What cables are these??

[matt91]

Probably like many of you here, I have a couple of decades worth of old assorted computer-related cables.

In cleaning up over the weekend, I found three that I couldn't recall what they might be used for.

Can anyone help?

1)





2)




3)

[Bagal]

1) Looks like an old game port interface for joysticks to me, the sort you used to plug into the back of your SoundBlaster card.

2) Looks like a combined headphone and microphone adapter.

3) Serial cable.

[MitchSchaft]

1. USB/Joystick
2. USB/3.5mm stereo
3. Serial/3.5mm stereo

[CollinR]

#2 is either combined headphone/mic or it could also be composite video and analog stereo audio.

(Extra isloator, as compared to #3)

[matt91]

Thanks. #1 is now clear to me - joystick cable for using "old" joysticks on a machine without a joystick port.

#2 - I think it might actually be a proprietary connector for a waterproof MP3 player (for swimming). perhaps it easier to make the stereo-type connector watertight versus a mini- or -micro-USB port.

Still have no recollection what #3 might have been used for.

[manic_tool]

I have one that looks like #2.

Its used for programming my old Pronto remote control.

-David

[CyRex]

#3 reminds me of a cable I made about 12 years ago to connect my TI-85 to my PC... Not sure if that is what yours was for, though.

-Dan

[Thomas Wischgol]

#3 does look like a serial cable. Old mice (prior to PS/2 and USB) used that as well as modems. Serial terminals (back in the mainframe days) used them as well.

Thomas

[Menehune]

#3 could also be a serial download cable for an old digital camera. IIRC, some old cameras used 3.5mm and 2.5mm ports for serial transfer.

[waynedunham]

I also looks very similar to some KVM cables. The DB-15 plugs into the KVM unit and the USB and stereo cable go to one of the client PC's.