Adapting Old Printer Cable To New PC: Old=Parallel, New=USB

[(PeteCresswell)]

I thought I had it nailed when I ordered a "USB to Printer"
cable.

But what arrived had a rather large ("Centronics"?) connector as
shown in http://tinyurl.com/4gxz923

The old cables interface to the printer, OTOH, looks like this:
http://tinyurl.com/4mn57z5

From what I can read, they are both male and the adapter I need
is "Centronics Female To Mini-Centronics Male".

I *think* both of these are the one:
http://sewelldirect.com/centronicstomini.asp and
http://tinyurl.com/4ejqfqc, but before I blow another twenty
bucks, I'd like to hear somebody who knows say "Yes, that's the
one."

 

[Paul]

I thought I had it nailed when I ordered a "USB to Printer"
cable.

But what arrived had a rather large ("Centronics"?) connector as
shown in http://tinyurl.com/4gxz923

36 pin Centronics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_1284

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ughead.jpg/772px-IEEE_1284_36pin_plughead.jpg

The old cables interface to the printer, OTOH, looks like this:
http://tinyurl.com/4mn57z5

MDR36
http://pinouts.ru/ParallelPorts/ieee1284c_pinout.shtml

25 pin D-shell (host) adapter to Mini-Centronics.
http://www.cheaphpprinters.com/images/cheaphpprinters//products/hp/mini-centronics.jpg

From what I can read, they are both male and the adapter I need
is "Centronics Female To Mini-Centronics Male".

I *think* both of these are the one:
http://sewelldirect.com/centronicstomini.asp and

Looks reasonable.

http://tinyurl.com/4ejqfqc, but before I blow another twenty
bucks, I'd like to hear somebody who knows say "Yes, that's the
one."

You could also consider getting a USB to 25 pin D-shell connector
type printer cable, and then use the cabling you already own ?
Presumably previously you were using a 25 pin D-shell to Mini-Centronics
for the cabling ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812196222

Paul

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

I thought I had it nailed when I ordered a "USB to Printer"
cable.

But what arrived had a rather large ("Centronics"?) connector as
shown in http://tinyurl.com/4gxz923

The old cables interface to the printer, OTOH, looks like this:
http://tinyurl.com/4mn57z5

From what I can read, they are both male and the adapter I need
is "Centronics Female To Mini-Centronics Male".

I *think* both of these are the one:
http://sewelldirect.com/centronicstomini.asp and
http://tinyurl.com/4ejqfqc, but before I blow another twenty
bucks, I'd like to hear somebody who knows say "Yes, that's the
one."

Older HP printers used mini centronics.
I bought a mini centronics to db25 for mine.
It worked great with the old computer that had a parallel
port. The new comp did not have one so I tried a usb
adaptor then found out that my all-in-one office HP machine
will not work with USB because they require 2 way com.
Ended up buying a pci parallel card for the comp for $12.
It works.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Paul in Houston TX:

then found out that my all-in-one office HP machine
will not work with USB because they require 2 way com.
Ended up buying a pci parallel card for the comp for $12.
It works.

Thanks. That's the kind of thing I was trolling for.

The printer in this case is exactly that: all-in-one.

 

[Tim Meddick]

It's at all not certain that, having got the ["correct"] cable, there's
*no* guarantee that it'll work anyway!!

Just because you *can* get hold of the "right" cable that physically
connects both the old "printer" port and the new USB port, doesn't mean
they are going to automatically be compatible.

"Then why do they make such cables?" - because they may have been designed
to work with intermediate software - drivers or modified drivers created by
either the original printer manufacturer or by the manufacturer of the
cables themselves.

If I were you I would look more closely into whether it is actually
possible to do what you think can be achieved by joining your PC to your
printer using a composite cable.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[N. Miller]

Older HP printers used mini centronics.

Hmmm. All the oldest HP printers I have had used the standard, 36-pin
Centronics; except for the fairly new (newer than three LaserJets, and
three, or four DeskJets,) OfficeJet, which had three connection options:

Standard Centronics
Mini-Centronics
USB

The LaserJet 5P, the second newest printer, has two connection options:

Standard Centronics
Mini-Centronics

When we turned in the OfficeJet for a Photosmart All-In-One, I kept the
parallel cable, and used it with the LaserJet 5P. I have it connected via an
old Netgear FR114P router, which I have relegated to use as a print server
and switch on my LAN.

I would say the oldest HP printers only had the standard, 36-pin Centronics
cable. The mini-centronics was used on later HP printers.

 

[N. Miller]

I thought I had it nailed when I ordered a "USB to Printer"
cable.

But what arrived had a rather large ("Centronics"?) connector as
shown in http://tinyurl.com/4gxz923

The old cables interface to the printer, OTOH, looks like this:
http://tinyurl.com/4mn57z5

From what I can read, they are both male and the adapter I need
is "Centronics Female To Mini-Centronics Male".

The cable you have is the DB-25 printer cable, aka, IEEE-1284 cable. So you
need to look for a USB to IEEE-1284 cable. I have an older, USB to DB-36
(Centronics) cable, and the warning with it, and with the Netgear FR114P
Print server as well, is that bi-directional connection is may not be
supported (seems to be printer dependent).

 

[Paul]

It's at all not certain that, having got the ["correct"] cable, there's
*no* guarantee that it'll work anyway!!

Just because you *can* get hold of the "right" cable that physically
connects both the old "printer" port and the new USB port, doesn't mean
they are going to automatically be compatible.

"Then why do they make such cables?" - because they may have been
designed to work with intermediate software - drivers or modified
drivers created by either the original printer manufacturer or by the
manufacturer of the cables themselves.

