Interface between parallel port and USB printer using microcontroller

Thread Starter

sandeepanand.62

Joined Apr 23, 2014
3
Dear All,
I am working on a medical equipment. This device consists of a sensor , a few micro switches and some ports. One of the micro switch is to print the data from sensor. The printer used here is dot matrix. So the port to connect it is parallel port. I have to connect a USB printer to this device. I can add some extra hardware to make the data from that board to USB compatible. If anyone knows about this please suggest me some ideas. I need the micro controller name (if needed for this) and circuit and the code. please help me......

Regards,

Sandeep
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
You could also try something like a USB-Parallel cable. I've experienced mixed results with these on old 'Win-printers' where the control smarts are in the PC's driver (HP1000C) but for a simple dot-matrix printer it should work fine.
 

John P

Joined Oct 14, 2008
2,025
I believe the objective here is to connect a modern (USB interface) printer to an old-stye (parallel port output) device. So an interface that takes USB input and operates a parallel port would be doing it backward.
 

Brownout

Joined Jan 10, 2012
2,390
I thought it was just the opposite, until I read your post, and then re-read the OP. However, if that's the case, then the USB host would still be the right choice to intercept parallel data and output USB formatted data.
 

Thread Starter

sandeepanand.62

Joined Apr 23, 2014
3
Thanks for all your reply...
The printer output needs both text and graphics. I already searched for the USB host. But I want to know whether the data given to the dot matrix printer holds any printer commands ? Will it support the USB printer ?
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
you'd receive and parse the command/data from your parallel port, wrap it in a USB class specific wrapper and send it off to the printer, once your appropriately enumerated. It could host, however many printers employ OTG in various vender formats, of which you may take advantage, or avoid.
 
Top