SparkFun
USB to RS232 Converter - 6ft
There are a lot of devices out there that still communicate over RS232 but we bet your new laptop isn’t one of them. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you co...
There are a lot of devices out there that still communicate over RS232 but we bet your new laptop isn’t one of them. Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you covered. This 6ft converter plugs into your computer’s USB port and provides you with a DB-9 RSR232 connection. After installing the drivers onto your Windows, Mac or RedHat Linux system, the FTDI chipset inside the cable will enumerate as a COM port with a baud rate adjustable to whatever setup you want to connect to.
We were curious what made this cable work, so we tore one open and found that it’s simply an FTDI FT232 paired with a Zywyn ZT213 RS232 Transceiver. You can find the datasheets for those devices below as well as a link to the FTDI driver page. We’ve also uploaded a copy of the included drivers CD in zip format.
If you’re still trying to wrap your head around the world of USB cables, why not check out our USB Buying Guide?
Includes:
- USB to RS232 Converter Cable
- Driver CD
Documents:
- Datasheet (ZT213LE)
- Datasheet (FT232RL)
- FTDI Drivers
- Drivers CD ZIP
Replaces: CAB-10270
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- baud
- Baud is the signalling rate of a serial connection, often used as the speed setting for UART communication. Matching the baud rate matters because both connected devices must use the same setting for readable data.
- COM port
- A COM port is the way many computers present a USB-connected serial device to software. It matters because it lets you configure or read the board from a computer using serial terminal tools or navigation software.
Find this product in
ZT230E USB-RS232 Converter Datasheet
Datasheet · 885.1 KB · Click any page to view full size
FT232R USB UART Datasheet
Datasheet · 796.4 KB · Click any page to view full size
Supplier page — sparkfun.com
Supplier Description · 504.6 KB · Click any page to view full size
Resources & Downloads
Guides, code examples, and more
Related Tutorials
Free guides on learn.littlebird.com.au
