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Appendix E: Making NonstandardSerial Connections
The dedicated serial-device/serial-port connectors on the ServSwitch Multi’s User Cables and Server Cables
support the EIA/TIA RS-232 interface, pinned out on DB9 according to TIA-574 (IBM PC/AT and PS/2
compatible). This means that you’ll need adapters or interface converters to connect various types of serial
devices and ports to these connectors:
•Apple equipment: The serial ports of early Macintosh models, as well as older Apple LaserWriter®Plus
printers, have DB9 female connectors, but this is a proprietary EIA/TIA RS-422/423 interface rather than a
standard RS-232 interface. You will need an interface converter to connect one of these to a ServSwitch
Multi User or Server Cable. You will need an interface converter, and maybe special cabling too, to connect
Macintosh type 8-pin mini-DIN RS-422/423 serial ports (such as those on Mac Plus computers and Image
Writer®II printers) to a User or Server Cable. We don’t recommend that you make connections like these; if
you absolutely have to do so, call Black Box Technical Support.
•Wrong-gender DB9 connectors: To connect a RS-232 serial device that has a DB9 male rather than a DB9 female
connector to a User Cable, or to connect a computer’s RS-232 serial port that has a DB9 female rather than
a DB9 male connector to a Server Cable, you will need a DB9 gender changer such as product code FA440.
•DB25 female connectors: To connect an RS-232 serial device that has a DB25 female rather than a DB9 female
connector to a User Cable, you will need a DB25-male-to-DB9-female adapter such as product code FA612.
To connect a computer’s DB25 female RS-232 serial port to a Server Cable, you will need a DB25-male-to-
DB9-male adapter such as product code FA614.
•DB25 male connectors: To connect an RS-232 serial device that has a DB25 male rather than a DB9 female
connector to a User Cable, you will need a DB25-female-to-DB9-female adapter such as product code
FA616. To connect a computer’s DB25 male RS-232 serial port to a Server Cable, you will need a DB25-
female-to-DB9-male adapter such as product code FA610.
•Other interfaces: To connect serial devices or ports designed for some other interface (EIA/TIA RS-530 or
RS-449, ITU V.35 or X.21, etc.) to the ServSwitch Multi, you will need an interface converter. We don’t
recommend that you make connections like these; if you absolutely have to do so, call Black Box Technical
Support.