Parallel D-sub25 Set up?

SKIPPY PB

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Jan 9, 2015
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This equipment was in before I grew an interest in PC's and is now outdated. I have an external component that has a male 25 pin D-sub Parallel connector. I believe these where used for printers back in the day.

I can use a DB25 male-female cable to connect to it but I don't have this port on my PC. Is there a PCI adapter that I can install to my motherboard to get this too work?

This is what I need to connect to the PC.

db25-m-right-angle.jpg



Also I know that some components will not work the same if you use a connect that goes to USB. I think PCIe is an example in that you cant simply hook up a graphics card to work through a USB port or something. But is this similiar with the parallel port?

I might have answered my own question, if I get something like this will I need software to make it work with the computer that didn't come with it. Or will windows find that for me.

And can I be limited by getting a x1 version instead of an x16 version of the cards?

61iNKM429BL._SL1280_.jpg
 
Solution


USB adapters are usually plug and play, depends on the OS obviously. Windows 7 will be much better than Windows 95. I have no way to know if it will work for burning PROMs. All you can do is try it and then checksum or CRC the PROM.


Is parallel plug and play for the most part? Or do you have to do some things to get everything working 100%

And will these parallel to usb adapters work 100% if I where to try and flash an epprom with it?
 


USB adapters are usually plug and play, depends on the OS obviously. Windows 7 will be much better than Windows 95. I have no way to know if it will work for burning PROMs. All you can do is try it and then checksum or CRC the PROM.
 
Solution


I understand thanks for the advice. I ended up buying a parallel to motherboard back plate. I don't know for sure but some people say its best to stay safe and do it the way it is designed. Because sometimes USB can't emulate parallel for certain things.


 


I see, I could have swore I saw a 25 pin connector on my 05 Dell but I guess thats too new. Would the type of PCI interface make a difference. If I get a PCI card that is x1 will it act differently that one that is x16 or whatever. Or just be "slower" so to speak.

 
x1 exceeds the performance of a parallel port by a very wide margin. The parallel port existed on an XT with an 8086 CPU which has an awfully slow transfer rate by current standards. Newer motherboards like the ASRock H97M Pro4, the GIGABYTE GA-H170M-D3H, the MSI Gaming H170 Gaming M3 and other current motherboards still provide the very useful LPT port. All you need is the cable that connects to the motherboard's LPT connector.
 
I bought two PCI parallel cards one is X1 the other is bigger but not quite X16. I am trying to get it working on my Dell XPS 400 running Windows XP. It comes with a driver CD but it has drivers for all OS's like Linux, Mac OS, Win's, etc. I cant find the XP driver for this card, and the only folders that contain drivers with XP in the folder name are for things like USB 3.0 and USB to Parallel support. Heres a photo of the driver disc anyone have a clue here?

Windows can't find it if you point it to look at the whole disc and neither can driver programs.






Just noticed the bigger card is probably the same as the second picture in the first post.

PC recognizes the card in device manger. But its INOP with yellow unknown sign.