I have an Altera DE2-115 with an RS232 port. I also have a USB-to-RS232 cable with the connector like this. One is male and the other is female, so they should fit just fine. However, I cannot get them to connect physically due to the protruding screws by the sides.
I can physically unscrew the metal bits on the Altera board, and these connectors would then connect just fine. However, is this a good idea? Will it damage the board somehow?
Just unscrew the protruding nuts on one side. You'd think there would be a standard, but there only sortof is and it's only sortof followed. This happens occasionally.
Most of the time, unscrewing the nuts, which are usually jack-screws, won't do any harm. I have seen cases where the nuts held the front plate on or even held things together inside. In those cases, try the other connector instead. Even if a connector comes undone, it won't hurt the signals electrically. Worst case, it falls apart and you wrap some electrical tape around the exposed conducting parts.
Those screws are there just for screwing the plug into place so it doesn't fall out of the socket. You can safely remove them with a (IIRC) 5mm socket or spanner.
