Keep wires as short as possible to limit interference. Female 23-pin connectors can be kludged from female 25-pin connectors with a little patience and a little hacksaw. Male 23-pin connectors can be kludged from male 25-pin connectors by pulling a couple of pins. Radio Shack's D-sub hoods (part numbers 276-15xx) make ideal adapter housings, especially where additional circuitry is required.