Bought a brand new Smart Cable SC821 Plus for $5. Is it worth keeping

[ExodusEffects]

Found a smart cable SC821 Plus at value village brand new still in the wrap, what can I use it for. Is it worth keeping as a beginner or should I sell it and buy an old 80’s 4.5 digit bench meter like a 175 or 179a [ also which of those two models is better? )

Thank you so much for all of the help I greatly appreciate it

Jesse Bélanger

[rstofer]

The SC821 is used to debug serial communication between, say, a uC and a PC.  I don't know if it only works with RS232 voltage levels or whether it also works with TTL levels.  In most cases, when I use RS232, it is at the RS232 voltage levels because I use a USB->RS232 Serial converter cable.  I also have USB->TTL Serial converter cables for 3.3 and 5V.

It's a fairly expensive tool, I would hang on to it.  Forty years ago it would have been in very high demand!  Time moves on...

[Brumby]

For $5, I'd hang on to it - at least for the time being.  You're not going to get much bench meter for that sort of money.

Down the road you may ask yourself the question again ... and you won't need our thoughts to make your decision.