1m USB to Serial DB9 Male Adapter Cable, RS-232, Genuine FTDI Chip, Black

The CableLeader U1102-XXXX is a USB to RS-232 serial converter cable that adds a standard COM port to any computer with a USB port. It ends in a DB9 male connector and is built on a genuine FTDI FT232BL controller paired with an ADM213E line transceiver. The family ships in 1 m in black with a driver disc in the box. Serial ports disappeared from computers two decades ago; the equipment that needs them did not.

The USB end is a standard Type A plug that seats in any USB port on a laptop, desktop or hub. Once the driver is loaded the operating system presents a virtual COM port, and every terminal program, configuration utility and vendor tool that expects a serial port works against it unchanged — no software rewrite, no protocol translation, no configuration beyond selecting the assigned port number.

The chipset is the part worth paying attention to. FTDI virtual COM port drivers remain maintained across current Windows, macOS including Apple Silicon machines, and Linux, whereas driver support for several competing controllers has narrowed sharply, and cloned chips are actively refused by current driver packages. Field technicians standardise on FTDI for precisely this reason: an adapter that stops working after an operating system update is worse than no adapter at all.

An ADM213E RS-232 line transceiver sits behind the DB9 connector. This is what produces true RS-232 voltage swings rather than the logic-level signalling a bare converter chip outputs, and it is the difference between an adapter that talks to real serial equipment and one that only works against another TTL device. Three LEDs printed TX, POWER and RX are set into the hood.

Those indicators earn their place in the field. A dark POWER LED means the port is not enumerating and the problem is the computer or the driver. A TX LED flashing with no RX response means the computer is transmitting and the device is not answering, pointing at baud rate, cabling or the device itself. Diagnosing that split in seconds is why serial adapters with indicator LEDs are preferred on site.

The black jacket provides a professional appearance and blends into standard office, rack, and enclosure installations.

Compatibility & Ordering Information — U1102-XXXX suits any equipment presenting an RS-232 serial interface, including network routers, switches and firewalls with DB9 console ports, PLCs and industrial controllers, CNC machines, UPS units, POS terminals and receipt printers, industrial scales, GPS receivers, telescope mounts and laboratory or test instruments, from any Windows, macOS or Linux computer. This family ships in 1 m in black. If the target equipment has an RJ45 console port instead of DB9, see the USB to RJ45 console cable family; note that some equipment expects a null modem crossover, which is a different cable arrangement.

Product Comparison: USB to Serial DB9 vs USB to RJ45 Console Cable

Both cables convert USB into an RS-232 serial link. What changes is the connector on the equipment and, with it, the kind of equipment each one serves:

Rule of thumb: look at the socket on the equipment. A nine-pin D-sub takes this cable; an RJ45 marked CONSOLE takes the console cable. Both give the computer a standard COM port, so terminal software and workflow are identical either way.

FAQ

What is the difference between a USB to DB9 serial cable and a USB to RJ45 console cable?

The connector on the equipment end differs, not the underlying serial link. DB9 is the classic nine-pin D-sub serial port found on PLCs, instruments, UPS units and older network gear, while RJ45 console ports look like Ethernet sockets but carry RS-232. Both need a USB-to-serial converter; choose the cable whose equipment end matches the socket in front of you.

Will this cable work on Windows 11 and on a Mac with Apple Silicon?

It uses a genuine FTDI FT232BL, and FTDI maintains virtual COM port drivers for current Windows, macOS including Apple Silicon, and Linux. That is the practical reason to specify FTDI: driver support for several competing controllers has narrowed, and cloned chips are refused outright by current driver packages. A driver disc is included, though downloading the latest driver from the chipset vendor is usually preferable.

Do I need a null modem adapter with this cable?

It depends on the equipment. A USB-to-serial cable presents the same arrangement a built-in PC COM port did, so it connects directly to devices designed to attach to a PC. Equipment that also expects to be the computer side needs a null modem crossover, which swaps transmit and receive. If a link is wired correctly but completely silent, a missing null modem is the most common cause.

How do I install and use it?

Plug the USB end into the computer and install the driver from the included disc or the chipset vendor's site, then check Device Manager on Windows or the device list on macOS and Linux for the assigned COM or tty port. Open that port in a terminal program at the baud rate the equipment specifies. The POWER LED confirms the port has enumerated.

Which USB to serial adapter should I choose for field service work?

Prioritise the chipset over the price. A genuine FTDI-based adapter keeps working across operating system updates, which is the failure mode that strands a technician on site. Indicator LEDs are the second consideration, because they separate a cable or port fault from a configuration fault without opening diagnostic tools. Match the equipment connector last — DB9 here, RJ45 for console ports.