The MeshCube combines a serial and a JTAG port on the MeshCube/DebugConnector. This page describes how to access the Cube by serial cable.

Serial Settings

You need these serial settings: 115200 8N1, no flow control.

You can use different programs, here is an example for the configuration of minicom:

A -    Serial Device      : /dev/ttyUSB0 
B - Lockfile Location     : /var/lock 
C -   Callin Program      :
D -  Callout Program      : 
E -    Bps/Par/Bits       : 115200 8N1
F - Hardware Flow Control : No 
G - Software Flow Control : No

The Cube Serial Connector

The MeshCube/DebugConnector is hidden inside the case. It has JTAG pins and serial RX and TX signals. RX is the data receive input to the board and TX is the data transmit output from the board:

The pins on the MeshCube/DebugConnector only support 3.3V logic levels. Normal PC RS323 has 12V, so you need a level shifter. There are two options for getting a level shifter: Using a pre-build USB Data cable, or building a level shifter circuit yourself.

The ideal choice for the board side connector would be an "FFSD-06-S-10.0-01-N" from Samtec (where the 10.00 is the length in inch). Another option is "FTSH-106-01-DH" from Samtec, but any 1.27mm socket should be compatible, for example "FL 2x15-180G/RM1,27" for 1.80 Euro from Segor.

Using a USB Data Cable

This is the simple solution, if you can find the right data cable. The advantage is that you don't need to make your own circuit board, you simply have to solder 3 cables from one connector to the other.

Get a cheap serial (RS232) to mobile phone datacable, for example one for a Siemens M45. Any data cable for a Siemens phone like S/C25, S/C/M35 and S/SL/ME/M45 should be ok. Be careful with Nokia, as Nokia has two connector/protocol types (FBUS/MBUS).

Siemens phones all have the same connector and pin layout (see here: Hardwarebook). Otherwise you'll have to find out which pin is for RX, TX and GND.

Then get a connector for the cube. See above.

Unsolder the cables from the Siemens connector. You need 3 cables, GND, RX and TX. Then solder them to the appropriate pins of the cube connector:

Plug in, and power up your cube. You should see some output on the serial console. Note however that sometimes the cube fails to boot with such a data cable, in this case the red LED stays on. Simply unplug the serial cable from the cube. power the cube and plug the serial cable in a little later.

How to build a serial cable for the cube - the hard way

To make a serial cable, we need a level shifter from 3.3v to 12v.

The MAX3232 does more than we need, but is readily available (e.g. from Reichelt DIL or SMD).

For it we need 4/5 charge pump capacitors at 0.1muF each (lets take 0.15muF normal or SMD).

Next we need a 9pin d-sub connector like this.

As a 9pin d-sub connector has the following pin arangement

We only care about pin 2, 3, and 5. As they are all on the top row, we could use a simple circuit-board and plug it between the rows.

The ideal choice for the board side connector would be an FFSD-06-S-10.0-01-N from Samtec (where the 10.00 is the length in inch). But there is one from Reichelt as well. As we got all the parts from there, let's just take that: SMC-FL12SK, even if it is missing a nose at the one flat end and it is poossible to accidently plug it in with the wrong orientation.

With some wire we are ready to go.
BTW: You could use 12 wires of a UDMA-100 ATA cable, e.g. if reichelt decides to not deliver it :-/

The wiring (I'm using a MAX232 here, Eagle does not have a MAX3232. But to build a working converter, you must use a MAX3232, or simmilar):

A board might look like this:

Not quite. See above.