Custom DB9 cable
- Male and female 9-position D-sub connector options
- Straight, up, down, left, and right cable exits
- Straight-through, crossed, or customer-defined pin maps
- Molded, terminal, flying-lead, ribbon, and panel-mount builds
- Shielding and shell termination selected for the installation
- Custom length, labels, packaging and revision control
Custom DB9 Cable Assemblies for Serial, Control, and OEM Equipment
A DB9 cable can look correct and still be electrically wrong. The connector alone does not define RS-232, signal direction, handshake lines, or pinout. We manufacture DB9 assemblies to the mating-port gender, source-to-destination map, length, and mechanical drawing you approve. The available range includes 19 standard gender/exit combinations, three gold-shell variants, terminal-block cables, bare-wire leads, ribbon assemblies, and panel-mount tails.
If you need another shell size, compare the broader D-Sub cable collection. For an active USB host connection, use a validated USB to DB9 adapter rather than a passive DB9 cable.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Available Specification |
| Connector family | 9-position D-sub; DE-9, commonly called DB9 |
| Gender | Male or female at either end |
| Wiring | 1:1, selected crossover/null-modem, partial population or approved custom map |
| Cable exit | Straight, up, down, left or right, defined from an approved mating-face view |
| Product formats | DB9-to-DB9, terminal block, flying lead, flat ribbon and panel mount |
| Shielding | Unshielded, foil, braid or combined shielding according to the build |
| Retention | Thumbscrews, jack screws, or panel hardware to drawing |
| Length | Standard or custom, subject to signal and installation review |
| Identification | Cable labels, heat-shrink markers, customer part number and OEM packaging |
| Inspection | Visual, continuity, shorts, and pin-map verification to the released specification |
Confirm the final conductor, plating, jacket, dimensions, electrical limits, and compliance documents on the quotation or controlled drawing.
Learn more about: What is a DB9 Cable?
1# Standard DB9 Cables — 19 Gender and Exit Combinations
Choose the mechanical format closest to your installation, then confirm the wiring, dimensions, and retention details with our team. Every option below uses the same inquiry action.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SSMM
Straight male connectors at both ends; verify the required wiring map.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SSMF
Straight male-to-female assembly for a defined extension or equipment link.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SSFF
Straight female connectors; straight-through or crossed wiring must be specified.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SUMM
Male-to-male cable with one upward cable exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SDMM
Male-to-male cable with one downward cable exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SUMF
Male-to-female assembly that routes one end upward.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SDMF
Male-to-female assembly that routes one end downward.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SUFM
Female-to-male assembly with an upward exit at the angled end.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SDFM
Female-to-male assembly with a downward exit at the angled end.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SUFF
Female-to-female cable with one upward exit; pinout is project-specific.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SDFF
Female-to-female cable with one downward exit; confirm crossover needs.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SLMM
Male-to-male cable with a left-side exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SRMM
Male-to-male cable with a right-side exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SLMF
Male-to-female cable with a left-side exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SRMF
Male-to-female cable with a right-side exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SLFM
Female-to-male cable with a left-side exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SRFM
Female-to-male cable with a right-side exit.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SLFF
Female-to-female cable with a left-side exit; wiring must be approved.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SRFF
Female-to-female cable with a right-side exit; wiring must be approved.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SSMM-G
Straight male-to-male assembly with a gold-plated shell; approve the required signal map and shell bond.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SSMF-G
Straight male-to-female assembly with a gold-plated shell; confirm whether the link is 1:1 or device-specific.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SSFF-G
Female-to-female gold-shell assembly; approve the exact null-modem handshake map.
2# DB9 to Wiring Terminal Cables
P/N: BC-CBD-SMT
Straight DB9 breakout to a screw-terminal block for field wiring.
P/N: BC-CBD-UMT
Up-angle DB9 breakout to a screw-terminal block.
