Precision Ag Cable Guide

If you've ever stood in front of a planter or sprayer with a handful of cables wondering which one goes where, this guide is for you. Precision ag wiring is the part of the job most farmers hate — the connectors all look similar, the part numbers are meaningless without a decoder, and getting it wrong means a $40 cable turns into a $4,000 repair when you fry a display.

This guide covers the three biggest precision ag brands — Trimble, Raven, and Ag Leader — with wiring diagram resources, part number decoding, forum threads where farmers share pinouts, and cross-brand compatibility notes.

Trimble Cables & Connectors

Part Number Patterns

Trimble part numbers follow patterns that tell you what the cable does:

Trimble Cabling Guide PDFs (Free, with Pinout Diagrams)

Trimble publishes official cabling guides for each display system. These are the primary reference for anyone wiring a Trimble system. Each guide contains connector pinout diagrams, cable routing, and system configuration:

AgTalk Forum — Trimble Wiring Help

AgTalk's Precision Talk forum is where farmers share pinouts, wiring diagrams, and troubleshooting for Trimble systems. Search for your specific part number or display model — farmers have posted pinouts for the FM-750, FmX, EZ-Guide 250/500, GFX-750, and NAV controller cables. The forum is free to read and register.

Raven Cables & Connectors

Part Number Patterns

Raven Industries uses a different numbering system:

Raven Wiring Diagram Resources

AgTalk Forum — Raven Wiring Help

The AgTalk Precision Talk forum has extensive Raven wiring discussion. Search for "Raven 440" or "Raven 460 pinout" — farmers have shared 37-pin connector pinouts, flowmeter wiring, and harness identification help. The Raven 440/450/460 all use the same 37-pin main connector, so pinouts are shared across these controllers.

Raven Controller Families

The most common Raven controllers and their connectors:

Ag Leader Cables & Connectors

Part Number Patterns

Ag Leader uses a 4xxxxx numbering system:

Ag Leader Wiring Resources

Ag Leader Connector Types

Ag Leader uses two main connector families:

Ag Leader CAN Bus Cable Part Numbers

Common Ag Leader CAN Bus cable part numbers:

Cross-Brand Compatibility

Many farmers run mixed systems — a Trimble display with a Raven sprayer controller, or an Ag Leader monitor with Trimble GPS. Here's what actually crosses over:

What Works Together

What Does NOT Work Together

Connector Types Explained

If you can identify the connector, you can narrow down what cable you need:

Deutsch DTM / DT / DTP

The most common connector in ag wiring. Rectangular, keyed, weatherproof — you push to seat and the latch snaps over the mating half. Made by TE Connectivity. All three sizes use the same design, just scaled:

ITT Cannon

Round, threaded, bayonet-lock connector. Used on Ag Leader displays and some Trimble displays. You twist to lock — no push-to-seat like Deutsch.

DB9 (D-Sub 9-pin)

The same connector as old computer serial ports. Used for RS-232 communication between displays and GPS receivers, radar units, and older controllers. Still common on Raven and Trimble serial connections.

M12 / ISOBUS 9-Pin

Round, threaded, industrial connector. Used on newer ISOBUS systems and some modern sensors. Smaller than ITT Cannon, more robust than DB9. The ISOBUS standard (ISO 11783-2) uses a 9-pin connector with a specific pinout — see the ISOBUS connector pinout guide for full pin assignments for both the in-cab and rear connectors.

37-pin D-Sub

Large rectangular connector used on Raven 440/450/460 controllers. This is the main console connector — power, sensor inputs, boom outputs, and flowmeter all go through this one connector. See the Raven SCS 460 Installation and Service Manual on ManualsLib for pinout diagrams, or the SCS 460 Serial Interface Manual (PDF) from BenCo Ag for connector wiring.

How to Identify a Mystery Cable

If you've got a cable and don't know what it's for:

  1. Count the pins and identify the connector type — Deutsch (rectangular, keyed), ITT Cannon (round, threaded), DB9 (trapezoidal, 9 pins), 37-pin (large trapezoidal). This narrows it to a brand and era.
  2. Check the cable markings — most Trimble cables have the part number printed on the jacket in small text. Raven cables sometimes have a tag near the connector.
  3. Measure pin-to-pin continuity with a multimeter — set your meter to continuity (beep mode), put one probe on each pin of the two connectors, and map out which pins connect. This gives you the pinout.
  4. Post a photo on AgTalk — the Precision Talk forum has farmers who can identify almost any cable from a photo. Create an account, post a picture of both connectors, and someone will usually identify it within a day. You can also post on TractorByNet for general wiring identification help.
  5. Use AI photo identification — take a photo of the connector with your phone and search with Google Lens. It can often identify the connector type (Deutsch, ITT Cannon, DB9) and find matching products on eBay, Amazon, and parts sites. For a full guide on using AI tools for parts identification, see our AI Parts Identification Guide.
  6. Search eBay completed listings — search for the part number if you found one. Even if the listing is ended, the photos and title will tell you what system it belongs to.

Forum Resources

The best places to get cable help from other farmers:

FAQ

I have a Trimble cable with part number ZTN54602. What does it go to?

That's an Autopilot cable harness for the NAV-II and NAV-III steering controllers. See our ZTN54602 listing for details.

Can I use a Raven 440 controller with a Trimble display?

Not directly. The 440 uses a 37-pin connector with analog and digital I/O — it doesn't speak ISOBUS or NMEA in a way the Trimble display can read for rate control. You'd need the Raven RCM (Rate Control Module) which is ISOBUS-compatible, or use the 440 standalone with its own console.

Where can I find the pinout for a Raven 460 controller?

Search the AgTalk Precision Talk forum for "Raven 460 pinout" or see the Raven SCS 460 manual on ManualsLib for connector diagrams. The Raven 440/450/460 all use the same 37-pin main connector, so pinouts are shared across these controllers.

Are Ag Leader and Trimble CAN bus cables the same?

No. They use the same connector types (ITT Cannon and Deutsch) but the pin assignments differ. Ag Leader uses CAN A and CAN B channels with different pinouts. Trimble uses CAN A and CAN B but with different pin configurations. You need brand-specific CAN bus cables.

What's the difference between a Trimble NAV-II and NAV-III harness?

The connectors are different. NAV-II uses one connector type, NAV-III uses another. You cannot plug a NAV-II harness into a NAV-III controller. See the Trimble cabling guide PDFs above for the specific connector differences.

I found a cable with a Deutsch connector. How do I know if it's Trimble, Ag Leader, or Raven?

Deutsch connectors are used by all three brands. Count the pins, note the keying (which way it inserts), and check the wire colors against the cabling guides linked above. If the cable has a part number printed on the jacket, search for it — Trimble uses 5-digit numbers, Ag Leader uses 4xxxxx numbers, Raven uses 115-0171-xxx numbers.

Do I need a special cable for ISOBUS?

Yes. ISOBUS uses a specific 9-pin Deutsch connector with a defined pinout (ISO 11786). The cable must be ISOBUS-compliant — a regular CAN bus cable with the wrong pinout won't work. Look for cables labeled "ISOBUS" or "ISO 11786."

Browse Our Inventory

We carry tested, ready-to-ship Trimble cables and Deutsch connectors:

Trimble Cables & Sensors

Deutsch Connectors

See all our agriculture parts and industrial parts for the full selection.