Hi Bev, thanks for your answer!

The only Dell serial/ps2 adaptors I can find don't list the 470 as a compatible system; I'm loath to pay a fairly high price (for what's basically just a cable) if it won't work, as did eg en.community.dell.com/.../19392060.aspx

Is there any way to enable the port to see if it appears in the BIOS before I shell out for the cable? eg www.motherboardpoint.com/dell-optiplex-gx260-2nd-serial-port-t42017.html suggests that on his optiplex, two of the pins on the connector act as an "enable" jumper, I wondered if that was the same on the 470...

Cheers

marzbar

As far as I know, there is no procedure to make it appear in the BIOS.

I believe the Dell PS2/Serial Port adaptor will work in the 470, but why would anyone wish to buy it,

Regards to the OptiPlex 240 motherboard pin-outs, this a nine year old post about an entirely different obsolete motherboard,

Bev.

Why would anyone wish to buy it? Because they need a serial port, probably. There's still plenty of legacy hardware that people in the real world have to run.

Then again, given that you can buy a dual serial PCIe card for significantly less money than dell are asking for a cable, you're probably right - why _would_ anyone wish to buy it?...

marzbar

Exactly my thoughts, an add-on card costs less, also most retail motherboards still include a PS2 port.

Bev.