Serial Cable..... How long can the signal go?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Harper

"I FEEL SO GOOD I FEEL SO NUMB, YEAH!!!"
Messages
6,947
Location
Australia
How long can a serial cable signal port go?

I am currently setting up some Cash Register System where I need to send a serial signal from a cash register to a back office computer. They are about 40 meters apart.

Can this be done?


Is there any ways that we can get a serial signal to go down some thing like CAT5 Cable?
 
After doing some googling, I have found the following :-
http://www.a***eninstruments.com/Support/do***entation/SerialPortBasics/index_pg2.shtml

DATA RATE MAX DISTANCE
19200 bps = 15 meters
9600 bps = 25 meters
4800 bps = 50 meters
2400 bps = 100 meters
1200 bps = 200 meters
600 bps = 400 meters

Basically for my job, I am going to need to hope that hardware does 4800 bps communication.

However it still remains the question of sending a serial single using some thing like a cat5 cable. I really do not want to be joining 2 20m serial cables together.
 
I was under the impression that RS232 signal could travel about 85m at 9600. I have managed that successfully. I use cat 5 cable which is connected to a card reader at one end using terminal blocks (or the such like) and is then terminated into a 9 pin serial connector on the other.
If you want to be 100% certain (i would try the first way first), then you will need to invest in a RS485 converter. This is good for around 1000 - 2000 meters. You need to wire this as above, just including converters at either end.

Ratafia
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom