Please help printing with LPT (printer --lpt--> pc ---usb--> printer)

[MegaVovaN]

Dear AT community,

I was wondering if you could help me solve a problem I have.

I would like to print as indicated in heading. I have the following:
1. Device that only prints to LPT
2. Windows XP 32 computer that has LPT port and USB port. It can print to printer via both.
3. Printer with USB and LPT ports.

Objective:
Make it possible for both devices (device and computer) to print to same printer without physically switching cables.


Proposed solution:
I was thinking to connect device to computer via LPT, and install some software on PC that would recognize that device sent data to print via LPT, and redirect it to USB port to the printer. Computer itself would print via USB as well.

Problem:
Finding the software or hardware with above mentioned characteristics.

Thank you in advance,
-MegaVovaN

 

[Emulex]

what is wrong with device -> LPT, pc -> usb?

is the printer not capable of port sensing?

Maybe if you tell us what the device and printer is; we can find a more specific solution.

i've got some whacky drivers - lpt to ip; usb to ip (software bridges/emulators) but they are not very efficient with centronics. very intensive if you are not using dma based drivers(polled i/o). been over 10 years since i've messed with lpt based bidirectional i/o (some old ass scanner).

 

[MegaVovaN]

Thank you for reply Emulex!

Apparently the printer is not capable of port sensing, because when device and computer are plugged in and print, the printer would "freeze".

The device is a dying spectrometer that I cannot touch:
https://www.thermoscientific.com/wp...Id=L10978&categoryId=82243&productId=11961712

Printer is HP LaserJet 1320
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en...24-410625.html

Computer is rather old, Pentium 3: Dell Optiplex GX200.

Thank you again,
M

 

[VirtualLarry]

What's wrong with a good old LPT/printer-sharing device? Get an electronic one, not a manual one, but it can allow you to share a printer between two devices with a LPT output port. As far as I know, the better ones are "smart", and return a "printer busy" signal to the other device that isn't currently printing.

 

[Emulex]

back in the days - we used automatic print switchers - since your pc; and printer support lpt, this device would take the lpt port from the pc and from the device and auto-switch them. they also made manual switches which were giant crossbar switches.

they probably sell for $1-10 these days due to the lack of need. the more expensive ones had ram to buffer if one device (spectrometer) was printing and the pc started to print. Rather than have a lengthy timeout (Which some devices do not handle).

Do you think that would work? i'm pretty sure you can find a lpt port on a gx200 or spend $1 and get one off ebay.

its easier to bring the common phy denominator down to lpt centronics than try to pass-thru or raise the lpt to usb (spectrometer).

That's what i'd try given the cheapness of the parts necessary to do so ebay stylee.

 

[MegaVovaN]

That is what I am looking for: a hardware LPT device would also work.
Can you please give a couple examples of such device?

Ones with buffer being more expensive is worth it because I'd guess spectrometer does not handle "printer busy" signal.


The computer does have LPT.

Thank you again,
M

 

[Emulex]

ebay man - i dont think they make them anymore new and the quality stuff they made for printers (think okidata 320 days) were much better than the asian junk you'd find new.

i'm being serious here.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Thank you. Ordered "Parallel Auto Switch" from ebay, we will see how it goes.
-M

 

[DeadPixels]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would add a bit of information to it that might be useful to people experiencing the same issue.

I use a Parallel Autoswitch (a Tripplite B170-002 Reversible IEEE 1284 Autoswitch). I have used it for two computers sharing a printer.

There is a button on the switch to change the selected source computer or to put the switch into an autoswitch mode in which it scans back and forth between the two (or four, in the case of the 4-port model) until there is activity on one of the ports.

However, I find that it does not return to autoswitch mode after printing if the source computer opened a bi-directional connection. If you wish it to resume autoswitching after each print job, try turning off "Bidirectional" on your print drivers. That worked for me.

I suspect that this problem is common to all brands of parallel autoswitches.

(Alternatively, this reversible switch can also be used for attaching two parallel devices to a single port on a computer. I don't believe that auto-scanning is possible with such a configuration. Rather, the user either uses the button on the switch to select the target device or may, after installing and configuring a driver for the switch, select the desired device on the computer screen as if they were attached to separate ports.)

 

[MegaVovaN]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would add a bit of information to it that might be useful to people experiencing the same issue.

I use a Parallel Autoswitch (a Tripplite B170-002 Reversible IEEE 1284 Autoswitch). I have used it for two computers sharing a printer.

There is a button on the switch to change the selected source computer or to put the switch into an autoswitch mode in which it scans back and forth between the two (or four, in the case of the 4-port model) until there is activity on one of the ports.

However, I find that it does not return to autoswitch mode after printing if the source computer opened a bi-directional connection. If you wish it to resume autoswitching after each print job, try turning off "Bidirectional" on your print drivers. That worked for me.

I suspect that this problem is common to all brands of parallel autoswitches.

(Alternatively, this reversible switch can also be used for attaching two parallel devices to a single port on a computer. I don't believe that auto-scanning is possible with such a configuration. Rather, the user either uses the button on the switch to select the target device or may, after installing and configuring a driver for the switch, select the desired device on the computer screen as if they were attached to separate ports.)

Thank you for rescuing this thread. By the way, parallel auto switch from ebay worked for me