My scanner has a 2x3 plug. Will that version work?

Yes, that is one of the standard device ends. Confirm the scanner model, because a 2x3 6-pin IBM scanner plug is not the same part as a 2x3 header on a PC board.

NCR RealPOS 25 Cable, Powered USB to Scanner

Overview

The NCR RealPOS 25 is the 25-pin Powered USB port fitted to NCR RealPOS point-of-sale hardware. It feeds 24 V DC and USB 2.0 data to a downstream scanner, printer or display over one locking plug. This NCR RealPOS 25 cable is wired to the pin-out and length you specify, with a device end chosen to match whatever peripheral is actually on the counter – modern USB, legacy 2×3 IBM scanner, or a DC barrel. It is a compatible replacement and not an OEM NCR part.

Key Specifications

Connector A	NCR RealPOS 25 male, 25-pin, locking
Connector B	USB-A, USB-B, 2×3 6-pin IBM, or DC barrel, per variant
Interface	USB 2.0 data + 24 V DC power
Data Pair	28 AWG stranded tinned copper, twisted, foil shield
Power Pair (24 V)	20 AWG stranded tinned copper
Overall Shield	Foil + braid with drain wire
Jacket	PVC, black, 6 mm to 8 mm OD
Length	1 m to 5 m standard; OEM on request
Build standard	IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 workmanship, ISO 9001 line
Testing	100% continuity and pinout, hipot on the finished assembly

Which device end do you actually need?

The terminal end is fixed. The device end is the decision, and it is driven by the age of the peripheral, not by the terminal.

Device end	What it feeds	When you see it	Note
USB-A male	Modern scanner or printer with a captive lead	Current installs	Most common request
USB-B male	Scanner or printer with a USB-B receptacle	Current and mid-life installs	Straight USB 2.0 data plus the 24 V rail
2×3 6-pin IBM plug	Legacy IBM scanner	Older counters being kept in service	Confirm the scanner model – this plug has cousins
DC barrel	Peripheral that only needs the 24 V rail	Displays and older printers	Size stated per your drawing

How do you identify the RealPOS 25 port?

Count the pins. It is a 25-pin locking plug, not the 8-pin Powered USB plug used on other terminal families.
Check the latch. The RealPOS 25 plug locks to the chassis, so there is a release you have to press to withdraw it.
Read the terminal model plate. The port family follows the terminal family, and the plate is faster than any photograph.
Look at what is already plugged in. If the existing lead has a 25-pin plug on one end, send us a photo of both ends before you order a replacement.

Why the pin-out, not the plug, decides whether it works

Two leads can have identical plugs and be wired differently, and the peripheral will not tell you why it is dead. The 25-pin Powered USB port carries a 24 V rail and a USB 2.0 pair, but which pins carry which depends on the peripheral and on the terminal generation. That is why we ask for the pin-out or the make and model rather than just the connector name. Where you have the original lead, we can cross-reference from it; where you do not, we build to your drawing and you confirm on the first article.

What the 24 V rail does over a long counter run

With 20 AWG power conductors, budget roughly 67 milliohm per meter of run counting the out-and-back path. Over 5 m that is about 0.33 V at 1 A and 0.67 V at 2 A. It does not sound like much until the peripheral is already at the bottom of its input range, at which point it resets every time the printer fires.

Under 2 m: 20 AWG is comfortable for typical scanner loads.
2 m to 5 m: 20 AWG still works, but tell us the load current so we can check the drop.
Past 5 m, or with a printer and scanner on the same run: step up the power pair.
If the peripheral browns out intermittently, measure at the device end under load before blaming the cable – and then check the cable.

Ordering an NCR RealPOS 25 cable: what we need

The terminal model, so we can confirm the 25-pin port family.
The device end connector, or the make and model of the scanner or printer.
The pin-out, if you have a drawing or an original lead we can reference.
Length along the actual route, jacket color, and label text.
Whether you need the USB-C variant for a newer peripheral.

Retail duty: what the lead has to survive

Daily wipe-down with a cleaning agent that was chosen for the counter, not for the cable.
Being pulled forward when the terminal is slid out for service, then pushed back into a space that has not got any bigger.
Boot heels and castor chairs running over the slack behind the counter.
A cash drawer firing next to the run, which puts a transient on the rail every time it opens.
Continuous duty: a POS lead is energised for the whole trading day, every day, not intermittently like a home peripheral.

How the assembly is built and checked

Build standard for NCR RealPOS 25 Powered builds is IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 under ISO 9001, with terminations from 32 to 12 AWG. continuity and pinout are tested on each NCR unit before it is packed, and seal checking is quoted whenever an ingress rating is on the drawing.

Lead time and ordering

On NCR RealPOS 25 Powered builds, prototype lots run from 1 to 50 pcs and leave in 3 working days; production runs of 500 pcs and up ship 14 working days after approval. Tooling not already held adds around 10 working days. NCR OEM and ODM shipments carry your part number and labeling, and we provide material certificates and first-article reports when asked.

Material declarations against RoHS and REACH are issued per project, alongside the dimensional and electrical reports agreed at quotation; see certifications, compliance and material declarations. Where your drawing names a UL style or another approval, the build follows your drawing and ships with the supporting document rather than a claim of our own. Where this build needs an overmold, the tool is designed, cut and maintained in our own shop under the overmold tooling we build in-house, and it is never used for another customer’s program. More background: cable assemblies for test and measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an NCR original cable?

No. It is a compatible replacement wired to the NCR RealPOS 25 pin-out you specify, and it is not an OEM NCR product.

My scanner has a 2×3 plug. Will that version work?

Yes, that is one of the standard device ends. Confirm the scanner model, because a 2×3 6-pin IBM scanner plug is not the same part as a 2×3 header on a PC board.

Can you build it without knowing the pin-out?

We can cross-reference from an original lead if you send it or photograph it clearly. Without either, we build to your drawing and you approve a first article before the run.

What length should I order?

Measure the route the cable will take, add slack for the counter to be pulled out for service, and then round up. A lead that is 300 mm short is a re-order; one that is 300 mm long is usually fine.