| Brand | Plugable |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 67.31 x 3.81 x 1.52 cm; 42.52 g |
| Item model number | PL2303-DB9 |
| Manufacturer | Plugable |
| Colour | silver |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Item Weight | 42.4 g |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
Buy new:
£24.99£24.99
Dispatches from: Amazon Sold by: Plugable Europe
Save with Used - Like New
£9.94£9.94
Dispatches from: Amazon Sold by: Amazon Resale
Plugable USB to Serial Adapter Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux (RS-232DB9 DTE Male Connector, Prolific PL2303HX Rev. D Chipset)
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Learn more
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. For a full refund with no deduction for return shipping, you can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition.
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
| Compatible devices | Laptop, Desktop |
| Specific uses for product | PC |
| Connector type | usb |
| Colour | silver |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 67.3 x 3.8 x 1.5 centimetres |
About this item
- USB TO RS232 SERIAL - Connect legacy DB-9 serial communications devices to a modern computer with USB
- LEGACY SUPPORT - Add a 9-pin DB9 RS-232 serial port to any modern computer, replaces built-in or PCIe serial adapters, recommended for use with a serial cable or NULL modem cable
- FLEXIBLE - Programmable baud rate from 75 bits per second to 128,000 bits per second. Plug-and-play creation of a COM port. Powered by USB; no external power needed
- COMPATIBLE - Genuine Prolific PL-2303HXD Chipset for widest possible compatibility with Windows (11, 10, 8.x, 7, Vista, and XP), Mac, Linux, and other platforms
- 2 YEAR WARRANTY - We love our Plugable products, and hope you will too. All of our products are backed with a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty as well as Seattle-based email support
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Product Description
Easily add an RS-232 9-pin serial port to any computer with our PL2303-DB9 USB to Serial Adapter!
This adapter will let you connect older serial devices to modern computers, for terminal services, data transferring, remote control, and programming. Supports baud rates from 75bps to 12Mbps, multiple stop bit and parity types.
Connect legacy RS-232 serial devices to any modern computer
Plugable's USB to Serial Adapter features Prolific's PL-2303HX Rev D chip for the best combination of support and performance with a wide range of RS-232 serial devices. Drivers are built-into Windows 11, 10, 8.x, 7, and most Linux distributions, drivers are available for Windows XP, Vista, and macOS.
Connector compatibility note
This adapter replaces a legacy built-in or PCI serial port and features a fixed male port with screw in connection. For connecting devices that also have a male connector an inexpensive DB9 coupler or standard serial cable can be purchased separately.
Compatibility
Works with devices with RS-232 serial ports such as other PCs with RS-232 ports, Bluetooth serial adapters, telescopes, amateur radio gear, GPS receivers, routers, firewalls, modems, plotters, embedded character displays, scan tools, sonar units, embedded boards and many others. Works with software like: HyperTerminal, TeraTerm, WinDBG, all open source serial software on Linux, etc.
Genuine
We use only genuine Prolific serial chipsets in our adapter. Some inexpensive serial adapters use cloned Prolific serial chipsets that will not work with the latest Prolific drivers, both those available for download and the drivers embedded in Windows. Because we only use genuine Prolific chips, our adapter is always compatible with the latest drivers from Prolific.
From the brand
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At Plugable, we design products for productivity. And we know that work can happen anywhere–at a desk, on the road, in an office, and more often than ever, at home.
Every Plugable product–from dongle to docking station–is designed and tested by our team in Redmond, Washington to work anywhere you work.
