serial to parallel

[Stan Voket]

Thanks to all who responded to the above request for a reliable 
serial to parallel converter source.

>From article <849 at gaboon.UUCP>, by asv at gaboon.UUCP (Stan Voket):
> A client needs to utilize several existing parallel printers on his SCO
> xenix system. I am in need of a converter to utilize these on serial
> lines as all parallel ports are spoken for. Would someone suggest a

		>> RESPONSES & RECOMMENDATIONS <<
  
There is a company called Tigertronics in California making
these beasties.  I don't know their phone number, but they're
in BYTE magazine.  I personally bought one and use it to connect
an EPSON RX-80 to a serial port on a MASSCOMP system.  It works fine,
except that it needs hardware RTS/CTS flow control and does not
support XON/XOFF (it's not an intelligent convertor).  Fortunately
my masscomp uses Central Data serial I/O cards, which handle
EIA flow control with no problem.  The price was about $70.
This was several years ago; I hope they're still in business.

  			Hack it yourself?
If you want to hack it yourself, there is an ingenious little 
circuit in the current issue of EDN (special Designs issue)
that seems to do a quickie job of attaching a Centronics-interface
printer to a serial output.

There are a number of converters on the market, some with
buffers.  One that we have used is called a "Microfazer".
They are difficult to set up.  Also, try Black Box company.
They have a full line of boxes that do just about anything you
can dream up.

i bought a converter from MISCO EDV-Zubehoer, Germany.
MISCO is a company like INMAC, and i believe they have representations
all over the world (sorry, I don't know any address in the US).
The converter can be configured to convert from serial to parallel
and vice versa. It understands RTS/CTS control and XON/XOFF.
I use this box about two weeks and i can really recommend it.
The box costs 350,-- DM, this are about 150 US$ (in the states
it may be much cheaper).

CompuAdd sell a thing called a Serial to Parallel Converter.
It's part number, in their summer 88 catalog, on page 30 is 39400 and
it costs $39.00(US)..
I have used one of these with a Micronixs (sp) NX-1000 parallel printer
and an Xerox 820-II.
YOUR SERIAL interface on the computer must support hardware handshaking,
and MUST respond quickly to the request.  The $39 box does only 1 character
buffering.  (So it may not work with Xenix, but for $39, it's almost worth
trying, and if you use a low, 300 baud or so rate; it just might work anyway.)
CompuAdd's phone number is 800-627-1967, and they are located in Austin, TX.

Fith Generations Systems makes a device that might meet your
needs. The device is called the "Logical Connection" and is capable of
serial-to-parallel conversion. It has 4 serial ports and two each of
parallel IN/OUT ports.
Contact:
FIFTH Generation Systems - Sales
909 Electric Avenue, Ste. 308
Seal Beach, CA  90740
1-800-225-2775
1-213-493-4483

I've had good luck with the Quick-link BPS 16 from Intellicom.
The documentation has some errors so a break-out box when installing is a 
must.  Price is in the $150 range.
The docs list the following:
intellicom
9259 Eaton Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-882-8866
Your dealer can probably locate some for you through normal distribution 
channels.

I have had the one that Inmac (603-882-0346, p/n 8149, $159) sells
for 2 years and have had no problems at all.

Good places to look:
  Rainbow Magazine , or any other RS COCO oriented mag/store.
The COCO "comes with" a 'serial port' (it works... sorta) default.. but no
parallel port, so these things are well known in the COCO world.
  Similar could probably be said for the APPLE mags (but on a lesser scale).

	Unix boxes of whatever the rainbow of flavors also have this
problem.  Many manufacturers support serial, but very few support parallel.
Since the implementation of the RS-232 standard is not quite as standard as
I would like, I purchased several converters to run standard "parallel" 
printers.  One that is good, and inexpensive (I *love* mutually exclusive terms) is one from Black Box Inc.  I will provide the phone number below.  As best as
I can remember I paid about $179 for it.
              Black Box Inc.             part no. P1005B
              Pittsburgh, PA
              (412) 746-5500


I HAVE BEEN USING AND SELLING CONVERTERS MADE BY PATTON ELECTRONICS
FOR OVER A YEAR.  THEY ARE RELIABLE, RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE ( 89),
AND DON'T REQUIRE A SEPARATE POWER SUPPLY.  PATTON CAN BE REACHED AT
301/975-1000.  PARALLEL TO SERIAL IS MODEL 224= SERIAL TO PARALLEL
IS MODEL 225.

				>> MY RESULTS: <<
I called Black Box, got their catalog, Resellers, ask for  the EASY catalog
for Black Box items well discounted. Ordered a serial to parallel converter,
(can be just turned around for parallel to serial too.).

DISCLAIMER: I have no connections with anything, anybody, anyhow.
-- 
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| - Stan Voket, asv at gaboon  Land Line: (203) 746-4489  TELEX 4996516 - |
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