I am sorry for the potentially awkward question, but does anyone know how I can figure out how this 9-pin serial is wired, without tearing it apart?
Am I supposed to be able to see how it is wired by looking at it?
How to determine the pinout of this connector
connectorpinout
Related Solutions
Well, just filtering by what you know about the connector yields about 20 possible options on digikey.
From the results, I think it's either a Hirose or JST connector.
Looks pretty close.
Also looks about right. However, it's black.
Is also promising.
One critical thing is that there may be markings on the header for the cable, rather then the connector itself. Since you say this is an xbox of yours, I assume you have both ends for the connector.
Considering that most of these headers are about 75 cents each, it may be perfectly reasonable to just buy a few of each, and try them.
The trick here is filtering.
Start at the digikey "Rectangular Headers, male pins", and start filtering by what you know:
- 12 Pins
- "Connector Type" - "Header, Shrouded"
- "Pitch" - "0.079 (2.00mm)"
- "Number of Rows" - 2
- "Mounting Type" - "Through Hole"
- "In Stock" checked
And that gets you down to a grand total of ~20 options.
From that 20, there look to be two or three possibilities, and the rest can be ruled-out visually. The trick is to look for the indexing tab positions.
It's a shielding ground, usually made of copper braid. It stops stray signals from leaking in or out of the cable.
It should usually be connected at at least one end. I've seen conflicting advice over exactly how it should be connected to minimise noise and avoid ground loops.
Best Answer
You can do a continuity test1 with your multimeter to find out.
Also, here is an image of the pinout for a male connector:
Assuming your connector counts from 1 to 9, you only have to test where pin 1 is and you know the rest.
1: with a continuity test you check whether there is an electrical connection between to points, i.e. if it conducts. You can check what wire is connected to what pin with such a test.