This topic contains general rules and standard specifications
for parallel and serial printing. For more specific
information on your printer, see the printer's documentation
or owner's manual.
The majority of printers use parallel cabling because
both installation and operation are fast and trouble-free.
Serial printers offer greater cabling distances, but these
distances are usually not needed because network printers
can attach to any DOS or OS/2 workstation
or NetWare® server.
The following chart illustrates the basic differences between
parallel and serial printers.
Parallel versus serial printers
Item
Parallel
Serial
Speed
Potentially much faster than serial
Slower than parallel
Distance
10 feet standard maximum. Some cables guarantee 150 feet
25 feet standard maximum. Some cables guarantee 500 feet or more
Error checking
Limited because relatively error-free
Parity (reduces speed by about 10 percent)
Software
Installer sets interrupt
Installer sets interrupt, XON/XOFF, parity, baud rate, data
bits, and stop bits
Hardware
Universally compatible
Installer may need to check and set pin settings
NOTE:
It is recommended that you use parallel printing instead
of serial whenever possible. This greatly reduces your
risk of having printing problems.