P/N: BC-CBD-DMT
Down-angle DB9 breakout to a screw-terminal block.
3# DB9 RS-232 Bare-Wire Extension Cables
P/N: BC-CBD001-SMT-3
Straight male DB9 to selected bare-wire leads; confirm populated pins.
P/N: BC-CBD001-SFT-3
Straight female DB9 to selected bare-wire leads; confirm populated pins.
P/N: BC-CBD001-DMT-3
Down-angle male DB9 with selected bare-wire breakout.
P/N: BC-CBD001-UMT-3
Up-angle male DB9 with selected bare-wire breakout.
P/N: BC-CBD001-DFT-3
Down-angle female DB9 with selected bare-wire breakout.
P/N: BC-CBD001-UFT-3
Up-angle female DB9 with selected bare-wire breakout.
4# DB9 Ribbon Cable
P/N: BC-CBD001-MM-FR
Color-coded flat ribbon with male connectors at both ends.
P/N: BC-CBD001-MF-FR
Color-coded flat ribbon with male and female DB9 ends.
P/N: BC-CBD001-FF-FR
Color-coded flat ribbon with female connectors at both ends.
P/N: BC-CBD001-MM-FG
Gray flat ribbon with male connectors at both ends.
P/N: BC-CBD001-MF-FG
Gray flat ribbon with male and female DB9 ends.
P/N: BC-CBD001-FF-FG
Gray flat ribbon with female connectors at both ends.
5# Panel mount DB9 cable
P/N: BC-CBD001-D254
A 10-position header lead to panel-mount DB9 male; confirm header pitch and pin-one orientation against your board drawing.
P/N: BC-CBD001-D20
2.0 mm-pitch 10-position housing to panel-mount DB9 male.
P/N: BC-CBD001-D20-P
IDC 10-position lead to DB9 male with a single-hole bracket.
P/N: BC-CBD001-D20-P2
IDC 10-position lead to panel-mount DB9 male with a dual-port bracket; confirm the required populated ports and header map.
A Connector Shape Does Not Define the Interface
DB9 is a connector description, not a complete communications specification. A 9-position D-sub may be wired for RS-232, RS-422/RS-485, CAN, proprietary controls, analog signals, or a manufacturer-specific service port. Even within RS-232 applications, equipment makers may use only TX, RX, and ground, or may require RTS/CTS, DTR/DSR, and other handshaking circuits.
For that reason, gender alone is not enough to select a cable. We recommend checking the equipment manual or measuring an existing known-good cable. A clear source-to-destination pin table prevents the most common problem: a mechanically correct cable that does not communicate. If your requirement is specifically a 9-to-25-pin serial link, see our DB9 to DB25 serial cable and DB9 to DB25 null modem cable pages.
Straight-Through or Null Modem?
A straight-through cable normally connects each used pin to the same numbered pin at the other end. A null-modem cable crosses selected transmit and receive signals so two devices with the same port role can communicate directly. However, no safe universal rule tells you which wiring is inside based on connector gender. A female-to-female assembly is not automatically a null-modem cable, and a male-to-female cable is not automatically an extension.
Handshaking makes the choice more specific. Some applications need only three conductors, while others require hardware flow-control lines or local loopbacks. When replacing a working cable, provide its wiring table or a sample. When designing a new connection, provide both device models and their connector pin assignments.
Construction Choices for the Installation
For an open office or benchtop instrument, a compact molded assembly may be the best balance of handling and cost. Control cabinets often benefit from panel-mount tails, low-profile exits, and positively retained screws. In electrically noisy machinery, shielding strategy and shield termination deserve as much attention as conductor gauge. For internal wiring, ribbon constructions can simplify routing and pin identification, but they are not automatically the right choice for an exposed or noisy environment.
We also ask how the cable will move. A fixed cabinet lead, a frequently handled service cable, and a harness routed near a hinge impose different strain and flex requirements. Sharing a photo or enclosure drawing early helps us choose a practical backshell and cable-exit direction.
