Name: Sandor (by prdsknoll) Date: March 17, 2008 at 09:31:31 Pacific Subject: Run USB printer on Parallel Port OS: Win XP SP2 CPU/Ram: 400 MHz / 512 Model/Manufacturer: Fujitsu Laptop
Comment:
Does any adapter or cable exist that would allow a USB printer to work with a Windows XP SP2 PC via the parallel port?
A Google search for "Using parallel port to run USB printer" returned many hits. Most appear to be geared toward running a parallel printer on a USB port. I did find one link that may help you but it does warn about laptops. What about using a PC card.
The problem with what you want to do is a USB connected printer usually operates much faster than a parallel port connection is capable of, even if you set the parallel port to EPP or ECP mode, the fastest speeds, in the laptop's bios. The printer may not work properly, or not work at all, even if you find an adapter that works. If it does work with the printer, the printer will probably operate at a much lower speed than it is capable of. If it is actually a multifunction unit, scanning in particular will probably be MUCH slower.
If you have a spare PCMCIA slot, you are better off, and it's probably cheaper, if you were to buy and use a USB 2.0 controller adapter instead (NOT a USB HUB adapter - it is likely that may not work with a printer).
If your goal is to enable a legacy application bound to LPT1 to print onto a USB printer, you can solve the problem better by software than by hardware adapter.
There are many ways to redirect a LPT output to USB either native in Win XP or using cheap third party tools. The solution depends on the application involved.
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