PC Engines Home
Serial console issues
Summary Our system boards provide a serial console.
Port settings For apu boards, the default setting is 115200 8N1, no flow control. For alix boards, use 38400 8N1.
Cable Use a DB9 female to female null modem cable like our db9cab1.

If in doubt, check your cable with a multimeter, pin 2 should be connected to pin 3 at the other end. A simple gender changer will NOT work unless it does the crossover.

Terminal emulator We recommend PuTTY for all platforms.
Console disabled The serial console can be disabled in BIOS setup if you need the serial port for an external device. To get the serial console back, please press the small pushbutton switch S1 while powering up the board. You can then change the setting in BIOS setup.
Loop-back test Put a paper clip in the female DB9 connector which would go on the alix/apu board between pins 2 and 3. Any character you type should be echoed back. This test will tell you whether your serial port works, but not whether you have a null modem cable.
© 2002-2023 PC Engines GmbH. All rights reserved .