In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
I need a longish serial cable to get from the workshop computer to the
bench. Say 4 mtr. I already have the D connectors and wonder what would be
the most suitable cable I have 'in stock' Only need the send and return -
no 5v. Would balanced mic cable do - or two co-ax? I do have some decent
video co-ax but two would be a bit big to fit the D connector shells.

Almost whatever you have to hand, as long as it's shielded. 4 metres is
trivial if we're talking about RS-232.

IIRC the max length for RS-232 by the specs is about 15 metres.

Obviously, the speed is fairly important and lower speeds will work
better over longer cables but I've used 115k at ten metres and 19.2 over
some silly distances (around 35 metres for a terminal) without
noticeable problems. Just pay attention to the shield and ground.

--
Clint Sharp