Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!gatech!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!kdale@vaihingen-emh.arpa From: kdale@vaihingen-emh.arpa (Keith Dale) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Bell and Howell / MPI printer ???? Message-ID: <9@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Sat, 23-Nov-85 10:45:30 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.9 Posted: Sat Nov 23 10:45:30 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 25-Nov-85 06:47:31 EST Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Lines: 32 Your question was whether the MPI PrintMate 99 had a "standard" Centronics interface. Quoting from page 22 of the user manual, "For maximum flexiblility, the MPI PrintMate 99 Printer has been designed to communicate with a host using industry standard interfaces. The PrintMate 99 can operate with either Serial (RS232C, TTL, or Current Loop) or Parallel (TTL) communications interfaces. The communications mode is switch selectable (SW2-1) and by the connection of the interface cable to one of two connectors located on the printed circuit board assembly." It goes on to give a blow by blow of what a serial interface is and then gives the pinouts. It appears to be "standard" - all you need to do is get a cable with the right size connectors and compare pinouts. The pinouts for the MPI 99 are given below: SIGNAL NAME PIN NUMBER SOURCE Std RS232 Connections Receive Data Pin J5-5 Host Pin 3 Request to Snd Pin J5-7 Printer Pin 4 Data Term Ready Pin J5-14 Printer Pin 20 Protective Grnd Pin J5-1 Printer Pin 1 Signal Ground Pin J5-13 Printer Pin 7 Current Loop + Pin J5-10 Host Pin 19 Current Loop - Pin J5-6 Host Pin 16 Busy Pin J5-21 Printer Pin 11 Key Pin J5-17 Pin removed to key connector Hope this helps...good luck! Keith