Parallel to USB adapter needed

[whipaway]

Hello, I am looking for an adapter that converts a parallel port on the computer to a USB port. I see plenty of the ones that work the other way around, e.g. convert a USB port into parallel for use with printers.
A serial port to USB port is an alternative solution for my problem .
If either exists, let me know mfr & model, I would be grateful.
-whipaway

[cscgal]

What about a USB 1.1/2.0 PCI card to give your PC some usb ports? Would that work? www.siig.com seems to have lotsa converter-type things.

I looked everywhere for you and, just like you, can only find ways to connect parallel devices to USB ports on a computer!! How frustrating ... the parallel and serial ports are pretty old-fashioned nowadays though. :(

[cscgal]

I looked a bit more, and from what I have seen, this is impossible to do. It seems as if you need a USB controller to access a USB device in any way (even through a converter). Therefore, your motherboard either has to have native USB support or you need a PCI add-in USB card to access USB devices. (Apparently there are tons of USB PCI cards that you just stick into the PCI slot of a pre-USB machine (even if your motherboard doesn't support it) and you have instant USB ports).

Apparently the reason you can find converters the other way around is because virtually all motherboards can handle serial and parallel devices and it's simply the means of connection you need the converter for.

Please correct me if this is wrong? I did a whole bunch of looking and looking and it seems this is the conclusion I've come to.

[whipaway]

Thanks for all of your help. An internal PCI card would be the easiest solution, but this project is for my computer at work, and it would be a temporary project just to test some stuff out, and not a permanent thing, so I dont wanna hafta open up the computer to install stuff, and then open it up again to remove the PCB.

[Tekmaven]

I don't want to seem rude here, but if you don't want to open your case... you're sol.

[whipaway]

I have no problem opening the case up, but this is a secret project at work, and too many nosy people will ask questions if I start opening up computer cases around the place, so an external solution is the best idea for now.

[Thaxton]

Yes thats all and good for the PC (installing a USB card) but what if you wanted to use a USB printer with a Parallel Print Server, this is my predicament I have about 5 Parallel servers and they are becoming obsolete. What should I do?

Thaxton

[big_k105]

get rid of them and buy new ones ;)

[Snowball]

I have the same problem of having parallel port servers. There has to be a solution out there!! (right?) I mean, with most of the new printers having USB connections

[caperjack]

The solution was mentioned above ,the person just didn't what to install one .A PCI usb device Addin in card .

[megbert]

I don't have a solution yet either and I don't know if there is or not, but I too have the same problem with a ethernet print server that has 3 parallel printer outputs and one of my printers (as most printers today) is USB only. I have purchased an adapter, discussed above, that connects the computer's USB port to a parallel printer and, since it is bidirectional, I beleve it is possible that with the right connector adapter, it may work. I am going to work on this and with post if it does work.

[hhhhh430us]

Hi,
I think I got u question. I have same needs. I have a old laptop(contua aero 4/33). I want a parallel -> USB adapter which the parallel side can connect to my laptop and USB(female) can connect to my extenal CD-ROM (has USB male connector).

Do u find anything yet? Please let me know. I searched all in ebay and nothing!!! They are all go another way just not mine!
Thanks

[TallCool1]

Hi, I think I got u question. I have same needs. I have a old laptop(contua aero 4/33). I want a parallel -> USB adapter which the parallel side can connect to my laptop and USB(female) can connect to my extenal CD-ROM (has USB male connector).

It doesn't exist. It can't. You can find adapters that will adapt a USB port to serial or parallel easily enough, but the signal output from a parallel port (and the software that drives it) is not set up to handle the demands of USB signal management. What youcan do is get a PCMCIA USB card and do it that way.

[hhhhh430us]

Thanks. You answerred why it doesn't exist. I just brought one at ebay which is:
2 Port USB 2.0 Cardbus Card
this is very close to my play- connect to a extern CDROM which i can put Linux CD in. however the card doesn't work with W95. I am looking for the driver for it. I think the RH6.1 will not support it as well. So what i want to do is get the card works under W95 and i can copy Linux CD to the HD( already installed W95). Any help or suggest on this are welcome.
Thanks!

[Abby]

Hi,
very interesting, now I know that I can stop searching for such stuff. Thanks!

@hhhhh430us:
USB is not supportet by every W95-version.
I am from Germany, so I don't know the correct terminology of Windows-Versions in the US or other countries.
The first W95-Version, that supports USB, is called "W95 c" in germany.


MfG

Abby

[agrodner]

Hello, I am looking for an adapter that converts a parallel port on the computer to a USB port. I see plenty of the ones that work the other way around, e.g. convert a USB port into parallel for use with printers. A serial port to USB port is an alternative solution for my problem . If either exists, let me know mfr & model, I would be grateful. -whipaway

Cable wise connection it is potentially possible. I have tried to connect my external SmartDisk hard drive (USB) to a serial port:

SmartDisk -> USB male -> mouse adaptor [USB female -> PS/2 male] -> serial adaptor [PS/2 female -> Serial female] -> male Serial in the computer

I need two adaptors but cable-wise it is connected. The problem I have now is that I need a power supply for my USB powered hard disk to test it. I guess the next step would to ask windows to search for new hardware, or set up a serial port manually with some parameters.

It may be impossible to connect USB device to a parallel port, but then, how come it is possible to connect USB mouse to a PS/2 port through an adaptor? USB mouse is a device like any other device, right? All my mouses work through an adaptor and when they are plugged into PS/2 on my Win 98Se system I do not need to install any drivers.

Any comments welcome. ([e-mail])

[TallCool1]

Cable wise connection it is potentially possible. I have tried to connect my external SmartDisk hard drive (USB) to a serial port: SmartDisk -> USB male -> mouse adaptor [USB female -> PS/2 male] -> serial adaptor [PS/2 female -> Serial female] -> male Serial in the computer.

Connections are not signals. Hardware is not drivers. The setup you describe will not work. For one thing a USB-to-PS/2 mouse adapter only works because a USB mouse emulates a PS/2 mouse in software, making an adapter very simple, only a small subset of the full specification. Also, a mouse or joystick uses slow USB, not even the full USB 1.1 bandwidth. Last but not least, an RS-232 serial port cannot emulate a USB port in software.

[Hunterdrake]

I did find a different USB to 25-pin (female) parallel cable at coolgear.
http://www.coolgear.com/productdetails1.cfm?sku=USBG-LPT25&cats=596
DO you think this will work?

[TallCool1]

I did find a different USB to 25-pin (female) parallel cable at coolgear. http://www.coolgear.com/productdetails1.cfm?sku=USBG-LPT25&cats=596 DO you think this will work?

This is a common item. It allows a parallel-port printer to be hooked to a PC's USB port, very useful for Win2k and XP since there are no hardware interrupts for the parallel port on those OSes. Other parallel-port devices such as scanners and Zip drives are not likely to work due to driver issues.

Also, this doesnot, unfortunately, work the other way around; a USB peripheral can't be hooked to a parallel port. Sorry.

[mrdata030]

It doesn't exist. It can't. You can find adapters that will adapt a USB port to serial or parallel easily enough, but the signal output from a parallel port (and the software that drives it) is not set up to handle the demands of USB signal management. What you can do is get a PCMCIA USB card and do it that way.

i looked at your suggestion with the pcmcia card , the problem with that is if the laptop does not have a usb port more then likely it is a 16 bit base laptop and that card is 32 bit which will not work. So they will have to do a lot of research for a 16 bit card if there is such a thing.