LPT printer on COM port

[Nanni]

My HP Deskjet 710C only has an LPT interface, and my new barebone PC
(running XP SP2) doesn't have one. However, since it has a COM port, I
have bought an adapter to try to make it work. I have attached the
printer using the adapter, installed the printer driver manually, added
the printer manually while telling it to use the only COM port (numero
uno), and it won't print.

I have checked HP.com and googled without finding any solutions. Perhaps
someone of you have had more luck? Please CC "nann-he at online dot no"
if you have any tips.

Thanks!

 

[thoss]

My HP Deskjet 710C only has an LPT interface, and my new barebone PC
(running XP SP2) doesn't have one. However, since it has a COM port, I
have bought an adapter to try to make it work. I have attached the
printer using the adapter, installed the printer driver manually, added
the printer manually while telling it to use the only COM port (numero
uno), and it won't print.

I have checked HP.com and googled without finding any solutions. Perhaps
someone of you have had more luck? Please CC "nann-he at online dot no"
if you have any tips.

What sort of adapter?
Have you set the printer dip-switches to use the serial port?
Have you set baud rate etc to be the same on computer and printer?

 

[Eric P.]

You could have bought a PCI Parallel Port card instead.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

My HP Deskjet 710C only has an LPT interface, and my new barebone PC
(running XP SP2) doesn't have one. However, since it has a COM port, I
have bought an adapter to try to make it work. I have attached the printer
using the adapter, installed the printer driver manually, added the
printer manually while telling it to use the only COM port (numero uno),
and it won't print.

I have checked HP.com and googled without finding any solutions. Perhaps
someone of you have had more luck? Please CC "nann-he at online dot no" if
you have any tips.

Thanks!

Do you have a USB port? If so:

http://search.ebay.com/USB-Printer-Adapters_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8

 

[ato_zee]

My HP Deskjet 710C only has an LPT interface, and my new barebone PC
(running XP SP2) doesn't have one. However, since it has a COM port, I
have bought an adapter to try to make it work. I have attached the
printer using the adapter, installed the printer driver manually, added
the printer manually while telling it to use the only COM port (numero
uno), and it won't print.

Ideally you need one of the cheap LED RS232 interface monitors, to
see what is happening.
Some possible problems are, you need a Tx/Rx crossover cable
on the COM side, You need some handshake lines such as RTS/CTS
(Request To Send/Clear To Send), maybe DSR (DataSet Ready) or
even CD (Carrier Detect), it depends on what you h/w is looking at.
Some of these can be faked using links in the COM connector.
Also you may have a baud rate problem, I can't see how an assumed
passive? converter can convert a parallel port to a known baud rate and
if needed get the parity right.
If you know the printer is ok get a parallel card, not an adapter.

 

[Alan]

My HP Deskjet 710C only has an LPT interface, and my new barebone PC
(running XP SP2) doesn't have one. However, since it has a COM port, I
have bought an adapter to try to make it work. I have attached the
printer using the adapter, installed the printer driver manually, added
the printer manually while telling it to use the only COM port (numero
uno), and it won't print.

I have checked HP.com and googled without finding any solutions. Perhaps
someone of you have had more luck? Please CC "nann-he at online dot no"
if you have any tips.

If you've got a spare PCI slot, get a parallel port card, I got one
for about US$20.

You must have USB, and USB-parallel cables are pretty common and
cheap, though I haven't tried running a printer myself that's exactly
what they claim they can do.

Are you sure you have a parallel-serial connector, and not just a 25/9
or 15 pin serial port converter?
The large 25 pin serial port is exactly the same as the parallel port
(mechanically they'll fit but electrically, they won't).

 

[Victor Engmark]

What sort of adapter?

I didn't have a close look at it, I didn't buy it

Have you set the printer dip-switches to use the serial port?

Nope. I didn't see any; are they standard on these "stoopid loser" printers?

Have you set baud rate etc to be the same on computer and printer?

I'm not sure as to how this can be done, how many baud is LPT normally?
Besides, I have attached other primitive COM devices and changing the
baud rate didn't seem to break anything.

 

[Victor Engmark]

You could have bought a PCI Parallel Port card instead.

I'm not sure if there's room in the PC, it's a barebone. Now I'm not
_at_ the PC anymore. Is there any way to easily check whether the PC has
a free PCI slot (i.e. without installing SiSoft Sandra or the like)?

 

[Victor Engmark]

Do you have a USB port? If so:

http://search.ebay.com/USB-Printer-Adapters_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8

Aren't these only USB to LPT? I need the opposite.

 

[thoss]

I didn't have a close look at it, I didn't buy it

The OP said he did. I hope it is serial-to-parallel, not parallel-to-
serial.

Nope. I didn't see any; are they standard on these "stoopid loser" printers?

Sorry, I was thinking here of a serial printer. Parallel printers don't
have any.

I'm not sure as to how this can be done, how many baud is LPT normally?
Besides, I have attached other primitive COM devices and changing the
baud rate didn't seem to break anything.

That question of mine should have read "Have you set the baud rate etc
to be the same on computer and adapter?".

In Win 95/98 you do this in the computer by the MODE command in
Autoexec.Bat. Type MODE /? to check the syntax. I don't know how you
do this, if it is possible at all, in Win 2000/XP.

Maybe it would be easier to do the setting in the adapter.

 

[Barry OGrady]

Aren't these only USB to LPT? I need the opposite.

You need USB to LPT.


-Barry
========
"I see only with deep regret that God punishes so many of His children for
their numerous stupidities, for which only He Himself can be held responsible;
in my opinion, only His nonexistence could excuse Him."
[A. Einstein (Letter to Edgar Meyer, Jan. 2, 1915)]

Web page: http://members.iinet.net.au/~barry.og
Atheist, radio scanner, LIPD information.

 

[Alan]

I'm not sure if there's room in the PC, it's a barebone. Now I'm not
_at_ the PC anymore. Is there any way to easily check whether the PC has
a free PCI slot (i.e. without installing SiSoft Sandra or the like)?

Simplest is to open the case and look. If you baulk at that, you're
not going to be able to install the card anyway.