Old serial printer

[Matt Broughton]

Hi good people,
Can one very very old but very good (HP Laser Jet 4L)
serial printer work whitout problem with USB to serial
adapter on win 2000 / win 98?
Thank you

I'm sorry I can't help you with the Windows end of things as I am a Mac
user. The printer you say you have, however, does not have a serial
connection. Comparative specs for some LaserJet models can be found at
<http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=b
pl03377&locale=en_US&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=25486&prodTypeId=18972>

I don't believe that any of the HP LaserJets had a serial port. Any
LaserJet that has a mini DIN 8 connector actually has a LocalTalk port.
That is not the same thing as a serial port. It is a different protocol.

HTH

 

[jbuch]

I'm sorry I can't help you with the Windows end of things as I am a Mac
user. The printer you say you have, however, does not have a serial
connection. Comparative specs for some LaserJet models can be found at
<http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=b
pl03377&locale=en_US&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=25486&prodTypeId=18972>

I don't believe that any of the HP LaserJets had a serial port. Any
LaserJet that has a mini DIN 8 connector actually has a LocalTalk port.
That is not the same thing as a serial port. It is a different protocol.

HTH

I believe that the various models of HPII and HPIII came with both
serial and parallel ports.

Perhaps I should say that the HPII, HPIID, HPIII and HPIIID printers in
my house all have serial and parallel interfaces.

Very rarely do people actually use these serial ports because they are
relatively slow.

The Laserjet 4 Plus printers in my office only have parallel ports, no
serials.

Jim

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[Jimmy]

I'm sorry I can't help you with the Windows end of things as I am a Mac

user. The printer you say you have, however, does not have a serial
connection. Comparative specs for some LaserJet models can be found at
<http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=b
pl03377&locale=en_US&taskId=101&prodSeriesId=25486&prodTypeId=18972>

I don't believe that any of the HP LaserJets had a serial port. Any
LaserJet that has a mini DIN 8 connector actually has a LocalTalk port.
That is not the same thing as a serial port. It is a different protocol.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?R1E756EA7
http://makeashorterlink.com/?R40812EA7
Follow these short links to the final link page and you will see the
LaserJet 4L was a PC product, the 4mL the Mac version. According to HP
product features, both had Bi-tronics parallel ports, with the Mac version
supporting AppleTalk. Either way, the original poster believes the port is
a serial and this doesn't seem to be the situation.

 

[Nobody]

Hi good people,
Can one very very old but very good (HP Laser Jet 4L)
serial printer work whitout problem with USB to serial
adapter on win 2000 / win 98?
Thank you

 

[Alan]

Hi good people,
Can one very very old but very good (HP Laser Jet 4L)
serial printer work whitout problem with USB to serial
adapter on win 2000 / win 98?

The 4L has only a parallel port.
(The 4ML also has a Mac ADB port.)

If your PC has a parallel port, problem solved.
If not, I think it might be simpler and possibly cheaper to install a
PCI parallel port card. I got one for about $20 when the built in one
died and it works fine.

If you have a laptop without a parallel port or for some reason really
want to use your USB connection, I've seen USB-parallel cables fairly
cheap.

 

[Tom Ruben]

I don't believe that any of the HP LaserJets had a serial port.

My LJ 4M Plus has parallel, serial and Ethernet.

 

[Matt Broughton]

My LJ 4M Plus has parallel, serial and Ethernet.

That is *not* a serial port. It is a LocalTalk port. LocalTalk ports
use the AppleTalk protocol. It can be confusing even for many Mac
owners as the Mac mini DIN 8 sockets can be either be either serial,
LocalTalk, or both depending on the chipset. Both serial and LocalTalk
use what is commonly referred to as a serial cable. Serial and
LocalTalk ports are not the same however.

 

[Bob Headrick]

That is *not* a serial port. It is a LocalTalk port. LocalTalk ports
use the AppleTalk protocol. It can be confusing even for many Mac
owners as the Mac mini DIN 8 sockets can be either be either serial,
LocalTalk, or both depending on the chipset. Both serial and LocalTalk
use what is commonly referred to as a serial cable. Serial and
LocalTalk ports are not the same however.

My LaserJet 4 has an DB-25 RS-232 serial port as well as a parallel port,
selectable from the front panel setup. Earlier LaserJet's had options for
either parallel or serial (RS-232) ports. The 4M includes a JetDirect card
which has a BNC, twisted pair ethernet and AppleTalk ports, in addition to the
serial (RS-232) and parallel ports.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

 

[Jimmy]

That is *not* a serial port. It is a LocalTalk port. LocalTalk ports
use the AppleTalk protocol. It can be confusing even for many Mac
owners as the Mac mini DIN 8 sockets can be either be either serial,
LocalTalk, or both depending on the chipset. Both serial and LocalTalk
use what is commonly referred to as a serial cable. Serial and
LocalTalk ports are not the same however.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?X52A111B7 If you follow the link and take a
look at the spec for the LJ 4m you will find, "C2021A #ABA HP LaserJet 4m
printer (RS-232-C / RS-422-A serial interfaces, Bi-Tronics parallel
interface, and AppleTalk interface)." #ABA designates US model. This would
indicate that not only was a serial connector (DB-9?), parallel, and
AppleTalk (DB-8?) connector was available.

Seems like the LaserJet 4 line had plenty of connectivity options depending
upon model and world region.

 

[Matt Broughton]

http://makeashorterlink.com/?X52A111B7 If you follow the link and take a
look at the spec for the LJ 4m you will find, "C2021A #ABA HP LaserJet 4m
printer (RS-232-C / RS-422-A serial interfaces, Bi-Tronics parallel
interface, and AppleTalk interface)." #ABA designates US model. This would
indicate that not only was a serial connector (DB-9?), parallel, and
AppleTalk (DB-8?) connector was available.

Seems like the LaserJet 4 line had plenty of connectivity options depending
upon model and world region.

I stand corrected twice. First, I misread your model number as that of
the OP's 4L. Second, this is the first reference I have seen to HP
using serial ports on their LaserJets. Live and learn -- and happy to
do both.