an interface for connecting peripherals to computers, mainly used for connecting printers; was replaced by other technologies like USB and WLAN
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Parallel_port
Parallel port - Wikipedia
March 15, 2026 - In computing, a parallel port is a type of interface found on early computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting peripherals. The name refers to the way the data is sent; parallel ports send multiple bits of data at once (parallel communication), as opposed to serial communication, in ...
Lenovo
lenovo.com › home
What is a Parallel Port? How Fast Is Data Transfer Through It? | Lenovo US
It was commonly found on older computers and used for connecting printers, scanners, and other peripherals. It's called a parallel port because it transfers multiple bits of data simultaneously through multiple wires. These wires are organized in parallel, meaning they are side by side and ...
ELI5: How does parallel port work?
You don't see them very much anymore. It was an early communication interface, usually used to talk to the printer. There's usually one line (connector pin) for the clock, and the rest of the lines (usually 16) for data. To communicate, the sender sets each and every data line either high or low (1 or 0) and then changes the state of the clock line. When the receiver sees that the clock line has changed, it knows that it's time to read the data lines. So it gets 16 bits of data at a time. More on reddit.com
3
1
April 9, 2022When did parallel ports make a come back?
Never really went away on these niche machines. More on reddit.com
116
59
November 25, 2022The Parallel Port
I have seen some recent models of HP computers with serial and parallel ports. Parallel ports were widely used for printers and other peripheral devices. A quick G00gle search found this USB-to-parallel adaptor on eBay for $5.99 (Australian $) or this one from a specialist electronics store at $34.99 Australian. You may be able to find the same device in ... More on reddit.com
4
1
December 7, 2020The void left by the parallel port - Resurrecting a dead interface
The hardware looks neat and polished. Quite elegant. More on reddit.com
230
1435
May 6, 2016What is a parallel port?
A parallel port is a type of computer interface that allows you to connect devices for data transfer. It was commonly found on older computers and used for connecting printers, scanners, and other peripherals.
lenovo.com
lenovo.com › home
What is a Parallel Port? How Fast Is Data Transfer Through It? ...
Why is it called a parallel port?
It's called a parallel port because it transfers multiple bits of data simultaneously through multiple wires. These wires are organized in parallel, meaning they are side by side and each carries a separate bit of information.
lenovo.com
lenovo.com › home
What is a Parallel Port? How Fast Is Data Transfer Through It? ...
How do I connect a device to a parallel port?
To connect a device to a parallel port, you'll need a special cable that matches the port's connector. One end of the cable will have a male connector with pins, while the other end will have a connector that matches your device, such as a printer or scanner. Simply plug in the cable to the port and the device, ensuring a secure connection.
lenovo.com
lenovo.com › home
What is a Parallel Port? How Fast Is Data Transfer Through It? ...
Videos
18:48
Parallel port - YouTube
r/vintagecomputing on Reddit: Question about the parallel port
03:41
What Devices Use A Parallel Port? - Your Computer Companion - YouTube
03:38
What are Parallel ports DB 25 DB 36 - YouTube
What is Parallel Port || About of parallel port || parallel port ...
HowStuffWorks
computer.howstuffworks.com › tech › computer hardware › buses
Parallel Port Basics - How Parallel Ports Work | HowStuffWorks
June 16, 2023 - These 8 bits are transmitted parallel to each other, as opposed to the same eight bits being transmitted serially (in a single stream) through a serial port. The standard parallel port is capable of sending 150 kilobytes of data per second. Let's take a closer look at what each pin does when used with a printer: Pin 1 carries the strobe signal. It maintains a level of between 2.8 and 5 volts, but drops below 0.5 volts whenever the computer sends a byte of data.
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › computer organization & architecture › what-is-parallel-port
What is Parallel Port? - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers for connecting peripheral devices. It is called a parallel port because it sends multiple bits of data simultaneously across multiple wires.
Computers Are Bad
computer.rip › 2023-01-29-the-parallel-port.html
the parallel port
January 29, 2023 - You see, I have written here before that parallel ports are popular with printers because they avoid the need to buffer bits to assemble bytes, allowing the printer to operate on entire characters at a time in a fashion similar to the electromechanical Baudot teleprinters that early computer printers were based on.
Quora
quora.com › What-is-a-parallel-port-and-why-dont-all-computers-have-one
What is a parallel port and why don't all computers have one? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): As mentioned in the other answers, computers early on all had parallel ports (sometimes called “Centronics” after a popular line printer manufacturer) because printers were a common peripheral device with computers and they used this interface.
OSDev Wiki
wiki.osdev.org › Parallel_port
Parallel port - OSDev Wiki
The IEEE 1284 parallel port is an external 8-bit parallel computer bus common from the late 1970s to early 2000s for connecting printers, scanners, and external storage devices to home and office computers (functioning as a much cheaper, slower and worse alternative to SCSI).