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This item ![]() Plugable USB to Serial Adapter Compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux (RS-232DB9 DTE Male Connector, Prolific PL2303HX Rev. D Chipset) | Recommendations | |||||
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| Price | £24.99£24.99 | £15.89£15.89 | £25.99£25.99 | £8.29£8.29 | £15.99£15.99 | £8.99£8.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Sep 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Sep 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Sep 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Sep 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Sep 25 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Sep 25 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold by | Plugable Europe | DTECH-UK | VTOP INDUSTRY LIMITED | Xiatiaosann | VTOP INDUSTRY LIMITED | AVACON EU Direct |
| connector type | usb | usb | USB 2.0 Type-A, RS232-DB9 | usb | USB 2.0 Type-A, RS232-DB9 | USB to RS-232 DB9 Male (9-pin) |
| number of ports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| current rating | 1 amps | — | 0.5 amps | — | 0.5 amps | 1 amps |
| input voltage | — | 15 kilovolts | 5 volts | — | 5 volts | — |
| power plug type | no plug | no plug | no plug | — | no plug | no plug |
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Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
| ASIN | B00425S1H8 |
|---|---|
| Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | 48,624 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories) 48 in Serial Adapters |
| Date First Available | 28 May 2011 |
Warranty & Support
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What's in the box?
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the functionality, ease of installation, and build quality of the electronic adapter. They mention it works flawlessly, installs easily, and is a solid piece of equipment. Some also say it's a handy piece of kit well worth the price and the perfect solution for serial port communication when using a laptop or similar device.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the functionality of the adapter. They mention it works flawlessly, immediately with their Windows 8 laptops, and straight out of the box. Some say there are no problems with actual use.
"...driver, but after re-installing it and restarting the computer, it worked perfectly...." Read more
"Worked perfectly for a Garmin Geko 201 handheld GPS.When I got the GPS my computer had a serial port...." Read more
"...So first the good news, it worked perfectly & first time...." Read more
"...Linux already has built-in drivers for this adapter & works well but I was surprised to find it also works 'out of the box' with FreeBSD and OpenBSD..." Read more
Customers find the installation process of the adapter easy. They mention it works with older serial devices, has clear instructions in the box, and is plug-and-play. Customers also appreciate the excellent technical support. They say the adapters attach easily to the cable and Windows automatically downloads and installs the drivers.
"...driver compatibility issues, but this one worked out the box, plug and play first time. Really nice cable quality. Highly recommend!" Read more
"...Simple set-up and worked first time. Deep joy! Serial card in bin!!..." Read more
"...No additional drivers required! This is a huge bonus for me as I use all three operating systems on a small netbook (Asus EEE 901)...." Read more
"...No fuss, no hassle, minimal cost and I don't now have to replace a £200 camera for want of the correct cable and socket!" Read more
Customers are satisfied with the build quality of the adapter. They mention it's a solid bit of kit, and the chipset is very reliable. Customers also say the adapters are well-made and will not come apart with movement.
"...Really nice cable quality. Highly recommend!" Read more
"...use in mind but the point of my review is: This is an exceptionally well made cable adapter. Very sturdy and good quality...." Read more
"Nicely made, quality feel unit but appears not to be compatible with my intended application...." Read more
"...Aparts from this everything else is fine, build quality good and of course shipping fantastic A*..." Read more
Customers appreciate the value for money of the electronic adapter. They say it's a handy piece of equipment well worth the price. Some say it works straight out of the box with the included drivers.
"...No fuss, no hassle, minimal cost and I don't now have to replace a £200 camera for want of the correct cable and socket!" Read more
"...This is a handy piece of equipment well worth the price." Read more
"...unit is more expensive than the fakes but it works and is worth every penny.A top quality product from a top quality supplier." Read more
"...Saved me a lot of money and the hassle of buying a new tester." Read more
Customers like the connection of the adapter. They mention it's a good USB serial port cable, the perfect solution for serial port communication when using a Laptop or similar device without a serial port. Some say it makes a reliable connection and is good for making a Serial port on a MacBook.
"Really good USB serial port cable. There are two advantages with this cable...." Read more
"...chipset which is arguably one of the most compatible and stable usb to serial UARTS. Does the job perfectly." Read more
"...Note.. this product worked with the drivers on the cd and no internet connection was used." Read more
"...Huh?! no serial port!After a search on the web I found this Plugable USB to RS-232 DB9 Serial Adaptor.Ordered,..." Read more
Customers like the compatibility of the electronic adapter. They mention it works with all versions of Windows, every serial device, and older serial devices.
