How to Make a Switch Console Cable

Scope

The ABS Switch Console for the Legacy ONE-x-Six, Direct Interface, and 1A2 Interface module uses a special 6-conductor cable that is no longer being produced by Telos. The materials to build your own are readily available at your favorite telephone wiring supplier (and online). You may even find a direct replacement for the OEM cable. Read on for the specification.

This cable is also used with console controllers for the same product line.

Description

While it looks like a standard RJ11 telephone cable, it is not. If you look carefully, the connector on a standard phone cable has 6 positions for pins, but may only have 2-4 pins installed with corresponding conductors. The Switch Console uses a 6-conductor flat cable with 6P6C RJ11 (RJ12/14/18/25?) connectors with all 6 pins installed. The pinout arrangement inverts between the connectors as shown:

  • Connections to Switch Console MUST use 6-conductor, inverting cables.
  • Maximum length is 100 feet.
For the phone nerds among us, the RJ standard (Registered Jack) doesn't always apply to just the connector. In fact, RJ11/12/13/14/18/25 all use the same kind of 6 pin connector. What they are used for and how they are wired determines its RJ designation. Technically, there is no RJ standard that specifically describes this cable in this application, but it does require a 6P6C (6 pin, 6 conductor) connector and cable. If anything this cable is closer to RJ12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registered_jack

Pinout

This represents the jack on the back of the phone system. The jack on the Switch Console itself is inverted.
  1. +9VDC (Power to Switch Console)
  2. RCV (From Switch Console to Phone system)
  3. XMIT (to Switch Console from Phone system)
  4. Ready/Busy (Low signifies Switch Console sending)
  5. Ground
  6. Ground

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