Applications
- PLC, HMI and CNC service or programming connections
- Laboratory instruments, data loggers and test fixtures
- Barcode scanners, receipt printers and point-of-sale equipment
- Access-control, building-automation and monitoring systems
- Legacy computers, modems and serial peripherals
- OEM equipment requiring a proprietary 9-pin interconnect
- Panel-mount port extensions and field-service breakout leads
If the host has USB rather than a physical serial port, a passive DB9 cable cannot perform the conversion. An active adapter with a suitable USB-to-UART and line-driver design is required; review our USB-to-DB9 cable options and confirm driver and operating-system support before ordering.
What to Send for an Accurate Quote
Please include as many of the following details as possible:
- Connector gender and view used when describing pin numbers
- Device make and model at both ends
- Source-to-destination pin map, including unused and looped pins
- Signal/interface type and required handshaking
- Cable length and quantity
- Straight or angled exit direction viewed from the mating face
- Shield connection, jacket environment, and flex requirement
- Retention hardware and panel-mount details
- Label, logo, packaging and documentation requirements
- Target compliance documents, if any, for review before quotation
A drawing is ideal, but it is not mandatory. A clear photograph, equipment manual, or known-good sample can often give our engineering team a reliable starting point.
Yes, subject to quotation. List each published part number, quantity, length, and drawing revision on a separate line so that mixed genders and exit directions cannot be confused.
Yes. Send the label artwork, barcode data source, placement, and scan-verification requirements before the quotation.
You can request a pilot build. State what the sample must prove, which devices will be used, and who will approve the released configuration.
For an OEM program, identify any no-substitution components and define how proposed alternatives must be approved. The final arrangement belongs on the controlled quotation or drawing.
Yes, if you provide the kit composition, bag label, quantity per kit, and spare-parts treatment.
Provide the cable label and lot information, the purchase-order line, device models, fault description, the pin or signal involved, photographs, and continuity or functional-test results, where available.
They can be evaluated. Confirm ownership, incoming inspection responsibility, allowable loss, replenishment rules, and the exact manufacturer’s part number.
Use the approved cable part number, drawing, and revision, not only the product name. If those records are unavailable, supply a known-good sample and both equipment pinouts for review.
Yes. Partial population can reduce bulk and simplify a dedicated harness, but the approved drawing should clearly show every connected, open, and looped pin.
The inspection plan can include visual inspection of workmanship, continuity, shorts, and comparison with the approved pin map. Application-level communication testing requires agreed equipment, fixtures, and acceptance criteria.
Related Products
A Practical Approval Process for a Custom DB9 Cable
Start with a usable record
An old cable is often the only surviving reference for a machine. Before sending it for evaluation, photograph its installed position and record which end connects to which device. Identify any repairs or intermittent faults. Do not intentionally create an open circuit in the replacement drawing for a damaged conductor.
Where records are incomplete, separate what is known from what needs verification. A port photograph establishes geometry; a continuity check establishes connections. Neither proves the electrical interface or every function the machine requires.
Agree on the first article checks
Use the sample to answer specific questions. Does the hood clear the enclosure? Can a technician tighten both screws? Does the routing leave sufficient slack without loading the connector? Test the equipment functions that matter in service, including hardware flow control if used, rather than stopping after one successful message.
Record the equipment and software configuration during this check. If communication fails, this helps distinguish a wiring issue from a change in serial settings or the upstream adapter. Avoid altering several variables at once.
Release a configuration that can be bought again
Approval should identify a drawing revision and the accepted sample, not simply say “same as last time.” Keep the connection table, dimensions, and agreed inspection criteria together. Purchasing and receiving can then work from the same definition even if the engineer who approved the prototype is unavailable.
When asking us to quote, send the quantity and installation evidence with that technical package. If a drawing is not yet available, explain what you have; a clear starting record is more useful than an incomplete specification presented as final.
