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Help with identifying some cables and adapters
Hi, got into possession of a big variety of different cables, mice and adapters. Most of them were easily identified but there are some that I’m not sure what they are for.

Some help is needed. Thanks in advance.


Posted by: Minja on 2025-12-14 02:06:00
  1. Mac serial to some kind of PC serial, at a guess? 25-pin is probably to plug into a modem, but that's not guaranteed.
  2. A LocalTalk box
  3. Difficult to tell without being able to see the mini-DIN more clearly
  4. AAUI 10BaseT transceiver
  5. Probably also Mac serial to PC-style serial.


Posted by: cheesestraws on 2025-12-14 02:26:44
Yeah the first one looks like the kind of cable that I used to hook up a US Robotics external modem to my Mac back in the day.

Posted by: croissantking on 2025-12-14 03:08:53
Yeah the first one looks like the kind of cable that I used to hook up a US Robotics external modem to my Mac back in the day.
Yes. Thanks, just brought some memories back. I had a modem connected like that.


Posted by: Minja on 2025-12-14 04:25:43
  1. Mac serial to some kind of PC serial, at a guess? 25-pin is probably to plug into a modem, but that's not guaranteed.
  2. A LocalTalk box
  3. Difficult to tell without being able to see the mini-DIN more clearly
  4. AAUI 10BaseT transceiver
  5. Probably also Mac serial to PC-style serial.
Thanks. No 3 is the same just longer.


Posted by: Minja on 2025-12-14 04:26:42
Thanks. No 3 is the same just longer.
#3 only has 5 pins. #5 has 8 pins. Check continuity to see if the 5 pins are the same in both?


Posted by: joevt on 2025-12-14 05:14:50
5. May also be a Mini-DIN 8 RS422 to DB-9 RS422 adaptor (though the DE-9 connector may be the wrong gender for that - mine is 150 miles away ATM so I can’t check). This allows a Mac with a Mini-DIN 8 serial port to use serial devices designed to connect to a Mac 128K/512K/512Ke DB9 serial port. If so, this is what you’ll see when you tone it out:


Mini-DIN 8
Mini-DIN 8
DE-9DE-9
Function: RS422​
Pin​
Pin​
Function: RS422​
HSKo​
1​
6​
+12V​
HSKi​
2​
7​
HSKi​
TxD-​
3​
5​
TxD-​
GND​
4​
1, 3​
GND​
RxD-​
5​
9​
RxD-​
TxD+​
6​
4​
TxD+​
7​
N/C​
RxD+​
8​
8​
RxD+​
Shell​
Shell​


Posted by: Apollonia on 2025-12-15 12:03:26
Oops!
This allows a Mac with a Mini-DIN 8 serial port to use serial devices designed to connect to a Mac 128K/512K/512Ke DB9 serial port
…should also have said and vice-versa - for example this allows a ImageWriter II or similar to be serially connected to a 128K/512K Mac.


Posted by: Apollonia on 2025-12-16 02:28:06
5. May also be a Mini-DIN 8 RS422 to DB-9 RS422 adaptor

that's a good point - yes


Posted by: cheesestraws on 2025-12-16 03:03:32