WTB: parallel cable

[adrian]

Does anyone have an old parallel cable that I can use? It has to have the screws that holds it together as shown:



I need this either by the end of today or tomorrow. I'm willing to give $10 for it.

(I got one from best buy, and it doesn't have the screws to open it, and I'm afraid to spend more money for the same cable at other places)

[helen]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

Are both ends of the cable that you need have to have 25 pin male connectors? Or is just one end of it?

[adrian]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

Are both ends of the cable that you need have to have 25 pin male connectors? Or is just one end of it?

The instructions say you need atleast 3 inches of the cable plus the end. I think its easier to find a cable intact rather than cut up.

And plus, getting a whole cable is a plus because if I mess up one end, then I can use the other end

[pzarquon]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

I think Helen is asking whether you need a male-male cable or a male-female cable, unrelated to length. It depends on what kind of port is on the devices you'll be connecting.

[helen]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

By the way what are trying to connect up?

I take it one end goes to a PC's parallel port which is a 25 pin female connector and there by needs the 25 pin male connector shown in the photo.

However are you sure one needs a cable length of 3 inches? That is really short (3 feet maybe).

[adrian]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

By the way what are trying to connect up?

I take it one end goes to a PC's parallel port which is a 25 pin female connector and there by needs the 25 pin male connector shown in the photo.

However are you sure one needs a cable length of 3 inches? That is really short (3 feet maybe).

I actually need to cut one open to mod it so that I can use that to remove a BIOS startup password. I don't really need the entire cable, but it'd be nice to have the other end if I mess up on the soldering.

[helen]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

If you can't find such a cable, Radio Shack sells the 25 pin connectors. I can't remember if they say serial or not but any male DB25 will do. If you know which pins need to be connected together you don't have to use all 25 pins.

It might cost you more than $10 (if you get the crimp pins, you might need a crimper and hook up wire) but you don't need the plastic hood covering.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

Thats interesting because back in the early 80's that kind of connector (25-pin RS-232) was considered a serial cable with pins 2 and 3 as Send and Receive respectively.

A true parallel cable was the Centronics cable and looked quite differently. This parallel cable was used for printers (popularized by the Centronic Printer). After a certain time the computer industry started using the RS-232 as a standard printer connection for parallel cables on the computer side as well. And yes it was hell to configure a printer to a computer back in the early 80's.

But if you cannot find an RS-232 parallel printer cable try checking the local thrift stores, I'm sure there's quite a few of them still hooked up to defunct flatbed scanners.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

If you can't find such a cable, Radio Shack sells the 25 pin connectors. I can't remember if they say serial or not but any male DB25 will do. If you know which pins need to be connected together you don't have to use all 25 pins.

It might cost you more than $10 (if you get the crimp pins, you might need a crimper and hook up wire) but you don't need the plastic hood covering.

IC Supply probably has the best selection of cables or cable hardware.

[helen]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

DB25 could handle either serial or parallel connections, it's just a matter of which pins need to be connected to do whatever. Serial needed a minimum of 3 connections which used pins 2, 3 and 7 and there is also the issue of pin 2 on one side needed to be connected to pin 2 or pin 3 on the other side.

I can't remember the standards for parallel connections, but if I came across that situtation it would be eaiser to buy a pre-made cable rather than spend the time making it and making sure it worked right.

[Hellbent]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

you cant remove the bios battery overnight to wipe out the bios password?

[adrian]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

you cant remove the bios battery overnight to wipe out the bios password?

For some reason, you can't use that method for Toshiba laptops.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

You can get this at Radio Shack. That should do the job and the price is reasonable.

If all you need to do is short two pins together, a paper-clip would work.

[adrian]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

No one has an old printer I can salvage from?

I tried Savers, but they no more printers.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: WTB: parallel cable

DB25 could handle either serial or parallel connections, it's just a matter of which pins need to be connected to do whatever. Serial needed a minimum of 3 connections which used pins 2, 3 and 7 and there is also the issue of pin 2 on one side needed to be connected to pin 2 or pin 3 on the other side.

I can't remember the standards for parallel connections, but if I came across that situtation it would be eaiser to buy a pre-made cable rather than spend the time making it and making sure it worked right.

On a serial connection pin 2 crosses over to pin three because in order to receive, it must be sent.

Here's a link to the DB-25 parallel pin out: http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/cable/parallel.html