parallel scanner to usb cable connection

bighooked · 11-20-2004, 12:30 PM

I am relatively new to linux and have been a long time MS/Dos and Windows 3.x/95/98/NT/2000 user. I have a Pacific Internation Electronics Scan Ace parallel port scanner. My son suggested that a way to get the scanner to work with linux would be to buy an adapter cable that takes centronix parallel and converts it to USB. Would this work? It sounds like an elegant solution to a problem that up until now has not been resolved. I have not been able to get my scanner to work with linux at all. Thanks for your help.

michaelk · 11-20-2004, 01:23 PM

Does your PC have a parallel port?
Check http://www.linux-usb.org/ for info on usb - parallel port adapters.

bighooked · 11-21-2004, 08:00 PM

Yes, the pc (which is relatively new, only a few months old) has a parallel port, and also USB 2.0 ports. At this point, I am less concerned with possibly running the scanner on USB 1.0. I just want to get it working. Any ideas anyone has would be most appreciated.

michaelk · 11-21-2004, 10:04 PM

If you already have a parallel port then using a USB adapter will not make the task easier.

I do not know much about parallel port scanner stuff in linux but here are some links.
http://www.buzzard.org.uk/jonathan/scanners.html
http://www.linux.com/howtos/Scanner-HOWTO/index.shtml