Coder's cable

The coder's cable is the name given to the serial-based cable some developers use to test and debug code during development. Originally, cables were connected to host devices via serial, but modern cable designs incorporate a USB controller instead. Coder's cables can also be used for other purpose's besides development, such as transferring VMU data back to a PC or dumping GD-ROMs (although quite slowly).

Not all common baudrates work, so the recommendations are:

• up until 115200, you can use the common baudrates: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200
  • if 115200 does not work, you can add the "-e" speedhack option
• higher baudrates:
  • try first with the dreamcast-specific baudrates (223214, 260416, 312500, 390625, 520833, 781250, 1562500)
  • 230400: use the -e speedhack option if you absolutely need 230400 at pc-side, but the DC will use 223214 or 260416 anyways.
  • 500000 and 1500000: you can try, but that will not work on all pc (the mismatch with the baudrate of the Dreamcast is sometimes too big (4%))

Recommended USB-Serial chips:

• FDTI's FT232R-like chips:
  • good until 781250, does not support 1562500.
  • 500000 and 1500000 will not work with all chips/on all pc.
• Silicon Labs CP2102N:
  • under review, should support 1562500.

How to build/buy a cable:

• Buy:
  • eg retroonyx cable, FTDI-based cable.
• Build:
  • DC serial connector:
    • best connector today is the one used by the DC SD Adapter V2
  • select a usb-to-serial chip/cable
    • cfr recommended chips above
  • connect the following pins:
    • GND <-> GND
    • TXD <-> RXD
    • RXD <-> TXD
    • RTS <-> CTS
    • CTS <-> RTS

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