Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcvax!kth!sunic!maxim!prc
From: prc@erbe.se (Robert Claeson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: RS-232 protocol primer (long)
Summary: DTE=end equipment, DCE=comm equipment between two DTE's
Message-ID: <748@maxim.erbe.se>
Date: 29 Jun 89 07:55:44 GMT
References: <589@megatek.UUCP> <45900244@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: rclaeson@erbe.se (Robert Claeson)
Organization: Hall of Fame
Lines: 47

In article <45900244@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes:

>What's a DCE or a DTE? I never use those words. To be a useful standard,
>it should specify the sex of the connector for each particular type
>of equipment, by its common name:

DTE stands for Data Terminal Equipment, where "Terminal" can be thought
of as a "Termination" of a RS-232-C connection. Thus, computers, printers,
terminal servers, terminals, lab equipment etc all are DTE's. A DCE is a
Data Communication Equipment that serves as a means to connect two DTE's
to each other. A typical DCE is a modem.

DTE's have male and DCE's have female connectors.

>1. Computers  -  odd, it never seems to mention computers!!!!

DTE

>2. Terminals  - Presumably computers and terminals should be the same
>    sex.

DTE

>3. Printers

DTE

>4. Modems

DCE

>5. Scanners

DTE

>6. Data collection equipment (voltmeters, etc.) - presumably the same as 
>   scanners

DTE

>7. whatever else people can think of

DTE (mostly)/DCE (in some cases)

-- 
          Robert Claeson      E-mail: rclaeson@erbe.se
	  ERBE DATA AB