parallel port to USB port

[meowth08]

Is there any way we can convert a parallel port to a serial port since most if not all laptops this time only have serial ports? We used parallel port to test our project before. After finishing the project boards, looking for a unit that has a parallel port is really a headache!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

No, not if you're manually toggling the parallel port.

But serial ports are long obselete as well, USB has replaced them both.

I suggest you checkout the USB Bitwhacker which was designed for your exact purpose.

 

[MrAl]

Is there any way we can convert a parallel port to a serial port since most if not all laptops this time only have serial ports? We used parallel port to test our project before. After finishing the project boards, looking for a unit that has a parallel port is really a headache!

Hi,

They do make USB to parallel port adapters that you plug into the USB port and that gives you a parallel port (with driver software perhaps).
I have read posts that complain that they dont work the same as a true parallel port, but that probably depends on which one you buy.
I've used USB to serial port adapters like this, but they are a little different.
Hopefully your laptop at least has a USB port.

Does it have to be a laptop? They still sell motherboards (for desktop computers) with parallel ports.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Does it have to be a laptop? They still sell motherboards (for desktop computers) with parallel ports.

But those are rare as well.

 

[MrAl]

But those are rare as well.

Hi,

Maybe, but "rare" isnt the same thing as "dont exist anymore"

Check out the lower priced MoBo categories on sites like Tiger Direct and New Egg. Get 'em while you still can

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Hi,

Maybe, but "rare" isnt the same thing as "dont exist anymore"

Check out the lower priced MoBo categories on sites like Tiger Direct and New Egg. Get 'em while you still can

Or move to the 21st century?

 

[Reloadron]

There is a curve somewhere in all of this. People developing today should be developing for the USB port as to data in and out. Clinging to ports like the old parallel port and for that matter the RS232 serial port sooner or later needs to stop. While we all have devices and applications we love, sooner or later it becomes time to bid a farewell. Yes, if you look long and hard you can still find motherboards that support the parallel port, much as I still have a few old systems that have the ports but all good things must come to an end.

As Nigel puts it "Or move to the 21st century".

Ron

 

[MrAl]

Hi,


Well it's not always that simple. Some people have specific needs that still need to be addressed for maybe another 5 to 10 years.

I myself dont need this kind of thing anymore, but run into this kind of situation just once and you know how it feels to be forced to upgrade to something you dont really want anyway.

Also, i've read about many cases where the person or persons just 'likes' the slightly older equipment and wants to continue to use it. I dont think they should be forced into anything, even though new equipment would be faster, better in many ways.

Want to force them to redesign around the new systems? Be my guest

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Ya MrAl

Slightly off topic example of the curve. We are issued cell phones at work. However, the phones must meet a pile of DoE and DoD security criteria. One thing, as simple as it sounds is the phone may not have a camera. Try to find a good state of the art cell phone sans camera? It wasn't long ago that a camera was a fancy ottion, now just find a phone sans camera. My personal phone has a camera, hell it can take movies but I have never used the feature, matter of fact all I use the thing for is take and make calls. Point is the user is stuck with the features, want them or not.

I still maintain two computers at home with parallel ports as well as RS232 ports. I would never develop anything on themn I planned to distribute that required a parallel or RS232 port though. For experiments and playing around fine but that is the extent of it. I still have a few nice little RS232 DIO modules but sooner or later there won't be anything out there to support them. I do have two RS232 ports via a card in my newer systems.

While I feel the pain, it's just the nature of the curve I guess.

Ron

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Well it's not always that simple. Some people have specific needs that still need to be addressed for maybe another 5 to 10 years.

In which case they need to continue running old, obselete and second hand gear, regardless of the costs.

But really it IS that simple - you've got to correct the problem one day, the longer you leave it the more it's going to cost you.

 

[4pyros]

Is there any way we can convert a parallel port to a serial port since most if not all laptops this time only have serial ports? We used parallel port to test our project before. After finishing the project boards, looking for a unit that has a parallel port is really a headache!

Should read "serial port to parallel port"
Sounds like the OP is in school in the Philippines and thay may still have a lot of old gear.
Look for a USB to parallel port adapter.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Should read "serial port to parallel port"
Sounds like the OP is in school in the Philippines and thay may still have a lot of old gear.
Look for a USB to parallel port adapter.

Which would be fine for feeding a parallel port printer, but it sounds like it's wanted for manual toggling, so would be useless.

 

[MrAl]

Hi again Ron and Nigel,

I agree with both of your views too. Interesting though, how does this sound:
6 Gbps SATA,
USB 3.0,
8 core AMD FX CPU ready
Sounds like a modern MoBo right? With USB 3.0 it must have come after 2008 some time.
Yet, it has a parallel port and a serial port.
Made by ASUS.

Also interesting, the MoBo manufacturers seem to be forcing the floppy drive out of existence totally, because not one modern one seems to include a 25 sent floppy controller chip anymore! Pretty amazing. That really does suggest the end of life has come for the floppy drive.
I wont miss it too much, but it seems like a loss of some kind for computer history.
Also, some people who still use XP and raid systems can not load their raid drivers without a floppy or else resort to having to slipstream them in. Not all USB floppies are supported by the original XP install disk so that's an interesting problem too.

I guess some people will have issues with this kind of thing, and it's hard to tell them that they have to go out and buy new stuff. It sounded like the OP didnt have that option for one reason or another. I have a meter i paid over 100 dollars for that has a computer interface RS232. If they discontinued all support for that (as they did for the floppy when it comes to booting up or loading drivers with XP) i'd have to buy a new meter if i wanted to continue to have that functionality. I have another meter worth some 350 US dollars, which also has RS232. I'd hate to loose that functionality even though i dont use it that much anymore. Lucky it's not parallel port

So in the end it seems that if it is a matter of going out and buying another 20 dollar item probably many people would do it, but if it comes down to needing another 200 dollar device that hits a little harder. The more the expense, the less we want to have to buy something again just to meet up with the standards. If we get old and die first, we get out of having to buy that new piece of hardware a second time

In a corporate setting it could mean going out and buying twenty five new 200 dollar items to replace the old ones.
Im glad i dont have to do this.

 

[meowth08]

Hello all,

i just opened this post again and I noticed that I made a very terrible mistake in the post. I should mean parallel port to USB port.

 

[ericgibbs]

Hello all,

i just opened this post again and I noticed that I made a very terrible mistake in the post. I should mean parallel port to USB port.

hi m08,
Changed the Title for you.
E.

 

[meowth08]

hi m08,
Changed the Title for you.
E.

Thank you sir. That's a big help.