Does this cable exist

Hi Mark

Maybe this adapter:     http://tinyurl.com/yysswn9o

Connected to This cable? –

http://tinyurl.com/y58ggw4w

Bit of a kludge, but should work.

This sounds like he wants to drive a USB printer from a parallel port on the PC?

Not sure why anyone would want to do that!

Sorry, that might have been the wrong item, I asked for one thing but might have been given another.

I retried with brain more in gear, was this what he really wanted, it looks like the right gender and end:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/parallel-port-to-usb/bn_7024812227

Good luck with old kit for which time has moved on. That link showed both styles of connection to me, but I cannot vouch for their reliability!

Bob, the 24 pin reference is the one that pointed me to either Centronics, a ‘different’ serial port (if I remember some very old ones were 24 pin rather than the more regular 9) or a SCSI ports which appeared in a number of different size presentations on equipment I last saw in the 1990s.

However the full quote said: contraption had the old style parallel pc connection for a printer 24 pin jobby so he asked if I had a cable that went from 24 pin to the square usb plug that goes into the back of newer usb printers does such a cable exist? That rules out the SCSI and probably the serial port. Cables with 24 pin Centronic to USB and USB A to b adapters certainly exist. Some OP feedback would settle the issue.

Neither USB A or B  have 24 pins, some USB have 4 and some later versions I understand have 8, not all the same length. However, a picture of both ends would have been useful.

Bob, my only point was originally only to support the view that such a cable does exist. However, it has shown that in the past such ports were a total pain with no two ever the same.

I was surprised to see that a new looking parallel port printer (with an idle USB port) was in use in the hospital today, nothing exotic either, I am not sure what drove the beast. I have to use an exotic arrangement if I want to use my parallel port portable printer, the PCs no longer support the port style.

I can’t wait!

Or maybe not then ?

The 25 pin shown there is (as it says) a (parallel) printer port. The 9-pin nearly is a serial port, as is the occasional similar 25 pin port of the same gender. You simply need a parallel to USB converter (though they seem to be USB to parallel converters in the usual descriptions. That printer port is the same as often used on some SCSI cards, which also had the big centronics ports sometimes. I would no mind a £5er for every time I tried to convince punters that a simple gender bender would not convert a 25 pin serial to parallel or vice virsa. On more than one occasion I have said “OK, you know best, but we don’t stock them. You could try xxxx down in town, and walked away.

You probably wont get one with the type of “square” USB connector you want, but one or more converters will get you there. (ie, a female to female, plus a male to “square” cable (modern printer type).

Les.

Les.

Les. wrote:

The 25 pin shown there is (as it says) a (parallel) printer port.

Yep, I’ve just compared you photo to an old Pentium 4 motherboard I’ve got. https://photos.app.goo.gl/gueZijThUqDKmv4E8

Looking at the picture, and your description of what he wants, I’m guessing that he wants to print directly from the device. I may be wrong, but I don’t think it will work. I imagine that the device is too old. As it has a USB plug to connect it to a computer though, that may be the best way forwards – transfer the data to a computer and print from there.

I did find this item, but it is a bit more than ‘just a cable’: https://www.lpt2usb.net/ but the cost of this item at $69 in the USA makes it an unattractive option and would they even supply to the UK? There appear to be some ‘clever’ (necessary) electronics in this box, but beware the printer that was used for your friend’s device may be a special, dedicated item. Can you not find a reference to the device in question on the web where others might discuss how they have achieved the result your friend desires?

Also be aware that some USB devices should not be back to backed with a computer if you do not want to blow the ports or more on one or other devices. Special cables were produced at one time for the purpose. Again some form of manual for the device could save future heartache.

An old, or possibly new printer with LPT Centronics type port or both types of port  might be an easier arrangement. Second had items do turn up from time to time. However, if the device lacks support for the printer in question the output could be gibberish.