I am making a PICAXE download cable from an old RS232 cable, but the information I have found on the web is confusing. Here's what I think is correct: pin 2 from the DB9 goes to the sleeve of the stereo plug; pin 3 from the DB9 goes to the ring of the stereo plug; and pin 5 from the DB9 goes to the tip of the stereo plug. No connection to any of the other DB9 pins! Right?

Thanks.

ETA: See post #13 in this thread for the answer.

 

Here is a link - http://profmason.com/?p=218

and another - http://dave.fraildream.net/picaxe/pxhwser.shtml

 

Thanks. I saw both of those and therein lies some of my confusion. The first link doesn't mention a 3.5mm stereo plug, and the second link shows some of the DB9 pins connected to each other.

 

Its up to you where you connect the wires to the male stereo plug.
As long as, when you wire the JACK, you wire the corresponding wire from the 232 to the picAXE.

If you re-read starting from step 4, i think it will be more clear now. It tells you what pin from 232 connects to the picAXE. Therefore, when wiring the plug and jack, make sure they go where they should. As long as they correspond, you can use any area on the jack and plug that you want.

 

Its up to you where you connect the wires to the male stereo plug.
As long as, when you wire the JACK, you wire the corresponding wire from the 232 to the picAXE.

If you re-read starting from step 4, i think it will be more clear now. It tells you what pin from 232 connects to the picAXE. Therefore, when wiring the plug and jack, make sure they go where they should. As long as they correspond, you can use any area on the jack and plug that you want.

Thanks. I am sure you are correct, but I should have explained more throroughly.

I am am buying a PICAXE kit that has a project board with a 3.5mm female stereo connector for the programming cable, but does not include the cable. I haven't gotten the kit yet, but I am trying to electrically duplicate the factory cable so that when the kit arrives, I'll be ready.

Guess I'll have to wait until the kit gets here to be certain how the jack is factory wired and therefore how to wire the cable.

 

That would be the best thing to do. The board may have the pin location printed on it or in a manual that comes with it.

If not, follow the traces from the plug to the corresponding pins on the PICAXE chip and wire it from according to that.

 

You can NOT make this cable. As it contains some hardware. Take a look at the cable doc here (select go USB).
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/

 

I thought you were using RS232, not usb.. Am I wrong?

 

Am I wrong?

Of course you are always wrong
Since I did contribute to some confusion. I will make it good. But always remember Google is your friend. The PICaxe USB cable is a USB to RS232 converter. It need a driver so I guess it will behave as RS232 port seen from the software.
I found one cable description here http://dave.fraildream.net/picaxe/pxhwser.shtml

Edit. Oh this looks just like the cable in Beenthere posting. My bad

 

Consider your hand smacked.

And yes. Me and 'being correct' havent mingled much lately

 

I thought you were using RS232, not usb.. Am I wrong?

No, you are correct.

The original PICAXE programming method was via a serial port using three wires from the DB9 (pins 2,3, & 5). To make it easier to connect and disconnect the programming cable from the PCB, one option used a 3.5mm stereo jack on the board and a 3.5mm plug on the cable. No USB was used until more recently when a USB cable was developed.

However, the USB cable costs $25 or so (plus shipping) and, me being tight, I am going with the serial cable which costs $7 or so (plus shipping.) But, me still being tight (and having an old RS232 cable taking up space in a box), I am making my own.

And, I finally found the data I needed on the PICAXE website, so thanks again for your efforts.

 

You should post the solution to make it easier for others who have the same problem.

 

You should post the solution to make it easier for others who have the same problem.

See page 37 of this document: http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/docs/picaxe_manual1.pdf


Here is my pictoschematic.