What is faster between USB1 and parallel connector

Hello

So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector

How choice, and what is faster?

On Apr 9, 6:25 am, "Sophie Prunelle" <sophie.prune...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hello
>
> So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector
>
> How choice, and what is faster?


If you have a choice, go with the USB. The parallel connection can be
far less reliable.

"Sophie Prunelle" <sophie.prunelle@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:461a148d$0$24811$426a74cc@news.free.fr...
> Hello
>
> So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector
>
> How choice, and what is faster?

The printer is probably much slower than either, I would go with whatever
cable you happen to have. If you must buy one then buy a usb cable. I've
been running a Canon S520 ever since it was first released on a parallel
port and it works just fine, shared on a network with 2 other pc's using it.
Either is just as reliable.

Sophie Prunelle <sophie.prunelle@gmail.com> wrote:

> So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector
>
> How choice, and what is faster?

There's more than one thing called "parallel". It depends on the modes
your parallel port hardware supports and which your software uses.

Parallel in the fastest mode (ECP) can do about 1 megabyte per second,
and USB 1.1 full-speed about 1.5 megabyte per second.

Whether the printer can keep up with either of those, or if it was
designed for either interface to go that fast... can't say, because we
don't know the brand and model.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

On Apr 9, 11:28 am, Warren Block <wbl...@wonkity.com> wrote:
> Sophie Prunelle <sophie.prune...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector
>
> > How choice, and what is faster?
>
> There's more than one thing called "parallel". It depends on the modes
> your parallel port hardware supports and which your software uses.
>
> Parallel in the fastest mode (ECP) can do about 1 megabyte per second,
> and USB 1.1 full-speed about 1.5 megabyte per second.
>
> Whether the printer can keep up with either of those, or if it was
> designed for either interface to go that fast... can't say, because we
> don't know the brand and model.
>
> --
> Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

Ah, USB is measured in BITS per second while 'parallel' printer
connections are measured in BYTES per second.

Not to get into the maths too much, but a 1 meg parallel connection is
nominally 8-10x FASTER than a 1 meg USB 1.1 connection. A parallel
connection also has loads of error correction and two-way ack/nak flow
control that USB lacks.

Other factors, such as printer and host (computer) processing speeds
and buffers come into play too.

phreak <newsposter@mn.rr.com> wrote:
> On Apr 9, 11:28 am, Warren Block <wbl...@wonkity.com> wrote:
>> Sophie Prunelle <sophie.prune...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector
>>
>> > How choice, and what is faster?
>>
>> There's more than one thing called "parallel". It depends on the modes
>> your parallel port hardware supports and which your software uses.
>>
>> Parallel in the fastest mode (ECP) can do about 1 megabyte per second,
>> and USB 1.1 full-speed about 1.5 megabyte per second.
>>
>> Whether the printer can keep up with either of those, or if it was
>> designed for either interface to go that fast... can't say, because we
>> don't know the brand and model.
>>
> Ah, USB is measured in BITS per second while 'parallel' printer
> connections are measured in BYTES per second.

To compare correctly, you have to adjust units, which I did.

Note that "USB 1.1" has two speeds: low-speed and full-speed.

As I said above, USB 1.1 *full-speed* is 12 megabits per second, or
about 1.5 megabytes per second.

> Not to get into the maths too much, but a 1 meg parallel connection is
> nominally 8-10x FASTER than a 1 meg USB 1.1 connection.

That would be a *low-speed*, or 1.5 megabits, or 0.1875 megabytes per
second.

> A parallel connection also has loads of error correction and two-way
> ack/nak flow control that USB lacks.

You're kidding, right?

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 10:25:27 UTC, "Sophie Prunelle"
<sophie.prunelle@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello
>
> So 5 year printer have both USB1 and parallel connector
>
> How choice, and what is faster?

For a printer, it really isn't going to matter much. However, a factor
is the actual cable. A USB cable is thinner and less intrusive. It's
nominally limited to 5 metres, but you can get extenders. Parallel
cables are limited (I forget the length) but you need pretty high
quality ones and won't get as much as an extended USB.

So take your pick.

--
Bob Eager
begin 123 a new life...take up Extreme Ironing!

On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 21:26:06 UTC, Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
wrote:

> > Not to get into the maths too much, but a 1 meg parallel connection is
> > nominally 8-10x FASTER than a 1 meg USB 1.1 connection.
>
> That would be a *low-speed*, or 1.5 megabits, or 0.1875 megabytes per
> second.
>
> > A parallel connection also has loads of error correction and two-way
> > ack/nak flow control that USB lacks.
>
> You're kidding, right?

I'm afraid it looks as if he believes it!

--
Bob Eager
begin 123 a new life...take up Extreme Ironing!

Parallel cables do have better grounding and shielding.

Art

Bob Eager wrote:

> On Mon, 9 Apr 2007 21:26:06 UTC, Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>>>Not to get into the maths too much, but a 1 meg parallel connection is
>>>nominally 8-10x FASTER than a 1 meg USB 1.1 connection.
>>
>>That would be a *low-speed*, or 1.5 megabits, or 0.1875 megabytes per
>>second.
>>
>>
>>>A parallel connection also has loads of error correction and two-way
>>>ack/nak flow control that USB lacks.
>>
>>You're kidding, right?
>
>
> I'm afraid it looks as if he believes it!
>

as we do not know the type of the printer one can not say for sure,
but in general the speed of normal kind of home printer will not
matter , since there is anyway no way the printer will use that
maximum speed in any way useful. MOstly the memory will full before
first characters will be printed and the rest of the time nothing will
happen until the printer really consumes the data sent to it.