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Re: serial console




On 31/7/25 09:02, jeremy ardley wrote:

On 31/7/25 07:59, mick.crane wrote:
I've never really known what a serial console is.
Say in relation to a Raspberry Pi or Arduino
I assumed a serial console was a device with a screen and keyboard.
When people talk about a serial console they are talking about connecting a Debian PC to a device with a parallel, wired cable to a parallel port or an adaptor on a PC and emulating this console thing with software?
Like a telnet connection?
mick

For the Pi and most SBC devices they are talking about a TTL level signal that is transmitted in some pins on one of the headers. The data format is the same as serial RS-232 but at 5V or 3V and  a few signals are supported - Tx, Tx, Gnd, VCC (to power the card)

The card I have also has pins for DTR# RTS# RI# DSR# DCD# CTS# that you could connect to spare output pins on the Pi to emulate an old style modem.

You need to buy a cheap (like $5)  card that takes the TTL level signal and converts it to serial USB. You plug the USB into a suitable host.

FYI The interface card I have is labelled FT232RL and says "USB TO TTL 5V/3.3V/1.8V"

I had to make  up a special cable to plug into the SBC header pins and into the basic serial interface header on the adaptor card


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