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Parallel Port differences?

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by nascar fan

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Is there any difference in the parallel ports on different printers? I am hooking up a parallel printer to a Qualcomm Mobile Communications Terminal not a PC. I am retrieving serial data at the terminals 37 pin connector Rx, Tx and Ground and going to a DB25 connector Tx, Rx and ground at a serial to parallel converter which is plugged into the printer. The converter has a 10 pin DIP Switch for configuration and I tried all speed and flow control settings. I can print on a EPSON LQ 570 Dot Matrix and a HP Laser 4L but can not print on a HP Deskjet 540 or 855 or a Okidata LED Page printer. No software can be loaded on the MCT. Any ideas?

11 replies

by dmiles

The printers and drivers are not installed on the machine and therefore are not available,you will have to add printers and drivers before you are able to access them.

by bstei18

Go to the Device Manager and look under Ports. Is there a Printer Port listed? If not you will need to install one using the Hardware Wizard. Also, check your BIOS and make sure the parallel port is enabled. Check the requirments of the device you are trying to use and see if it needs a bi-directional port. If so you will need to change the BIOS setting from SPP to EPP or ECP depending on your needs.

by shiny_topadm

As you've guessed, there are different "parallel" port types on printers. If you found config settings that allow you to print on some printers, that means that the "serial" side of your converter is correct. There is probably little or no configuration available for the parallel side. The printer manufacturers are the best source of the info, but I have seen some printers with configurable parallel ports, usually done through DIP switches on an internal board (it's not a thing that a typical user needs to change). The question of the port type comes down to two choices: "standard" or "bidirectional" (which is also called IEEE 1284). If the printer cannot be changed, your converter and the printer cable need to support the bidirectional mode.

by nascar fan

Thanks. Couldn't find anything on the inside of the printers I opened up but didn't really expect to.Have added a BJC 2100 to the list of printers not working. Black Box has a different S/P converter that they say will work $150 it better work. Don't know if we want to go that way or not customer may not want to put out for 75 converters.

by bill cassada

Call the mfr of the terminal and find out what pins tx/rx/cts/rts and so forth are being sent on. Then buy something known as a jumper box..a little plastic box with a small board inside which you can white-wire to accomodate your specific wiring needs. Chances are you need to set up for either hardware or software handshake, but it may be that this terminal sends signals out on different pins. The mfr will be able to tell you which pins...be sure to tell them you are trying to route those signals to a DB25 connector. Good luck!

by bill cassada

Which printer fonts are you using?? Could be a PCL, PCL5 or a related problem. An Deskjet 540 should work if the others do, but it's possible that the terminal is using a different emulation I guess....does the printer work on another system???

by nascar fan

Unless the font was selectable from the control panel on the printer I do not know because the MCT does not have any way to load any software. I have tried a BJC 2100 also and it doesn't work either. All of the printers I tried on the MCT came fromsomeones PC and are used daily.

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