"Works well with all the serial comms I've tried so far. Selected this one since it uses the Prolific chipset which I found to be very reliable...." Read more
"...has the standard prolific chipset which is arguably one of the most compatible and stable usb to serial UARTS. Does the job perfectly." Read more
"It is expensive right, but it is compatible to every operating system. The item looks gucchy and works fine for me...." Read more
"...It is compatible with Windows Vista, XP, 7 and 8 in 32 & 64 bit versions as well as Mac OS 10.4 and above...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the driver support of the adapter. They mention it comes with working drivers for all Windows. Some say Windows 10 has the drivers built-in.
"...Comes with a driver disc but as I run Windows 7 64bit I simply connected it to the telescope and plugged it into the PC which found a driver within..." Read more
"...I didn't check with older versions.Very good drivers support.You could find a cheap alternative, but this is tested and proven to work." Read more
"...one worked first time - it is a quality product and Windows 10 has the drivers built in...." Read more
"...This one worked first time, came with a driver CD, small manual, proper box, and links to help if I needed it. Brilliant!!" Read more
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When I got the GPS my computer had a serial port. The next PC didn’t so I bought a serial card which worked fine – until I reinstalled the OS, when the port number changed unexpectedly. Hassle and time. The current PC is Win7 based – I tried installing the serial card in that and using XP/Vista drivers. No joy; more hassle and time. I might have cracked it over time but for the small sum involved I went for Plan B – the USB/Serial adaptor. Simple set-up and worked first time. Deep joy! Serial card in bin!!
The 2nd big plus for this device is that it is transportable between computers. So I can use it on PC’s at home or a laptop on the move. Not applicable to me but another plus point is that you could use other serial devices with it (not simultaneously, of course).
I followed the instructions and installed the drivers onto my Dell Vostro laptop prior to plugging in the USB end of the cable. I then plugged in the USB plug and XP immediately recognised it. From then on, I just had to connect the other end up to the inverter and I was away. Apart from my problem explained below, everything worked as I hoped.
So first the good news, it worked perfectly & first time. I haven't tried it with Windows 7 or 8 but the driver information says it will work with those operating systems as well. Plugable Technologies even sent me an email before the cable had arrived to point me to the latest drivers on the web site.
The bad news is that the two nuts on the RS232 end of the cable are female. The plug pins are male but the two retaining nuts are female (effectively mimicking the serial ports you used to get on PCs & laptops). In my case, the socket on the Inverter is female (as expected) but it also has female retaining nuts.
The end result is that you can't actually plug the cable in to the inverter because the retaining nuts prevent the two ends from plugging into each other. Unfortunately, you can't remove the nuts from the cable either. In the end I had to remove the nuts on the Inverter socket which then allowed me to plug the cable in (although I nearly lost the socket inside the inverter in the process!)
I have ordered a straight wired male to female RS232 cable which I hope will resolve the problem. If it does then I will update this review to indicate which one I bought.
UPDATE : The straight wired male to female RS232 cable works a charm and has solved my issue. For anyone in the same predicament, it is a 'Serial RS232 9 pin Connection Cable, Male to Female, 1.8 Meter (6ft)' which I bought from Amazon for the 'princely' sum of £3.59. Well worth it. Just make sure you buy a 'straight wired' cable and not one which has the words 'null modem' in the description.
This product is highly recommended for anyone wishing to add RS232 serial facilities to modern computers lacking a serial interface and even more so, for those using UNIX or UNIX-like operating systems. I've not tested it with Windows or Mac computers (as I've no easy access to these) but I'm told this adapter works well with these too. I'm very happy with this purchase which has made things a lot easier in my working life!













