RS232 Breakout Boxes

[Tony Duell]

> 
> 
> > From: dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> > On Sun, 7 Oct 2007, Tony Duell wrote:> > >=
>  I can rememebr what 4 are :-)> >> > 1) An old RS23 breakout box. Real slid=
> e-switches to open all the wires,> > and 2mm sockets for cross-patching. Th=
> e main signals are monitored by> > transistor-driven filament lamps, the wh=
> ole thing is mains-powered,, said> > PSU also prvides +12V and -=3D12V outp=
> uts for forcing handshake signals> > ARRGG!!! You've provoked me into build=
> ing a banana-jack breakout box!>=20
>  Of course if you make one, put all the connector combinations
> on each side. Also put an extra connector on it that can be
> used to snoop the data in progress between two machines.

I made up a cable for my 2mm-socket breakout box. On one end is a DB25 
socket, handshake pins strapped RTS-CTS, DSR-DTR-CD and with a bit of 
3-core cable wired to TxD, RxD, Ground. On the other end of that cable 
are 3 2mm plugs. The DB25 goes into a terminal, the plugs go into sockets 
on the breakout box. I can monitor data by pluggin the RxD line plug into 
the appropraite signal on the breakout box, I can open a signal line and 
inject data from the terminal using the TxD plug. 

-tony