Printer cable: just a cord or product

By reducing the cost of printing devices, now the printer can be seen in almost any home computer system, regardless of whether a personal computer or laptop is used. The ability to output digital data on paper is a huge advantage.

There are several types of printers - matrix, inkjet and laser. It is these devices that have become most widespread. We have indicated them in order of increasing technology and the time of the first appearance on the market. They all use a printer cable to communicate with the computer.

It is through it that the control signals of the driver and the information intended for output are transmitted.

New solution

Recently in the market there were unusual models of printing devices, which do not need a cable for the printer. They use wireless technology. It is enough to connect a Bluetooth-transceiver or Wi-Fi module to the computer and activate it in the system. The printer already contains an active block of the same standard, so it's easy to find an auto-scan. For example, the HP Office Jet-4500 printer cable is not required, because the device communicates with the computer over radio frequencies. Outwardly, there are no differences in the work - everything works equally well, except that it becomes one less wire. It is possible that in a few years from that impressive skein of wires under the table will remain only network cords, and all data will be transmitted "through the air."

Unreliable reliability

It's hard to believe, but a significant portion of calls to service centers are not due to a breakdown of the printer, but because the printer cable is out of order. It would seem: a piece of wire with two plugs - what is there to break? Unfortunately, practice shows the opposite.

It happens that when you turn on the printer again, you can not print. The device is simply not determined by the operating system. For example, it was still working last night, but this morning it turns on, but does not print. Although the self-test passes. Well, almost certainly the reason is that the printer cable is defective.

To make sure that this is the problem, you need to remove the cord from both devices, slightly bend it and plug it back in. In most cases, working capacity is restored.

It remains to buy a replacement in the computer shop.

Since most of the interface cords are made in China, their reliability is not too high - the conductors are initially damaged, although the outer layer of insulation is intact. The "weak point" is the plugs. Inside the plastic, there is simply no soldering, the contact is broken, and therefore the printer does not work. All of the above applies to USB-modifications.

In addition, there is also an LPT cable for the printer. The abbreviation LPT stands for parallel port. A plug made to this standard is much larger than a small USB. Although new LPT devices are no longer available (except for specific ones), the old ones continue to work. Moreover, many manufacturers of motherboards began to place the appropriate controllers in their products. The quality of LPT-wires is much higher than that of modern USB.