-------->
4
2
<-------->
3
3
<-------->
2
4
<--------> 1,6
5
<-------->
5
6
<-------->
4
7
<-------->
8
8
<-------->
7
9
<-------->
9

Loopback Connector
DB9
Connects
Pin #
Pin #
To
1
<--------> 4,6,9
2
<-------->
3
3
<-------->
2
4
<--------> 1,6,9
5
<-------->
5
6
<--------> 1,4,9
7
<-------->
8
8
<-------->
7
9
<--------> 1,4,6

DB9 to DB25 Cable Pinouts

Straight Through
DB9
DB25
Pin # Connects To Pin #
1
<-------->
8
2
<-------->
3
3
<-------->
2
4
<-------->
20
5
<-------->
7
6
<-------->
6
7
<-------->
4
8
<-------->
5
9
<-------->
22

Null Modem
DB9
DB25
Pin # Connects To Pin #
1
<-------->
20
2
<-------->
2
3
<-------->
3
4
<--------> 6,8
5
<-------->
7
6
<-------->
20
7
<-------->
5
8
<-------->
4
9
<--------> 22

DB9 and DB25 to RJ45 Cable Pinouts

There are many different ways to interconnect DB9 or DB25 with RJ45. The tables
shown below represent just few examples that may not be applicable for your particular

case.
Console Cable
Cisco Console Cable
Null Modem Cable
DB2
RJ4
DB2
RJ4
DB2
RJ4
DB9
DB9
DB9
5
5
5
5
5
5
Pin
Connects T
Pin
Connects T
Pin
Connects T
Pin #
Pin #
Pin #
Pin #
Pin #
Pin #
#
o
#
o
#
o
1
8 <--------> 2
1
8
1
8 <--------> 3
2
3 <--------> 3
2
3 <--------> 3
2
3 <--------> 5
3
2 <--------> 6
3
2 <--------> 6
3
2 <--------> 6
4 20 <--------> 7,8
4 20 <--------> 7
4 20 <--------> 3
5
7 <--------> 4
5
7 <--------> 4,5
5
7 <--------> 4
6
6 <--------> 2
6
6 <--------> 2
6
6 <--------> 1,2
7
4 <--------> 5
7
4 <--------> 8
7
4 <--------> 8
8
5 <--------> 1
8
5 <--------> 1
8
5 <--------> 7
9 22
9 22
9 22