What are DB Connectors?
The DB style connector is a common connector used in many computer, audio/video, and data applications. The official name is D-subminiature, but many people call it "D-sub" or just "DB". The connector gets its name from its trapezoidal shape that resembles the letter "D". Most DB connectors have two rows of pins. Common types of D-sub connectors are DB9 and DB25, used on PCs for serial and parallel ports.One special type of D-sub connectors is the High-Density DB style, which looks just like a regular DB connector, only with pins that are slightly smaller and placed closer together. This is typically referred to as an "HD" connector. HD connectors often have three rows of pins instead of two. The most common HD connector is the HD15, which is found on PC video cards and monitors. DB and HD connectors use thumbscrews to secure the connector in place.
Another type of D-sub is the MD, or Micro DB connector. This connector is slimmer than a standard D-sub, with pins even smaller than the ones used on HD connectors. The MD is also commonly called a "half-pitch" DB connector. These are often used in SCSI applications, and the most popular types are the MD50 and MD68 connections. MD connectors can use latchclips or thumbscrews as anchoring mechanisms.
D-sub connectors are usually described by the total number of pins that they can hold. In some cases, a DB25 connector may only have 4 or 5 pins loaded into it; however, it is still called a "DB25" connector and not a "DB4" or "DB5". Another example is the HD15 connector used by monitors—most monitor cables only are loaded with 14 pins, but it is still called an HD15 connector.
Select the VGA or DBA connector that you want to learn more about:
A DB9 connector has 9 pins arranged in two rows, with one row on top of the other. The top row has 5 pins and the lower row has 4 pins. This interface is commonly used for RS-232 serial applications. For several years, DB9 ports were standard equipment on PCs; nowadays, many newer computers are being built without them. On a PC, the serial port is commonly a DB9 male.
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15ft (4.6m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Black
52032 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$8.99
6ft (1.8m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Black
52030 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$5.99
50ft (15.2m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Beige
09453 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$18.99
1ft (0.3m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Black
25211 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$3.99
10ft (3m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Beige
02712 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$6.99
50ft (15.2m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Black
52034 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$20.99
3ft (0.9m) DB9 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable - Black
25213 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial cable for more flexibility
$4.99
1.5ft (0.46m) USB to DB9 Serial RS232 Adapter Cable
26886 | C2G
Convert a DB9 RS232 serial device to USB
$19.99
1.5ft (0.46m) Velocity™ DB9 Male to 3.5mm Male Serial RS232 Adapter Cable
02444 | C2G
Adapt your 3.5mm stereo jack for RS-232 serial control
$14.99
3ft (0.9m) Serial RS232 DB9 Null Modem Cable with Low Profile Connectors M/F - In-Wall CMG-Rated
52183 | C2G
Provides serial connections where CMG rating is required for in-wall installation
$10.99
A DB25 connector has 25 pins arranged in two rows, with one row on top of the other. The top row has 13 pins and the lower row has 12 pins. DB25 connectors are most often used for parallel, RS-232 serial, or SCSI applications. An older PC would normally have one DB25 female parallel port. In Parallel applications, the DB25 connector is sometimes referred to as the IEEE-1284 Type A connector. On older PCs, a male DB25 serial port could sometimes be found instead of a DB9. DB25 SCSI connections are female, and can be found on older Apple computers as well as on expansion cards for SCSI peripheral devices.
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6ft (1.8m) DB25 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable
02655 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial or parallel cable
$11.99
3ft (0.9m) DB25 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable
02654 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial or parallel cable
$9.99
DB9 Male to DB25 Male Serial RS232 Adapter
02450 | C2G
Converts a DB9 female port to a DB25 male port
$6.99
6ft (1.8m) USB to DB25 Serial RS232 Adapter Cable
22429 | C2G
Quickly convert your DB25 serial device to USB
$34.99
10ft (3m) DB25 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable
02656 | C2G
Extend your RS-232 serial or parallel cable
$18.99
6ft (1.8m) DB9 Female to DB25 Male Serial RS232 Modem Cable
02518 | C2G
Connect an external modem to the PC's DB9 serial port
$5.99
6ft (1.8m) DB25 M/M Serial RS232 Cable
02665 | C2G
Connect your printer, modem or other RS-232 serial/parallel device to a switchbox
$10.78
$12.99
3ft (0.9m) DB25 M/M Serial RS232 Cable
02664 | C2G
Connect your printer, modem or other RS-232 serial/parallel device to a switchbox
$10.99
10ft (3m) DB25 M/M Serial RS232 Cable
View Details
02666 | C2G
Connect your printer, modem or other RS-232 serial/parallel device to a switchbox
$14.99
6ft (1.8m) DB25 Male to DB9 Female Serial RS232 Null Modem Cable
03019 | C2G
Use as a serial printer cable
$5.99
A DB15 connector has 15 pins arranged in two rows, with one row on top of the other. The top row has 8 pins and the lower row has 7. Not to be confused with HD15, which has three rows of pins, this connector can be found on sound cards, older AUI network cards and devices, as well as legacy Macintosh® monitors. This is commonly referenced as the Game port. This is due to the fact that the most common peripheral for this port was a joystick or video game controller.
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RJ45 to DB15 Male Modular Adapter
02926 | C2G
Cost-effective solution to connect serial printers, terminals, modems, POS devices and other serial equipment
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RJ45 to DB15 Female Modular Adapter
02925 | C2G
Cost-effective solution to connect serial printers, terminals, modems, POS devices and other serial equipment
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Shop Popular DB37 Products
6ft (1.8m) DB37 M/F Serial RS232 Extension Cable
02689 | C2G
Extend your DB37 cable for more flexibility
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DB37 M/M Serial RS232 Mini Gender Changer
02780 | C2G
Convert a DB37 female connection to a DB37 male connection
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A HD15 connector has 15 pins arranged in three rows. Each row has 5 pins with the middle row slightly offset from the top and bottom. The HD15 is a High Density DB-style connector, so it can also be called an HD DB15. Another popular name is "VGA connector", although it is used in video applications that support much higher resolutions (SVGA, XGA, UXGA, etc.). On most HD15 male connectors, there is one pin (pin 9) missing from the middle row. The HD15 connector is a very common connector used mostly as a video interface for computers and monitors. It can also be found on HD displays, and on older HD source devices such as satellite receivers and cable boxes.
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3ft (0.9m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50211 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
$9.99
10ft (3m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50213 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
$15.99
1ft (0.3m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50210 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
$8.99
6.6ft (2m) DVI Male to HD15 VGA Male Video Cable
26954 | C2G
Connect a computer's VGA port to a monitor's DVI-I connector
$16.99
25ft (7.6m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50216 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
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6ft (1.8m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50212 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
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150ft (45.7m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50222 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
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$134.99
15ft (4.6m) Select VGA Video Cable M/M - In-Wall CMG-Rated
50215 | C2G
Monitor cable constructed using a CMG jacket for in-wall applications. Supports video resolutions of up to QXGA (2048x1536)
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75ft (22.8m) Flexima™ VGA Monitor Cable M/M - In-Wall CL3-Rated
28248 | C2G
Thin, ultra-flexible design for in-wall video applications
$190.99
6.6ft (2m) DVI Male to HD15 VGA Female Video Extension Cable
27590 | C2G
Extend your VGA cable for use with a DVI-I connector
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