parallel port
AN INTERFACE FOR CONNECTING PERIPHERALS TO COMPUTERS, MAINLY USED FOR CONNECTING PRINTERS; WAS REPLACED BY OTHER TECHNOLOGIES LIKE USB AND WLAN
LPT; Line Printing Terminal; LPT port; Parallel interface; Paralell communications; Paralell interface; Lpt port; Parallel interface port; Parallel Port; Printer port; JetIndirect; 0x378; Parallel connector; Parallel printer port; Parallel cable
<
hardware> An interface from a computer system where data is
transferred in or out in parallel, that is, on more than one
wire. A parallel port carries one
bit on each wire thus
multiplying the transfer rate obtainable over a single wire.
There will usually be some control signals on the port as well
to say when data is ready to be sent or received.
The commonest kind of parallel port is a
printer port, e.g. a
Centronics port which transfers eight bits at a time. Disks
are also connected via special parallel ports, e.g.
SCSI or
IDE.
(1995-01-24)