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Author Topic: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?  (Read 4901 times)

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Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« on: August 18, 2010, 12:57:59 PM »
Was sent this in e-mail and thought it was pretty interesting. Have a hard time believing that this actually would work, will have to dig up some connectors to see if this is really possible. In any case, it's amusing.

http://gizmodo.com/5610087

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grandpa_simpson

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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2010, 04:38:48 PM »
Lol


atta way to get the most out of your computer  :)

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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2010, 06:03:02 PM »
That wouldn't work. I don't know about the others but I do know that a PS/2->USB keyboard adapter only works with either keyboard HID USB devices or Mouse HID USB devices. Usually, they work with either one or the other, sometimes both keyboards and mice, but using it for any other USB device and expecting it to work is completely ludicrous. How would the converter translate, the operation of a Mass storage device so that it works through the same interface that a keyboard and mouse use, neither if which have much more then a few kilobits of data transfer (they both use the very slowest USB mode, which utilizes a subchannel of the very slowest 1.5mbps speed, and even then it get's translated to the far slower (a few kilobits, maybe) PS/2). One can assume that the PS/2 adapter would be specifically designed to translate the instructions being set from the PS/2 (stuff like wether caps lock is on and so forth... at least for keyboards. I don't think Mice even accept anything in response from the PC) to HID instructions for the USB device in question, and Vice versa. Also, notice that despite the fact that the PS/2 to USB converter always bears a small USB symbol toward the USB side on the top and a small symbol sometimes) that is either a mouse or keyboard on the PS/2 side I find it curious how this one bears neither. (it's not on "the other side" side that would be the bottom and they never put it there.

Let's go through each little device, shall we?

First, we have the parallel port itself. connected to this is a white block that Must be a Parallel DB-25 to Serial DB-25. I say this because there is no Parallel DB-25 to Serial DB-9 and also because otherwise the white thing is just a parallel port extension, which is rather pointless.

Connected to this we have the Serial DB-25 to Serial DB9, and then what appears to be a PS/2 to Serial DB9, and the final PS/2 to USB.

As well as what I noted about the PS/2 to USB device itself, it's important to know that in a similar vein the PS/2 to Serial devices only work properly with Mice. First off, it only even works properly with mice that are designed to use it. (that is, the mouse actually has to change what it outputs dependent on wether it is connected to PS/2 or Serial.

This sort of use would never work, especially because USB plug and play doesn't work through ANY of the adapters.



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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2010, 10:28:02 PM »
I think everybody knew it wouldn't work.  It's hard enough to get one converter, or adapter to work right, much less six in a daisy chain.

grandpa_simpson

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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #4 on: August 19, 2010, 05:24:59 AM »
I like the first comment.    In essence, "why not just use an available usb port  ???   "     

lol

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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2010, 01:00:22 AM »
Aside from compatibility and whatnot, this wouldn't work simply because USB requires output power that the parallel port doesn't provide.  Granted, this can be changed with a bit of know-how, but I'm guessing that most likely isn't the case here.  Funny picture, though.
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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2010, 10:16:37 PM »
Aside from compatibility and whatnot, this wouldn't work simply because USB requires output power that the parallel port doesn't provide.  Granted, this can be changed with a bit of know-how, but I'm guessing that most likely isn't the case here.  Funny picture, though.

According to this post http://computer.howstuffworks.com/parallel-port1.htm

The parallel port can supply 5V...but only from 1 pin, and I wouldn't count on it, as it drops to 0.5V when data is being sent.

Quote
Pin but drops below 0.5 volts whenever the computer sends a byte of data. This drop in voltage tells the printer that data is being sent. 1 carries the strobe signal. It maintains a level of between 2.8 and 5 volts,
« Last Edit: September 16, 2010, 06:45:03 AM by patio »

Salmon Trout

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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2010, 12:27:10 AM »
That 5 volts is a no-load figure. In ordinary parallel port implementations the data outputs are 74LS374 IC totem-pole TTL outputs which can source 2.6 mA and sink 24 mA. The outputs are designed so that they give at least 2.4V at 2.6 mA load. If you set the outputs to the high state and don't load the outputs, you get almost full +5V output. If you start to take current out of the port, the voltage will drop. The voltage is guaranteed to to stay above 2.4V when you load the output as specified. If you try to pull more current from the port, the output voltage will drop and the parallel port electronics will start to heat up more than they are specified.

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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2010, 03:21:00 PM »
It only works if you believe.  ::) I clapped my hands in belief and I couldn't daisy chain to unlimited lengths. 8)
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Re: Who Said the Parallel Port Was Dead?
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2010, 08:39:57 PM »
I saw this on another computer forum.  I think they were the actual ones to do it too lol.