🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <C0J4C8.L0G@brunel.ac.uk>, Brian.Milner@brunel.ac.uk (Brian D Milner) writes:
|> 
|>      I am running a laser printer from my PC's parallel port. Now I'd 
|> like to add a parallel dot matrix printer as well. 
|> 
|>      Can I *add* a parallel port to my PC? 
Sure you can. XT's used to come without //ports and one have to purchase a
card to plug it in.  Just jumper it to an unused IRQ and set the DIP switches
to make it LPT2: or whatever.

|>      Can I use a serial port to run a parallel printer? 
Directly, no no :).  Use a hw converter, too involved.

|>      Can I get a switch thing to direct my output from one port 
|>      between two printers?
Parallel IO is more subceptible to noise than serial.  Tried a simple one
before.  You just have to ensure good inteference shielding.

|>      Is there any other way I can get this going?
|> 
How about converting the dot matrix to serial.  After all you wouldn't print
graphics to it.  And the text printing would be slower than the 9600 baud
rate transfer.

............................................................................
. Kyle Hor                    .    /       / _   .  Email  khor@bnr.ca     .
. Bell-Northern Research Ltd. .   /__\  / / /_\  .  Phone  (613) 763-2488  .
. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada     .  / \  \/ /  \__  .  ESN          393-2488  .
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................  standard disclaimer, 2 cents opinion  ....................
.............  searching forever, for the perfect solution  ................