The cable is easiest way ever to connect to your microcontroller/Raspberry Pi/WiFi router
serial console port. Inside the big USB plug is a USB Serial conversion chip and
at the end of the 36" cable are four wire - red power, black ground, white RX into USB
port, and green TX out of the USB port. The power pin provides the 5V @ 500mA direct from
the USB port and the RX/TX pins are 3.3V level for interfacing with the most common 3.3V
logic level chipsets.
Because of the
separated pin plugs, this cable is ideal for powering and connecting up to the debug/login
console on the Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black. Connect the pins as shown to power the Pi
or BBB and establish the RX/TX link. Then install the Windows
XP/Vista/7 or MacOS
X PL2303HX.A drivers on your computer and connect with a terminal program at
115200 baud. Windows 8 is not supported.
Also
handy for hacking WiFi routers to install alternate OS's, or nearly any other TTL port.
This is easier to use than an FTDI cable in many cases because the wires are
separated.
This cable is not good for
Arduino re-programming such as a Boarduino, MENTA, Monochron, etc. because it does not
have the DTR/RTS wire necessary for initiating the bootloader reboot sequence. For that we
suggest an FTDI cable or FTDI friend.