x1541

Hello, I've built several of these cables... On Tuesday 12 December 2000 20:12, you wrote: By making a chart, of the pin numbers on the connector, and then one-by-one testing with an ohmmeter until you have determined the layout. AFAIK, there is no universal color code for the inside of a parallel cable. However, I took an easier (but less politically correct) approach. I purchased a C-64 printer cable off of eBay for about $3, and cut it in half. This gave me two cables, with a DIN-5 attached to one end of each. I then made a color / pin chart of these cables (much easier, only 5 conductors now...). I bought a couple of DB-25 male connectors & hoods from Radio Shack, and soldered them onto the ends. The basic cable can be made this way in about 20 minutes. In one case, I made the basic X1541 cable, and in another, I made the second design that uses the diodes. The cable with the diodes is more flexible; it will work on just about any type of parallel port, whereas the basic X1541 *requires* a SPP (standard) parallel port. Most newer machines can change the type of port in the BIOS, but this is a hassle, and it tends to confuse a certain MS operating system that we will not mention. Is there a sequence Solder the wires; that is the only way to connect them. There are also crimp style DB connectors, but IMO, they suck (and they require additional investment in tools). Good luck, this is a fun and very worthwhile project. You will feel all goofy when you see that 1541 drive light come on, and data starts moving into the PC. -- Bill Layer Sales Technician <b.layer(a)vikingelectronics.com>