DB-25

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Nullmodem.Com

DB-25 Connector
The DB-25 connector (named for its "B"-size "D"-shaped shell and 25 pins) is
practically ubiquitous in the electronics industry. The DB-25 connector is used for a
variety of purposes. Two common applications are RS-232/EIA-232 (serial)
connections, and the parallel printer interface on the IBM PC. The DB-25 connector
is also used for SCSI connections.

Here's a good set of figures for DB-25 male and female connectors, as viewed from
the pin side (not the solder side).

DB-25 Male

DB-25 Female

Pins commonly used for RS-232/EIA-232 (serial):

http://www.nullmodem.com/DB-25.htm

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DB-25

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DB-25 DB-9 Signal Direction

1
x
2
3
DTE-to-DCE
3
2
DCE-to-DTE
4
7
DTE-to-DCE
5
8
DCE-to-DTE
6
6
DCE-to-DTE
7
5
x
8
1
DCE-to-DTE
20
4
DTE-to-DCE
22

DCE-to-DTE

Signal Name
Protective Ground
Transmitted Data
Received Data
Request To Send
Clear To Send
Data Set Ready
Signal Ground
Received Line Signal Detector (Carrier Detect)
Data Terminal Ready
Ring Indicator

Click here to see the pinout of D-sub 9 connectors.

Common Null-Modem Connection

Signal Name
FG (Frame Ground)
TD (Transmit Data)
RD (Receive Data)
RTS (Request To Send)
CTS (Clear To Send)
SG (Signal Ground)
DSR (Data Set Ready)
CD (Carrier Detect)
DTR (Data Terminal
Ready)
DTR (Data Terminal
Ready)

DB-25
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
7
6
8

D-sub 9
Pin
3
2
7
8
5
6
1

X
-

D-sub 9
Pin
2
3
8
7
5
4
4

DB-25
Pin
1
3
2
5
4
7
20
20

FG
RD
TD
CTS
RTS
SG
DTR
DTR

20

DSR

20

CD

Click here to see the pinout of DB-9 connectors.

DB-25 pins commonly used for the IBM-PC parallel port:

DB-25
Pin

Centronics
Pin

Signal
Description

STROBE

http://www.nullmodem.com/DB-25.htm

Signal
Direction
(at the PC)
Output

Signal Function
Clocks data

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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

DATA Bit 0
DATA Bit 1
DATA Bit 2
DATA Bit 3
DATA Bit 4
DATA Bit 5
DATA Bit 6
DATA Bit 7

Output
Output
Output
Output
Output
Output
Output
Output

10

10

ACKNLG

Input

11

11

BUSY

Input

12

12

POUT

Input

13
14

13
14

SEL
Auto Feed XT

Input
Output

15

32

FAULT

Input

16

31

Input Prime or
INIT

Output

17

36

SLCT IN

Output

18-25

16, 17, 19-30,

33

Ground

N/A

Data line
Data line
Data line
Data line
Data line
Data line
Data line
Data line
Acknowledge
receipt of data
Printer is busy
Printer is out of
paper
Pinter is online
Autofeed
Indicates printer
fault (or when
printer is offline)
Resets printer,
clears printer
buffer and
initializes it
TTL high level
Ground reference
for signal pins 112, in most cables
as twisted pairs.

Click here to see the pinout of Centronics connectors.

DB-25 pins commonly used for SCSI

At one time, Apple used a DB25 connector for SCSI (narrow), but this doesn't allow
twisted pairs and is not compliant to SCSI standards. Some companies like Iomega
still use this connector on new devices. Such connectors have been noted to have
problems on SCSI busses using faster devices such as UltraSCSI (Iomega itself
doesn't recommend using more than one DB25 device, but still uses it for Zip
drives). The HD50 connector is preferred.

DB-25 Pin

LD-50
Centronics
Pin

http://www.nullmodem.com/DB-25.htm

Signal
Description

Signal Function

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1
2
3
4
5
6
7, 9, 14, 16,
18, 24
8
10
11
12
13
15
17
19
20
21
22
23
25

49
46
50
45
44
43
1-11, 1525, 35, 36,
40, 42
26
29
31
32
33
48
41
47
34
27
28
30
38

REQ
MSG
I/O
RST
ACK
BSY

Request
Message
Input/Output
Reset
Acknowledge
Busy

GND

Ground

D0
D3
D5
D6
D7
C/D
ATN
SEL
DP
D1
D2
D4
TermPwr

Data bit 0
Data bit 3
Data bit 5
Data bit 6
Data bit 7
Command / -Data
Attention
Select
Data Parity
Data bit 1
Data bit 2
Data bit 4
Termination Power (+5V)

Click here to see the pinout of Centronics connectors for SCSI.

You can find more SCSI info here.

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This site last updated 7/11/2008

http://www.nullmodem.com/DB-25.htm

10/29/2013