It's 8P8C with a little offset snag
reminiscent of a DEC MMJ, but it's the width of an RJ-11: while an "RJ-45"
Ethernet cable is too wide, a phone handset cord is the right width even though
it obviously doesn't have enough connectors. I messed around with filing down a
junk Ethernet patch cord but that's just making a mess bigger than the icky cable.
I think this is a standard connector, but I'm not sure which?
Sandman Electronics carries what they call a 'universal' modular plug, 8P8C but
the width of a 6P6C or 4P4C (RJ11). You can look at it at
https://sandman.com/products/too5o-blue-universal-mod-plug and they're used for patch
cords for banjos, like used with clip lead butt sets. This way you can have one 8
connection banjo with 8P8C jacks but use it with both the wide 8P and medium 6/4P jacks
(of course NOT the narrow headset 4P jacks).
Wow, that looks very much like it. The only other difference I noticed last
night is it has a key divot on one side, but I might be able to machine that out.
Thanks for the suggestion. I might pick a couple connectors up and crimp a
cable if it fits. It's otherwise wired straight thru except to swap pins 4 and
5 for reasons unclear to me (sadly the Bitsavers documentation on the WorkSlate
is truncated at page 97, so there's no pinout for the port, though I can tell
from the wiring that two lines go to ground and one to voltage).
Just to close the loop - I ended up just buying an entire banjo with the cable
from Sandman (
https://www.sandman.com/products/too6g-modular-2-4-6-8-pin-butt-set-banjo-a…
, part #TOO6G). I figured I'd need some sort of breakout anyway, so that seemed
like the easiest route to go, and I didn't have to worry that I'd farked up
crimping the cable.
The included cable connector's narrow 8P8C is the right width and a careful
swipe or two with a Dremel machined out enough of a divot to match the port
key. Alligator clips and jumpers were enough to wire it up to serial and the
connection is functional and snug.
Thanks for the suggestion, Lamar! It did the job.
--
------------------------------------ personal:
http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems *
www.floodgap.com * ckaiser(a)floodgap.com
-- When two elephants fight, the grass and trees suffer. -- African proverb ---
