Project:
EQDirect cable, EQ6, HEQ5 mounts

Contents:

1. EQDirect 9 pin D-sub cable
2. Adapter 9 pin D-sub to RJ45
3. EQDirect RJ45 cable
4. Wireless control of EQ6, HEQ5 mounts
5. To be continued

Note:
I take no responsibility or liability for what are written here, you use the information on your own risk!

3: EQDirect RJ 45 cable

The EQDirect cable I made for my EQ6 mount has a DSUB 9 pin connector. Then I bought a HEQ5 mount, that mount has another connector, RJ45. I made an adapter from 9 pin D-sub to RJ45 and could us it on both of my mounts.

Now I make a new cable that I can connect direct to the HEQ5 mount. You can read about my EQ6 cable here .

This is how a standard USB to TTL Volt 5 volts cable looks like before I cut the cable. The CTS and RTS signal isn't used in this case, not the VCC Voltage either. I made the cable short because it can be stuck on protruding devices on the mount.

Now I only have to connect cables to each other. The cable to the left is an RJ45 cable and the one to the right is the FTDI cable with an USB contact at the other end. Follow the first link and this how to connect them.

RJ45 pin layout:

• https://satoms.com/ ethernet-cable-pinouts/

Note:
The colors of the cables can be different.

Some information how to make the cable:

• http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/ eqdirect2.htm
• https://incentre.net/ ethernet-cable-color-coding-diagram/

Note:
The Tx and Rx depends from which side you refer to. One device send out Tx and at the other end of the cable the other device receive it as an Rx signal, easy to mix them up. The 12 Volt supply wire isn't connected, the cable I have has the TTL level converter built into the USB connector and take the power from that 5 Volt. The red wire from the TTL adapter is 5 Volt, not 12 Volt, at least in my cable. This cable has the FTDI chip, look carefully that it isn't a replica.

I install a short bit of shrink tube on each wire and a big one around the whole cable. Important to not heat the shrink tube when soldering the cable. I try to protect it from heat with the crocodile clamp.

A shrink tube around the cable protect it. I tested the cable and it didn't work, maybe I broke something and had to buy a new FTDI cable. Better to attach the RJ45 connector direct on the cable and don't use a joint with an old cable as I did here.

This time I have bought a new crimp tool for the RJ45 connector. I don't want to solder the cables together as I did earlier.

Now with a new RJ45 connecter mounted it looks professional. Connect it to the equipment and did a new test, it worked direct now.

Curies as I'm I took apart the lid of another FTDI cable have to see what's inside. Here you can see that it has the FTDI chip.

With Windows system this driver is recommended for this cable, it has the FTDI chip:

• https://ftdichip.com/ drivers/ vcp-drivers/