frechett@spot.Colorado.EDU (-=Runaway Daemon=-) (02/03/91)
In my job it is sometimes necessary to do diagnostics on various cables and connections to workstations and terminals and such. I have found the hp48 to be very valuable in this area, but the first thing that I found is that there are alot of differnent connectors out there. As many of you know, building cables for the hp48sx is something of a specialty for me. I have found the simplest method of making a connector end that will be compatible with everything. (we are talking serial connections here only ;) Tis a simple solution that is often overlooked. Buy about a foot of flat 25 wire flat wire. Buy four db25 connectors, two male and two female. These are the type that are designed to catch a piece of flatwire and jam each wire into its own pin slot. Now, hook up one male and one female directly to the cable a few inches apart. Then a few inches down the line, separate wires 2 and 3 from each other for an inch or two and put on the 2nd male with those two wires reversed. Do the same for the female near the end. I know this sounds very simple, but many people just don't deal with flat wire so they never think of things like this. This whole contraption can be wired directly to the end of your homemade hp48 cable if you have one OR if you have an HP cable add one more female (I think the hP cable has a male ) db25 and you can now just plug your your HP cable into the flat wire contraption and connect this to Anything. I of course have connections for other machines, but they are made easier in that I just have to make a 25 to <whatever> connector and then I can plug it into one of the 4 connectors on the flat wire. Hope someone can use the information, I know I do every day. ian -- -=Runaway Daemon=-