Unknown computer port

ok fellow geeks i have a question and i had no where eles to turn to ask it. i have a dance pad for computer and it came with a control box converting the unknown computer port into usb. now this control box went for a crap on me and i just want to buy a cable to convert this port into usb.... any idea what it is called? http://www.ddrfitness.com/img/ddr_ninja_connector.jpg

 

the picture you've posted isn't clear, but i think it's a com port, please post more detailed picture.

 

Hard to tell for sure, but it looks like a DB9 female plug. If there are 9 holes in it, that should be the one. See if you can find a male DB9 to USB cable.

And welcome to MajorGeeks!

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the port has 11 prongs and it's a male. unfortunatly this is the only picture of it i can get.

 

You got me one this. Not sure what it is. I will look around some and see if I can find some info.

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LMAO!! it's almost like this dance pad is from another time eara or something because i have never seen ont of these ports in my life until my dance pad... it may be from like japan or something.

 

Are you sure it is 11 pins? The picture in your link appears to be 9 holes. Is the picture of the item you need a plug for?

Just so I understand you, is the cable bad, or is the port bad? I seem to have misread your post the first time, and thought you were looking for a new cable. (it was early in the morning:cool)

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This is a nine-pin serial port. It will probably work ( if you have the right driver software) via your nine-pin serial connection coupled to a nine-pin cable. It looks like the manufacturer, has "upgraded" their product to work with USB. Here's the catch. The "control box" is also a voltage converter. That 9-pin connector most likely expects to see RS-232 level signals which range from 12v to -12v for standard serial communications. Your USB port contains both a signal pair and a power pair of wires. The power pair has 5 volts, which are then upconverted to +12 volts and -12 volts. So, either get a tech guy to fix that converter, or buy a new one.

 

I should be used to it by now, but sometimes it amazes me on how much the community here knows, and is willing to share. Looks like prometheos has your answer.

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