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Data terminal equipment

Communications system equipment

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Through Modem, Data communication and Computer

A DTE is the functional unit of a data station (station, terminal) that serves as a data source or a data sink and provides for the data communication control function to be performed in accordance with the link protocol.

Usually, the DTE device is the terminal (or a computer emulating a terminal), and the DCE is a modem or another carrier-owned device. The data terminal equipment may be a single piece of equipment or an interconnected subsystem of multiple pieces of equipment that perform all the required functions necessary to permit users to communicate. A user interacts with the DTE (e.g., through a human-machine interface), or the DTE may be the user.

Connections

Two different types of devices are assumed on each end of the interconnecting cable for a case of simply adding DTE to the topology (e.g., to a hub, DCE), which also brings a less trivial case of interconnection of devices of the same type: DTE-DTE or DCE-DCE. Such cases need crossover cables, such as for the Ethernet or null modem for RS-232.

D-sub connectors follow another rule for pin assignment.

  • 25-pin DTE devices transmit on pin 2 and receive on pin 3.
  • 25-pin DCE devices transmit on pin 3 and receive on pin 2.
  • 9-pin DTE devices transmit on pin 3 and receive on pin 2.
  • 9-pin DCE devices transmit on pin 2 and receive on pin 3.

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