Serial cable gender

What is the gender standard of a serial connection?

Seems that all computer's serial ports are male, but it is ambiguous the peripheral gender... I see printers with female DB9 connectort and also male DB9 connector.

Thanks.

What is the gender standard of a serial connection?

Both. You need a male and a female end to couple.

Seems that all computer's serial ports are male, but it is ambiguous the peripheral gender...

That is common, but by no means a rule. It is not a standard per se, just more of a convention. In computers, like everything else, people are really resistant to change things that have been around for a while if they work well enough.

I see printers with female DB9 connectort and also male DB9 connector.

And that is why gender-changers, -couplers, and -adapters exist. There is nothing in the format itself that requires it to be male or female, ultimately “it’s all pipes”… well wires.

Up to some years ago, there was no standard in serial devices.
For this reason, I was equipped with a small bag with:

• DB9/25 gender adapters;
• DB9/25 converters;
• DB9/25 tester (a box with jumpers ad switches to test any available configuration of wires)
• DB9/25 shelves with removable/configurable wires (both male and female).

It's a bit frustrating being in the desert of Algeria, after 3 hours of travel, trying to plug a serial cable into a PLC to flush new software and discover that you pick the wrong cable...