Small and Light-weight connection of BS2 to PC
John Kauffman
Posts: 653
Small and lightweight connection from BS2 to PC
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I am building a very small and lightweight project around a BS2 for field data collection. It will be brought back to the lab and the data off-loaded to a PC. I have done this type of project on BOE, but in this case I will add the sensors on the bottom of a 28 pin socket to make a smaller package. Adding a serial 9 pin jack would be prohibitively large and heavy.
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My plan is to connect the four necessary BS2 pins to a very small four-pin female jack (scabbed from status LED connections to a PC motherboard). Then cut the end off of a serial cable and solder the four correct wires to a corresponding lightweight male jack
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I studied the pin diagram at the bottom of· http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/prod/schem/bs2revf.pdf. If I orient the wide part of the jack at the top the pins are numbered 1 to 5 from left to right. I am not sure of the perspective of that diagram. Is it looking form the outside into the holes of a female jack?
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I also studied the jack on my BOE. Again, with the wide at the top, there are very small markings on the face that indicate on the top row pins 1 to 5 from right to left.
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Another clue is the traces on the bottom of the BOE which indicate that pin 1 is on the right because pin two goes to SOUT and from pin 4 to the caps.
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I have three questions:
Suggestion: change the bottom of the BS2 schematic to show a 3D view of the connector so reader can see if the connector is male or female and if the perspective is from inside the connector or viewing it from the outside.
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Thanks.
·
I am building a very small and lightweight project around a BS2 for field data collection. It will be brought back to the lab and the data off-loaded to a PC. I have done this type of project on BOE, but in this case I will add the sensors on the bottom of a 28 pin socket to make a smaller package. Adding a serial 9 pin jack would be prohibitively large and heavy.
·
My plan is to connect the four necessary BS2 pins to a very small four-pin female jack (scabbed from status LED connections to a PC motherboard). Then cut the end off of a serial cable and solder the four correct wires to a corresponding lightweight male jack
·
I studied the pin diagram at the bottom of· http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/prod/schem/bs2revf.pdf. If I orient the wide part of the jack at the top the pins are numbered 1 to 5 from left to right. I am not sure of the perspective of that diagram. Is it looking form the outside into the holes of a female jack?
·
I also studied the jack on my BOE. Again, with the wide at the top, there are very small markings on the face that indicate on the top row pins 1 to 5 from right to left.
·
Another clue is the traces on the bottom of the BOE which indicate that pin 1 is on the right because pin two goes to SOUT and from pin 4 to the caps.
·
I have three questions:
- Is there a standard color code for the lines within a serial cable that can be used once the cable is cut? Which color goes to which BS2 pin?
- Is there a fool-proof way to know which wire of the serial cable to connect to which pin on the BS2?
- If I get it wrong will it just not work or will I see blue smoke?
Suggestion: change the bottom of the BS2 schematic to show a 3D view of the connector so reader can see if the connector is male or female and if the perspective is from inside the connector or viewing it from the outside.
·
Thanks.
Comments
I don't think there is a color code standard, other than red for power, black for ground. But you should thoroughly document whatever you build, and can create your own color code.
As for checking the connections, you could use a multimeter to do a continuity check.
I can't tell you if you'll hurt anything if you connect it wrong...I guess it really depends on what you do wrong!
One thing you might consider, however, is that instead of chopping an end off of a serial cable, it might be easier / wiser to buy a couple of serial connectors from an electronics part supplier, and build an adapter.