cables
I have an Altera DE2-115 with an RS232 port. I also have a USB-to-RS232 cable with the connector like this. One is male and the other is female, so they should fit just fine. However, I cannot get them to connect physically due to the protruding screws by the sides.
I can physically unscrew the metal bits on the Altera board, and these connectors would then connect just fine. However, is this a good idea? Will it damage the board somehow?
Are those jumpers beside the connector? Then probably the connector can be connected using the common jumper wires (available with up to at least 10 pins in one housing). Servo cables usually have a different kind of connector (rounded corners).
To make your own jumper leads, you can buy crimp connector housings from pololu. They also sell pre-crimped wires, if you don't want to crimp them yourself.
Soldering will do the job but normally these are intended to be assembled using a crimping tool that fastens the wire on the pin.
Here is a video tutorial
Best Answer
Just unscrew the protruding nuts on one side. You'd think there would be a standard, but there only sortof is and it's only sortof followed. This happens occasionally.
Most of the time, unscrewing the nuts, which are usually jack-screws, won't do any harm. I have seen cases where the nuts held the front plate on or even held things together inside. In those cases, try the other connector instead. Even if a connector comes undone, it won't hurt the signals electrically. Worst case, it falls apart and you wrap some electrical tape around the exposed conducting parts.