jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) (01/22/91)
I have an Epson LQ800 printer that I will connecting to my not yet
received PC. Is there any performance advantage to using the parallel
port on the printer instead of the serial port? I intend to get some
sort of spool/despool software (any recommendations?) and might be hitting
the printer rather heavily.
--
Jerry Natowitz
Guest user on:
ARPA jin@ursa-major.spdcc.com
UUCP {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!jinv087mxgb@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Shawn E Thompson) (01/22/91)
In article <6117@spdcc.SPDCC.COM>, jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) writes... >I have an Epson LQ800 printer that I will connecting to my not yet >received PC. Is there any performance advantage to using the parallel YES. Parallel can run up to 8 (I think) streams of data in synchronicity, where serial can run one. Shawn E. Thompson "..in the immortal words of my dog Shepp 'Kick ass USA!'.." v087mxgb@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu | set@autarch.acsu.buffalo.edu University @ Buffalo|Graduate School of Mechanical Engineering CAD Engineering|Leica, Inc.|PO Box 123|Buffalo, NY 14240-0123|(716)891-3375
stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) (01/22/91)
v087mxgb@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Shawn E Thompson) writes: > In article <6117@spdcc.SPDCC.COM>, jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) writes... > >I have an Epson LQ800 printer that I will connecting to my not yet > >received PC. Is there any performance advantage to using the parallel > > YES. Parallel can run up to 8 (I think) streams of data > in synchronicity, where serial can run one. Parallel does not run 8 streams of data. It runs one. It can carry all 8 bits of the one stream of data at one time, whereas serial presents this one stream of data one bit at a time. The main advantage of parallel is that it is a handshook data path. That means that when the sender puts data on the lines, it says "here it is". THe recipient takes it off the line and then says "thanks I got it." The recipient can also say "don't send me anything right now I can't take it". The path can be faster than serial, since the sender doesn't put each piece of data out for a fixed length of time -- it sends the next piece as soon as the recipient has the last. It can also be slower, if the recipient is slow at acknowledging. Serial data is sent one bit at a time, with each bit being presented for a fixed length of time. It doesn't matter if the recipient can take data faster, you are limited by the baud rate on the serial line. The only advantage you will see when using a character printer is that you can fill its buffer faster, and the system will think printing is finished sooner. If your printer can print 240 cps, you won't actually finish printing any sooner whether you use 2400 baud serial or parallel. But, the faster you fill the buffer to the printer, the faster your computer will be free to do other things. The other advantage to parallel over serial is that parallel has only ONE wiring method, and only ONE handshake system, where serial has X-ON/X-OFF and RTS/CTS and about a dozen different ways to wire a cable. Now, one advantage to serial that parallel does not have is that serial is bi-directional. If you have a fancy new PostScript printer, it likes to send error reports back to the host. It can do this over a serial line.
dlow@polluxSVALE.HP.COM (Danny Low) (01/23/91)
>(Jerry Natowitz) >I have an Epson LQ800 printer that I will connecting to my not yet >received PC. Is there any performance advantage to using the parallel >port on the printer instead of the serial port? In general the parallel port will be faster. It is also easier to configure a printer on the parallel port. No baud rate, no number of data bits, no parity to worry about. Danny Low "Question Authority and the Authorities will question You" Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley HP CPCD dlow@pollux.svale.hp.com
phys169@csc.canterbury.ac.nz (01/30/91)
In article <i6e6V9w163w@phoenix.com>, stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) writes: > v087mxgb@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Shawn E Thompson) writes: > >> In article <6117@spdcc.SPDCC.COM>, jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) writes... >> >I have an Epson LQ800 printer that I will connecting to my not yet >> >received PC. Is there any performance advantage to using the parallel >> Shawn coverred just about all the points. The only other considerations are: (1) that serial lines can be longer than parallel; some people need to have the printer more than 50 feet from the computer - then serial is a must. (2) you might need the serial line for something else (e.g. a mouse, communications with another computer, etc). (3) some spooling programs don't work with serial ports Summary: Use parallel, unless you need a very long cable, or need to get data back from the printer (not relevant to LQ800's as much as PostScript & some other fancy printers). Mark Aitchison, Physics, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
feurer@brahms.udel.edu (Gary Alan Feurer) (01/30/91)
In article <1991Jan30.124950.78@csc.canterbury.ac.nz> phys169@csc.canterbury.ac.nz writes: =>In article <i6e6V9w163w@phoenix.com>, stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) writes: =>> v087mxgb@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (Shawn E Thompson) writes: =>> =>>> In article <6117@spdcc.SPDCC.COM>, jin@spdcc.COM (Jerry Natowitz) writes... =>>> >I have an Epson LQ800 printer that I will connecting to my not yet =>>> >received PC. Is there any performance advantage to using the parallel =>>> =>Shawn coverred just about all the points. The only other considerations are: => =>(1) that serial lines can be longer than parallel; some people need to have =>the printer more than 50 feet from the computer - then serial is a must. => =>(2) you might need the serial line for something else (e.g. a mouse, =>communications with another computer, etc). => =>(3) some spooling programs don't work with serial ports => =>Summary: Use parallel, unless you need a very long cable, or need to get data =>back from the printer (not relevant to LQ800's as much as PostScript & some =>other fancy printers). => =>Mark Aitchison, Physics, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. The above have only considered character data. If you send a lot of graphics data, the printer can easily keep up with the data sent, even at fairly high baud rates. We have printed out about 200 conference name badges using a graphics package and a serial Epson LQ-1500 printer. When the baud rate was set at 2400 baud, it took several hours to print the badges. We increased the baud rate to 19200, and all the badges could be printed in less than a half hour. --gary -- Gary A. Feurer Instructional Technology 303B Hall Education Building work: (302) 451-2751 University of Delaware home: (215) 255-5124 Newark, DE 19716 feurer@brahms.udel.edu