WearCam
wearcam.org › seatsale › programs › www.beyondlogic.org › spp › parallel.htm
Interfacing the Standard Parallel Port
Compatibility, Nibble & Byte modes ... Standard Parallel Port. Compatibility mode or "Centronics Mode" as it is commonly known, can only send data in the forward direction at a typical speed of 50 kbytes per second but can be as high as 150+ kbytes a second. In order to receive data, you must change the mode to either Nibble or Byte mode. Nibble mode can input a nibble (4 bits) in the reverse direction. E.g. from device to computer...
Emblogic
emblogic.com › blog › 02 › parallel-port-interface
PARALLEL PORT INTERFACE | EmbLogic
A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting peripherals. In computing, a parallel port is a parallel communication physical interface. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port. It was a de facto industry standard for many years, ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/explainlikeimfive › eli5: how does parallel port work?
r/explainlikeimfive on Reddit: ELI5: How does parallel port work?
April 9, 2022 - Parallel ports have 8 wires that will carry data, one for each bit of the byte. When the computer goes to send a byte it sends one bit down each wire all at the same time, then preps the next byte and sends the next 8 bits.
StarTech.com
startech.com › home › browse by technology › parallel
Parallel | StarTech.com Europe
Also known as a printer port or Centronics port, parallel ports are commonly used in specialty and legacy electronics, and machines. We offer a full line of options for adding additional parallel ports to your PC, laptop, or Server. | Europe
ScienceDirect
sciencedirect.com › topics › engineering › parallel-port
Parallel Port - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting various peripherals. The IEEE-1284 standard defines the bidirectional version of the parallel port. In its standard form, it allows only for simple communications from the PC outwards.
HowStuffWorks
computer.howstuffworks.com › tech › computer hardware › buses
SPP/EPP/ECP - How Parallel Ports Work | HowStuffWorks
June 16, 2023 - This mode was commonly known as Standard Parallel Port (SPP), and it completely replaced the original design. Bidirectional communication allows each device to receive data as well as transmit it. Many devices use the eight pins (2 through 9) originally designated for data. Using the same eight pins limits communication to half-duplex, meaning that information can only travel in one direction at a time.
Transfer Multisort Elektronik
tme.eu › main page › news › knowledge base › parallel port - definition
Parallel port - definition | Transfer Multisort Elektronik
April 3, 2026 - Unlike the serial port, which transmits data bit by bit over a single line, the parallel port uses several wires, each responsible for one bit, allowing faster transmission of information over short distances. It was commonly used in personal computers to connect peripherals, especially printers, scanners, memory programmers and industrial equipment.
Computer Hope
computerhope.com › jargon › p › paraport.htm
What Is a Parallel Port?
Less commonly called the Centronics ... on the back of IBM compatible computers and is a 25-pin (type DB-25) computer interface commonly used to connect printers to the computer....
Retroprinter
retroprinter.com › home › making a usb printer work on a parallel port
Making a USB printer work on a parallel port | RetroPrinter.com
February 6, 2025 - Parallel ports are slowly becoming obsolete – new computers and equipment no longer have a standard parallel port expecting you to connect a USB printer or even a network printer. Even serial ports are now rare to find on anything but industrial equipment – as they are replaced by USB serial ports and network connection options.
TechnologyUK
technologyuk.net › computing › computer-hardware › parallel-port.shtml
Computer Hardware - The Parallel Port
The parallel port eventually evolved ... in both directions, on cables up to nine metres in length. The parallel port on a PC consists of a connector with 17 signal lines and 8 ground lines....
PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › encyclopedia
Definition of parallel port | PCMag
(2) A socket on a computer used to connect a printer or other device via a parallel interface (eight bits transfer simultaneously). In the past, the parallel port was widely used for printers and other devices but was superseded by USB.
TutorialsPoint
tutorialspoint.com › difference-between-serial-ports-and-parallel-ports
Difference between Serial Ports and Parallel Ports
December 16, 2022 - A parallel port is another type of computer port to connect a peripheral device to the computer system. As its name implies, a parallel port can transmit multiple bits of data all together at the same time. Therefore, in the case of parallel ports, the rate of data transmission is relatively ...
Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › troubleshoot › windows-server › setup-upgrade-and-drivers › enable-plug-play-for-parallel-port-devices
Enable Plug and Play for parallel port devices - Windows Server | Microsoft Learn
February 12, 2026 - You can try signing in or changing directories. Access to this page requires authorization. You can try changing directories. ... This step-by-step article describes how to enable the Plug and Play feature on devices that use a parallel port device. ... Some Plug and Play devices that use a parallel port, such as early versions of Iomega Zip drives, may not be detected by Windows. Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and then click Properties.