General Engineering Terms
"A"
"B"
"C",
"D",
"E",
"F",
"G",
"H",
"I",
"J",
"K",
"L",
"M",
"N",
"O",
"P",
"Q",
"R",
"S",
"T",
"U",
"V",
"W",
"X",
"Y",
"Z"
Gender Changer
DB9 Male/Male Gender Changer
Connector Gender Changer. A component that changes the Gender of a connector or cable assembly. A gender changer is a device with connectors on both ends, usually of the same gender. The connections between each connector is one-to-one, each pin connects only to its mate.
Normally gender changers are only used on cables that have the same gender and will not connect together. Otherwise the cable would mate if the connectors were of different sexes.
Usually gender changers are Male-to-Male or Female-to-Female, but you can also find them as Male-to-Female. Male connectors have pins [plugs], while Female connectors have sockets [receptacles].
DB15 to DB9 Adapter
Gender Changers should not to be confused with adapters or null modem adapters or RS232 serial adapters. Adapters may also form part of a cable assembly, while most gender changers are just two connectors back-to-back with no cable. The adapter shown above is of a 15-pin high density D-sub to 9-pin D-sub connector. Another common adapter is a 9-pin Dsub to 25-pin D-sub connector.
Gender Changers are also used as 'connector savers'. A Gender Changer is terminated to a connector being used or tested, and as the cable is mated and re-mated it does not effect the original connector [behind the gender changer]. So the life of the connector is unaffected in favor of reducing the life of the gender changer. All connector have a limited life, or so many mating cycles, so a 12 dollar connector savers preserves the life of a much more expensive cable.
Gender Changer Styles;
DB25 Female/Female Gender Changer
DB9 Male/Male Low Profile Gender Changer
Centronics 50-pin Male to a Centronics 50-pin Female
OBD Gender Changer Cable Assembly
Gender Changer Manufacturers
Belkin International, Inc.
Black Box
