parallel port
Sign in to saveAlso known as printer port, LPT, Centronics, Centronics port
an interface for connecting peripherals to computers, mainly used for connecting printers; was replaced by other technologies like USB and WLAN
Key facts
- Type
- Point-to-point
- Designer
- Centronics , IBM
- Designed
- 1970–1981
- Manufacturer
- Centronics, Dataproducts, Intel, IBM, Compaq, Nortel, etc
- Length
- 2.3 cm (0.91 in)
- Hot pluggable
- Usually not
- External
- Yes
- Cable
- Usually up to 25 wires including ground; optionally shielded
- Pins
- 8 data, 4 output control, 5 input control, 8 ground
- Connector
- DB-25 , DB25F , "Centronics" 36-pin Amphenol , DC-37 , others
- Signal
- 0 to +5.0 volt DC
- Earth
- Dedicated pins
- Max voltage
- 5 volts DC
- Data signal
- Parallel
- Width
- Variable
- Bitrate
- PP: 150 kB/s , EPP: 2 MB /s, ECP: 2.5 MB/s
- Max devices
- 2, unless devices provide passthrough
- Protocol
- Application dependent
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Cannon DBM-25P connector-2406.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- Stack Exchange tag
- stackoverflow.com/tags/parallel-port
- Commons category
- Parallel port
via Wikidata · CC0
~22 min read
Article
Micro ribbon 36-pin female, such as on printers and on some computers, particularly industrial equipment and early (pre-1980s) personal computers. Mini-Centronics 36-pin male connector (top) with Micro ribbon 36-pin male Centronics connector (bottom) The Apple II Parallel Printer Port connected to the printer via a folded ribbon cable; one end connected to the connector at the top of the card, and the other end had a 36-pin Centronics connector.
In computing, a parallel port is a type of interface found on early computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting peripherals. The name refers to the way the data is sent; parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once (parallel communication), as opposed to serial communication, in which bits are sent one at a time. To do this, parallel ports require multiple data lines in their cables and port connectors and tend to be larger than contemporary serial ports, which only require one data line per direction.