Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!digibd!rick From: rick@digibd.com (Rick Richardson) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.fax Subject: Parallel printing (was Re: FAX/MODEM... why not?) Message-ID: <1991May25.141025.3928@digibd.com> Date: 25 May 91 14:10:25 GMT Article-I.D.: digibd.1991May25.141025.3928 References: <2451@wet.UUCP> <1020@camco.Celestial.COM> Organization: DigiBoard Incorporated, Eden Prairie, MN Lines: 25 bill@camco.Celestial.COM (Bill Campbell) writes: >I ran into a problem when printing faxes via the parallel port. >The system would slow down significantly while printing the >graphics files, and occassionally the VGA monitor would get sent An HP LJ2 will gobble up at least 5000 bytes/second from the parallel interface when transferring raster graphics. An LJ3 might go even faster, but I haven't measured one yet. I've measured the load on a 386/25 under these circumstances, and 50-60% of the cpu will be consumed during the transfer. On a 386SX, it was 80-90% of the CPU. This is one reason that we put a buffered parallel port on the DigiCHANNEL FAX/1 and FAX/2 fax boards. With the buffered parallel port you can feed the printer as fast as it will accept data, and the CPU loading measures about 0.5%, two orders of magnitude in difference. BTW, the board doesn't need an interrupt. -Rick -- Rick Richardson Email: rick@digibd.com Senior MTS Fax: (612) 943-0803 DigiBoard, Inc. Tel: (612) 943-5383