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Adafruit

Adafruit 954 USB-to-TTL Serial Cable 36" 3.3V 500mA

SKU CH-EK8N-0CVPY

A 36-inch USB-to-TTL serial cable with SiLabs CP2012 chipset, 3.3 V logic levels and 500 mA power for debugging Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black

  • TypeEngineering Development Tools
  • SiLabs CP2012 chipset provides reliable USB-to-TTL conversion
  • 36-inch cable length offers flexible device placement
  • 5V 500mA power pin supplies attached boards directly
  • 3V RX/TX levels match common logic devices
  • Compatible with Windows 7/8/10 and macOS 10.6 to 10.10

Target device and use

The Adafruit 954 is a USB-to-TTL serial cable built around the SiLabs CP2012 chipset. It targets engineers and hobbyists who need a direct link between a computer and 3.3 V logic consoles on boards such as Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black. The 36‑inch lead carries power, ground, RX and TX lines for debugging, programming or installing alternate firmware. No other interfaces or protocols are supported.

Host compatibility check

Verify that the development machine runs Windows 7, 8, 10 or macOS X 10.6 through 10.10 so the supplied drivers will load. Confirm the target device exposes a 3.3 V TTL serial header with the matching pin order: red for 5 V supply, black for ground, white for RX into the USB side, green for TX out of the USB side. The cable draws up to 500 mA from the USB port, so the host must be able to provide that current.

Sustained operation behaviour

During long debug sessions the CP2012 bridge maintains a steady 3.3 V signal level on the RX and TX lines without timing drift. The 5 V power pin continues to deliver up to 500 mA directly from the USB bus, so attached boards stay powered as long as the host port remains active. No thermal throttling or signal degradation is specified for continuous use.

Highlights

  • SiLabs CP2012 chipset provides reliable USB-to-TTL conversion
  • 36-inch cable length offers flexible device placement
  • 5V 500mA power pin supplies attached boards directly
  • 3V RX/TX levels match common logic devices
  • Compatible with Windows 7/8/10 and macOS 10.6 to 10.10

Specifications

TypeEngineering Development Tools

Questions about this item

Does the cable include the four flying leads or must I buy a separate header?

The 36 inch cable terminates in four colour coded wires — red 5 V, black ground, white RX, green TX — so no extra header is required.

The listing shows only one model number 954; are there different voltage or length options to choose from?

This item is a single 36 inch 3.3 V logic cable rated at 500 mA; no alternative voltages or lengths are offered under this part number.

What does the 500 mA rating mean when I power a Raspberry Pi debug header?

The red wire supplies 5 V at up to 500 mA directly from the USB port, enough for the Pi serial header but not for powering the whole board.

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