RS-232

Tons of places -- including your local computer store -- sell these.

...

thank you! i called a local computer store and they said theirs were all straight through that i would need something else... i'll try another one

There's a communication error here, somewhere. DCE to DTE uses exactly a straight-through cable. DTE usually has male connectors, requires a female cable end, and DCE usually has female connectors, requires a male cable end.

Sometimes it's easier to stock 9pin/9pin cables, and add a 9pin/25pin adapter as needed. Did your dealer consider this possibility?

If you're connecting DTE (e.g., a PC) to DCE (e.g., a modem), you want a "straight through" connection... NULL modems are for when you're hooking together two of the same types of equipment (typically PC to PC, although modem to modem has been known to happen).

---Joel

That's a very common cable. It is probably called a "modem cable". Many, if not most, modems still use 25-pin connectors, while almost all computers these days use 9-pin connectors.

The one that Joel linked to is exactly what you describe. Modems are configured as a DCE and computers as a DTE.

First of all, it's EIA- not RS-. Secondly, if there are only 9 pins it's not -232.

Really ?

Oh well. In any case, I am sure that is what the OP was looking for.

The early 232 standard did not even specify a connector. You could use whatever you wanted.

The OP should be aware that 232 is anything but "standard". MOST devices are indeed compliant, but enough aren't that you will occasionally find the need to fake out the handshaking or some other nonsense. Easy enough to do with a breakout box though...

Anyone remember the Kaypro printer?? (As just one famous example of a supposedly RS-232 compliant device.)

-mpm

comes as a standard accessory with many modems.

Used to be. may be easier to buy a 9M-9F cable and a 9F-25M adaptor

that's another option.

straight through _is_ what you want!

DTE-DTE or DCE-DCE needs a cross-over cable,

yeah the standard mandates a 25 pin plug, and manages to use most of the pins, the PC implements a subset and (these-days) presents it on a 9 pin connector.