Need DB9 to RJ45 Help

KentDub

KentDub

Active Member
So I got my terminal server, used some db9->rj45 adapters that I had left over from my cisco routers. Turns out that they don't have the right pinouts for working with "standard" serial equipment. I can recieve data from them but not send anything. So, I ordered myself a 20-pack of the db9->rj45 modular adapters which allow you to push the pins into whatever location you want.

However, I'm dumbfounded on what goes where! The whole DCE vs DTE thing has me even more confused. I'm usually pretty smart with this kinda stuff, but I need some help with this once as I hear its hard or near impossible to pull the pins out once you put them in. I need to connect a few "standard" things into the terminal server, mainly my UPB PIM, a TrippLite UPS, and a Samsung television.

Copied from perle manual pg 134 (pdf manual)
The terminal server (Perle CS9000) says that its RJ45 ports require the following pinouts:


Pin Circuit Direction Function
1 DCD Input Data Carrier Detect
2 DSR Output Data Set Ready
3 DTR Input Data Terminal Ready
4 S/GND — Signal Ground
5 TXD Output Transmit Data
6 RXD Input Receive Data
7 CTS Output Clear To Send
8 RTS Input Request To Send
Shield P/GND — Protective (Chassis) Ground

conn_rj45f.gif


The modular plugs have the following wires connecting to the RJ45 side, and I can choose what they connect to on the DB9 side.


Pin Color
1 Blue
2 Orange
3 Black
4 Red
5 Green
6 Yellow
7 Brown
8 White


conn_rj45f.gif
(Perle console server) Cat5 stright thru ->
conn_rj45f.gif
-> RJ45->DB9 modular adapter (what colors go to what pins?) ->
conn_dsub9m.gif
-> "normal" db9->db9 cable ->
conn_dsub9m.gif
(end device, such as UPB PIM)

Any help is much appriciated!

Thanks,
Kent
 
I'll take another look at this post when I am in less of a hurry, but it isn't too difficult to extract the pins (at least the male end) with just a screw driver. I assume you have a pin insertion/extraction tool?
 
Can't quite figure out how to make this align... So I *think* I have created a conversion cable of sorts to get my existing cisco db9->rj45 converters to work with the terminal server (I can now send and recieve). From what I can tell, the only pins that were right before were Rx and S/Ground. Is it bad or damaging to equipment for a serial plug to be wired incorrectly?
Code: 
DB9 PIN	COLOR			Adpr RJ45 Pin	Term Function	Maps to new RJ45 pin
1						DCD		1
2	green			6		Rx		6
3	green/white		3		Tx		5
4	orange			2		DTR		3
5	blue & blue/white	4&5		S/G		4
6	brown/white		7		DSR		2
7	orange/white		1		RTS		8
8	brown			8		CTS		7
9						RNG		

(Old pin)->(New pin)
6->6	green	to	green
3->5	w/green	to	w/blue
2->3	orange	to	w/green
4->4	blue	to	blue
7->2	w/brown	to	orange
1->8	w/orange to	brown
8->7	brown	to	w/brown
 
Initially I had a problem because I am color blind. I made myself a chart of sorts writing the colors (as I see them) with the pin numbers. You can see the pin numbers 1-9 on both the female and male RS-232 piece. I also made a hand drawing of the 9 pin setup; it helped me. If you match those pieces up with the 8 wires then it will work. Today for my Digi USB-Serial port connections I am using about 12 of these with CAT5 connections. I had more of an issue with my terminal server with 16 RJ45 connections on it making up those cables.
 
KentDub said:
From what I can tell, the only pins that were right before were Rx and S/Ground.
Click to expand...

That would make sense being you said that you can currently only receive data. Unfortunately I cant help much because I havent used any of these, but most equipment that uses RS232 only requires Rx, Tx, and ground to operate (bi-directionally anyway) but it may be worth the effort to get all the pins correct in case you have equipment that does use the other wires.

