Hi Group,

Does anyone know of a device that allows you to tap into a parallel printer
line and receive the same data into a serial port, while letting it still
print to the parallel printer?

B&B Electronics does have printer taps and parallel to serial converters but
the setup would be extremely clumsy.

I'm guessing there must be a "box" out there that just fits into the line
and then "tees" off to a serial port.

TIA,
Jeff

On 2006-03-07, Jeff Caspari wrote:
Hi Group,

Does anyone know of a device that allows you to tap into a parallel printer
line and receive the same data into a serial port, while letting it still
print to the parallel printer?

B&B Electronics does have printer taps and parallel to serial converters but
the setup would be extremely clumsy.

I'm guessing there must be a "box" out there that just fits into the line
and then "tees" off to a serial port.

There isn't. Parallel is potentially much faster than serial, you can't
reliably intercept and pass parallel traffic by merely listening.

That said, I think you only need to connecte the devices in parallel but
intercept the ack signal from the printer and or it with the ack from the
P=S and feed that to the printing computer's ack pin.

This will slow the setup to the speed of the slowest device.


Can't this task be done using software?

mos operating systems let you define a printer as being connected to a
serial port ... connect the printer to the "intercept" PC and connect it in
place of a serial printer useing a null modem cable (or a network printer
share if you can handle the complexity)

Bye.
Jasen

On Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:28:18 -0000, Jasen Betts
wrote:

On 2006-03-07, Jeff Caspari wrote:
Hi Group,

Does anyone know of a device that allows you to tap into a parallel printer
line and receive the same data into a serial port, while letting it still
print to the parallel printer?

B&B Electronics does have printer taps and parallel to serial converters but
the setup would be extremely clumsy.

I'm guessing there must be a "box" out there that just fits into the line
and then "tees" off to a serial port.

There isn't. Parallel is potentially much faster than serial, you can't
reliably intercept and pass parallel traffic by merely listening.

---
That's not what he's trying to do. He's already found a parallel
port-to-serial port converter, but what he wants is one with two
parallel port connectors wired straight-through, and the parallel-to
serial converter wired to their junctions and its output going to a
serial port connector, all in the same box.

--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer

John,
With help, I was able to locate a device that seems to fit the bill. I have
spoken with the owner and it looks like what I need.
See a description at:
http://www.imeg.com/jadtech/c100spec.htm

Thank you,
Jeff

"John Fields" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:28:18 -0000, Jasen Betts
wrote:

On 2006-03-07, Jeff Caspari wrote:
Hi Group,

Does anyone know of a device that allows you to tap into a parallel
printer
line and receive the same data into a serial port, while letting it
still
print to the parallel printer?

B&B Electronics does have printer taps and parallel to serial
converters but
the setup would be extremely clumsy.

I'm guessing there must be a "box" out there that just fits into the
line
and then "tees" off to a serial port.

There isn't. Parallel is potentially much faster than serial, you can't
reliably intercept and pass parallel traffic by merely listening.

---
That's not what he's trying to do. He's already found a parallel
port-to-serial port converter, but what he wants is one with two
parallel port connectors wired straight-through, and the parallel-to
serial converter wired to their junctions and its output going to a
serial port connector, all in the same box.

--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer

On 2006-03-07, John Fields wrote:

There isn't. Parallel is potentially much faster than serial, you can't
reliably intercept and pass parallel traffic by merely listening.

---
That's not what he's trying to do. He's already found a parallel
port-to-serial port converter, but what he wants is one with two
parallel port connectors wired straight-through, and the parallel-to
serial converter wired to their junctions and its output going to a
serial port connector, all in the same box.

If parallel is wired straight through it won't work. the data rate on the
parallel needs to be throtled to whatever the serial is capable of.

Bye.
Jasen

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 07:04:21 -0000, Jasen Betts
wrote:

On 2006-03-07, John Fields wrote:

There isn't. Parallel is potentially much faster than serial, you can't
reliably intercept and pass parallel traffic by merely listening.

---
That's not what he's trying to do. He's already found a parallel
port-to-serial port converter, but what he wants is one with two
parallel port connectors wired straight-through, and the parallel-to
serial converter wired to their junctions and its output going to a
serial port connector, all in the same box.

If parallel is wired straight through it won't work. the data rate on the
parallel needs to be throtled to whatever the serial is capable of.

---
Wired straight through in that the printer connected to the device
will see data coming from the computer's parallel port as if the
device weren't there, and the computer will just think it's sending
data to a slow printer. It goes without saying that the speed of
the data coming from the computer will have to be restricted in
order to do the parallel to serial conversion, transmit the serial
data, and renew the cycle.

--
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer