the Attack of the Serial Cable...

Have you ever tried taking a serial cable apart? If not, don't try it.

Attached to every serial cable should be the note 'DON'T TRY taking THIS apart EVER'. Ok, one of my co-workers asked me to look at a transducers - - load cell indicator (I don't really know what it is...lol but it is used to measure pressure and torque and all of that good stuff]. It was not working and it needed to be. So, Miss-Captain-Save-da-Day to the rescue...[that's me...lol] So I read through the manual and did every troubleshooting thing in the dang book, but nothing.... The thing still ain't work. So I took the connector cable apart and found the problem. The dang thing was connected wrong.

Well to avoid taking apart their connection... [ok, deep down I was scared. You see their connections were soldered together and I already had some life-threatening experiences with the soldering iron so I try to stay far far away] I decided that I would use an old serial cable, take it apart, reconnect my wires the right way, and then try it again. Well, it sounds easy but it is not.

The serial cable is a monster in disguise. I cut, I plucked, I gutted, I tore and the dang serial cable is still together. I was using a pocket knife to try to ply into the cable connector cause I couldn't find a gut-cutting knife. I have been at it for about 15 minutes and I have already broken a nail [I love my nails cause they all are, well were, a nice length...so of course I had to take a minute and mourn my nail...lol] and I have cut myself about 5 times [and counting]....

So to all who ever decides to take apart a serial cable.... DON'T..

I guess now I have to do what the manufacturers failed to do..... post a warning (see below):

Disclaimer: Don't try to take apart a serial cable. It may result in broken nails, minor cuts and bruises, A LOT of time wasted and the occasional co-worker peeping their head in asking if you are alright...