I personally know of some cases where it was trial-and-error to figure out wiring on a PTZ camera that used RS232/485 and none of the functions were ever damaged. This may not always be the case, but from what I saw, either the signals are so low that they were not able to do any damage or there is some built-in protection circuitry.
 
The only other suggestion I can make is to double check the pinouts on the converters before you wire them. I say this, because I have gotten converters from monoprice that have had different color wires on different pins. So one batch might have the orange wire on pin #1 of the RJ-45 connector and another patch might have the orange wire on pin #2. So if you only look at a sheet you created that says orange should always be pin #3 of your DB-9 connector, if the colors are swapped on the RJ-45 you will pull your hair out in frustration wondering why it doesn't work. BTW - I'm bald now...... :)
 
sic0048 said:
The only other suggestion I can make is to double check the pinouts on the converters before you wire them. I say this, because I have gotten converters from monoprice that have had different color wires on different pins. So one batch might have the orange wire on pin #1 of the RJ-45 connector and another patch might have the orange wire on pin #2. So if you only look at a sheet you created that says orange should always be pin #3 of your DB-9 connector, if the colors are swapped on the RJ-45 you will pull your hair out in frustration wondering why it doesn't work. BTW - I'm bald now...... :)
Click to expand...
I completely agree. I whipped out the multimeter and put it on it's audible ohm setting to figure out what the existing configuration was on the cisco db9->rj45 adapter. I should also mention, that the matrix I listed in my last post was to temporially replace the normally stright-thru cat5, and "fix" the weirdness of the db9->rj45 adapter -- so if anyone is looking at that in the future don't copy it unless you know for sure you have a cisco adapter.

When I get the new adapters, I think I'm going to plug them stright into the device and run the cat5 directly off of it and lose the DB9 cable completely. I still wish there was an easy way to validate the pins. I'm still worried that I'm making a mistake that I don't know about and it will slowly damage all my new equipment.
 
KentDub said:
sic0048 said:
The only other suggestion I can make is to double check the pinouts on the converters before you wire them. I say this, because I have gotten converters from monoprice that have had different color wires on different pins. So one batch might have the orange wire on pin #1 of the RJ-45 connector and another patch might have the orange wire on pin #2. So if you only look at a sheet you created that says orange should always be pin #3 of your DB-9 connector, if the colors are swapped on the RJ-45 you will pull your hair out in frustration wondering why it doesn't work. BTW - I'm bald now...... :)
Click to expand...
I completely agree. I whipped out the multimeter and put it on it's audible ohm setting to figure out what the existing configuration was on the cisco db9->rj45 adapter. I should also mention, that the matrix I listed in my last post was to temporially replace the normally stright-thru cat5, and "fix" the weirdness of the db9->rj45 adapter -- so if anyone is looking at that in the future don't copy it unless you know for sure you have a cisco adapter.

When I get the new adapters, I think I'm going to plug them stright into the device and run the cat5 directly off of it and lose the DB9 cable completely. I still wish there was an easy way to validate the pins. I'm still worried that I'm making a mistake that I don't know about and it will slowly damage all my new equipment.
Click to expand...

I don't get why you would be going to all this trouble. I get those adapters in abundance with hardware I'm working on. Most of the time I leave them with the equipment and only pack one or two with me?

One thing to note, if you have a POS company in town supporting Squirrel, the "hotel link" adapters for Squirrel are the exact same pinouts. Most POS companies that support Squirrel are swimming in spare adapters. :)
 
Joel Sanderson said:
I don't get why you would be going to all this trouble. I get those adapters in abundance with hardware I'm working on. Most of the time I leave them with the equipment and only pack one or two with me?
Click to expand...
Several reasons:
1. I'm way to anxious to wait for the new adapters
2. I like to learn and figure things out
3. I take great pride in doing things myself
4. I like to know how things work so I can fix them when they break, or customize them to my exact needs

:)
 
I just had to make a couple for a new RS-232 device. I like to be able to utilize Cat5 cable (custom length). Here is a short pictorial. I actually used a hand drawn picture of the Visio picture you see. As long as both sides are identical then you should be alright.
 
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