SparkFun Part Number: CAB-11304

Description: 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

* Original SparkFun product description and images used with Sparkfun permission.