NEXT Color Printer find

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Sun Dec 30 19:05:42 2001

On Sun, 30 Dec 2001, Louis Schulman wrote:

> On Sun, 30 Dec 2001 19:22:25 +0000 (GMT), Tony Duell wrote:
>
> #> # Both of the
> #> #centronics ports on the printer are SCSI. I've never seen one that has
> #> #a parellel port.
> #>
> #> Well, you are mistaken about something. This printer has _three_ Centronics ports, two are SCSI, and
> the
> #> other is smaller, the size of a parallel port. My theory is that this is the difference between a Model 2004,
> #> which is documented in web literature, and Model 2005, of which there may have been few examples
> (since
> #> this one is evidently number 17).
> #
> #I've never seen this printer, but I think you're a little confused.
> #
> #The Centronics interface is a de facto standard for a parallel interface
> #to a printer, as originally used by the Centronics company. It's not SCSI
> #or anything related to it. To say you have a Centronics port that is SCSI
> #is meaningless IMHO.
> #
> #What I think you mean is that you have 3 'blue ribbon' connectors on the
> #unit. 2 are 50 pin (which was often used for SCSI-1 interfaces), the
> #other is 36 pin (which is a standard for the Centronics parallel
> #interface).
> #
> #My guess is that the 36 pin connector _is_ a Centronics parallel port,
> #but I'd probably not just plug it in on such a rare printer without doing
> #some further tests. One test that's easy to do is to trace which pins of
> #the connectors go to logic ground (this is generally easy enough to find
> #inside) and see if they match up with any known interface pinout.
> #
> #-tony
> #
> With all due respect, I disagree. The term "Centronics", whatever its original meaning, refers to a type of
> connector. Looking at the Jameco catalog, for example, the catalog pictures 14, 24, 36 and 50 contact
> male and female connectors, all referred to as "Centronics". I have never heard the term "blue ribbon" used
> to describe these connectors.

Tony is correct.

Regrettably, Jameco has fallen into the bastardization/mongrelization of
the language. Looking at a page of a 1962 Allied Radio catalog, I see
listings and illustrations of the Amphenol "Blue Ribbon" connectors in
sizes running from 8-32 contacts. They obviously derived their name
from the blue Diallyl phthalate dielectric that carried the rinnon like
contacts.
                                                 - don

> My understanding is that Centronics was the first to use this type of connector on its parallel printers, so
> when it became the standard type connector the name stuck.
>
> Parallel port nomenclature now has a number of different terms, based on function and standard, not type of
> connector. SCSI connectors are sometimes Centronics type, but not always.
>
> In any event, the "36-pin Centronics Connector" is a parallel connection, and the PC was able to talk to this
> printer.
>
> BTW, this type of connector, regardless of the number of pins, when made for ribbon cables, is referred to
> by Jameco as "IDC Centronics Connector".
>
> Louis
>
>
Received on Sun Dec 30 2001 - 19:05:42 GMT