If I were you I would look more closely into whether it is actually
possible to do what you think can be achieved by joining your PC to your
printer using a composite cable.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Paul in Houston nailed it. When you use a USB to printer adapter cable
(an active device), the Microsoft protocol stack only has simple printer
driver capability. The cable doesn't support all of the traditional
parallel port operating modes. A USB to printer cable should work with
some printers, but because of the missing modes, not every function
on the end of the cable will work. Many older applications used to
"bit-bang" the parallel port directly, and that can't work via the
USB stack.

Using a PCI card to parallel port, would stand a better chance of
enabling all the traditional modes (SPP,ECP,EPP,whatever). If you have
a dongle for software authorization, you may need to buy the PCI card type,
so it will work. Or another example of things you can connect - I have
a JTAG programmer cable for the parallel port, and that would take
a "real" parallel port as well.

A USB to printer port cable is a poor substitute for this missing port
on PCs, due to the lack of functions. The USB stack getting in the
way, is part of that.

Paul

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Tim Meddick:

If I were you I would look more closely into whether it is actually
possible to do what you think can be achieved by joining your PC to your
printer using a composite cable.

I agree.

In light of Paul-From-Houston's advice, I'm ditching the USB
cable approach and have ordered a parallel port card for the PC
in question.

 

[Tim Meddick]

I bow to your greater breadth of understanding, Paul.

I mealy wanted to point out, the possibility, that when you try to connect
two differing types of port, just because one may happen to find a cable
with the right ends to connect the device, doesn't mean that it's sure to
work!

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

It's at all not certain that, having got the ["correct"] cable, there's
*no* guarantee that it'll work anyway!!

Just because you *can* get hold of the "right" cable that physically
connects both the old "printer" port and the new USB port, doesn't mean
they are going to automatically be compatible.

"Then why do they make such cables?" - because they may have been
designed to work with intermediate software - drivers or modified
drivers created by either the original printer manufacturer or by the
manufacturer of the cables themselves.

If I were you I would look more closely into whether it is actually
possible to do what you think can be achieved by joining your PC to your
printer using a composite cable.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Paul in Houston nailed it. When you use a USB to printer adapter cable
(an active device), the Microsoft protocol stack only has simple printer
driver capability. The cable doesn't support all of the traditional
parallel port operating modes. A USB to printer cable should work with
some printers, but because of the missing modes, not every function
on the end of the cable will work. Many older applications used to
"bit-bang" the parallel port directly, and that can't work via the
USB stack.

Using a PCI card to parallel port, would stand a better chance of
enabling all the traditional modes (SPP,ECP,EPP,whatever). If you have
a dongle for software authorization, you may need to buy the PCI card
type,
so it will work. Or another example of things you can connect - I have
a JTAG programmer cable for the parallel port, and that would take
a "real" parallel port as well.

A USB to printer port cable is a poor substitute for this missing port
on PCs, due to the lack of functions. The USB stack getting in the
way, is part of that.

Paul

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

Hmmm. All the oldest HP printers I have had used the standard, 36-pin
Centronics; except for the fairly new (newer than three LaserJets, and
three, or four DeskJets,) OfficeJet, which had three connection options:

Standard Centronics
Mini-Centronics
USB

The LaserJet 5P, the second newest printer, has two connection options:

Standard Centronics
Mini-Centronics

When we turned in the OfficeJet for a Photosmart All-In-One, I kept the
parallel cable, and used it with the LaserJet 5P. I have it connected via an
old Netgear FR114P router, which I have relegated to use as a print server
and switch on my LAN.

I would say the oldest HP printers only had the standard, 36-pin Centronics
cable. The mini-centronics was used on later HP printers.

I don't know how old my LJ 3100 is but it only has the
mini port. Nothing else. I think its at least 10 years, maybe 15.
My old LJ3 worked with the router's built in parallel server
port but not the 3100 all in one.
The new LJ 45xx's at the office only have one Ethernet connection.

 

[Paul in Houston TX]

The cable you have is the DB-25 printer cable, aka, IEEE-1284 cable. So you
need to look for a USB to IEEE-1284 cable. I have an older, USB to DB-36
(Centronics) cable, and the warning with it, and with the Netgear FR114P
Print server as well, is that bi-directional connection is may not be
supported (seems to be printer dependent).

Same with my D-Link. 2 way not supported.

 

[pjp]

Same with my D-Link. 2 way not supported.

I wonder if perhaps one of those old Laplink cables might work, e.g. used to
connect lpt to lpt to two pc's to transfer files in the old DOS days. Seems
to me they had all the pins connected where-as typical lpt cable didn't
(sorta like 40 versus 80 pin ide cables).

 

[N. Miller]

I don't know how old my LJ 3100 is but it only has the
mini port. Nothing else. I think its at least 10 years, maybe 15.

13, at the oldest; introduced in 1998.

My old LJ3 worked with the router's built in parallel server
port but not the 3100 all in one.
The new LJ 45xx's at the office only have one Ethernet connection.

I had a LaserJet III. 36-pin Centronics. My Dad had a LaserJet 4. 36-pin
Centronics. We both had DeskJet 500s. 36-pin Centronics. He upgraded to a
DeskJet 660, then a DeskJet 820Cse. Both 36-pin Centronics. My dad also got
a portable DeskJet 310 for his very ancient (Windows 3.1) laptop. 36-pin
Centronics.

I didn't see an IEE-1284 interface until my dad traded in his LaserJet 4 for
the LaserJet 5P. I expect that interface was adopted right around 15 years
ago, or so; but, as you can see, I've had printers dating back ten years
earlier than that.