OT Epson Print Driver

I have an old Canon printer which isn't seen in Windows 8 because it's not on the list. The printer only has a parallel port, so I got a USB to parallel interface, but that doesn't make a port as I was expecting. Windows now only has a USB printer interface, not a USB to port interface which would accept any device. The only printers accepted are the ones in the Windows list.

I am in the process of making a pcb containing an LQFP32 IC that promises to make a parallel FIFO interface from a USB connection, but I haven't got it to work yet.

My printer is a little older. Help me find it.

option.

Traditionally, other older OSes had the same feature. It would sometimes take 30 minutes to an hour to download the list of "older devices". Back when modems weren't quite as fast.

And, because some of the device choices were known to be "generic solutions", like for example the impact dot matrix printers, sometimes your device doesn't have to be named in the old printer list, to find a driver "good enough" to run that printer.

Paul

I have a PCI Express x1 card with OxSemi parallel port chip on it, which runs in either of my desktop machines. Oxford Semi was bought out by another company, and their product line... crushed.

Such cards run all four protocol options for a parallel port. They even show up properly in I/O Space.

Now, we're stuck with foreigner rubbish. I suspect some of the chips today, come from an Indian fab, but I haven't managed to trace down any details. I want to pick up another OxSemi one, but that door is closed. The cards we can buy today, are a little light on documentation, which is why I'm a bit annoyed. I don't really care who makes the electronics crap I buy, as long as they tend to the basics (electronics that work, provide drivers for all OSes, have basic documents so you know what you're buying).

For a laptop person, the only way you'll be getting a "real" Parallel Port, would be with some sort of dock product. Today, maybe the path to doing that, is a Thunderbolt port on the laptop. Since they removed ExpressCard sockets on laptops, the pickings have been thin.

Paul

I would be inclined to try any of the Epson stylus drivers, even if not necessarily the exact model. Try to match one with the same number of inks used (typically black plus 3 or 5 colours). Many of the models use a substantially similar set of escape codes for control.

Try the driver from Windows Update catalogue (they say windows 8.1 but they also say "or later")

install them, them go through start/settings/devices/printers&scanners/add

you might need the "not listed" option

Although you will probably get a lot of "here be dragons" warnings from Doze about unsigned drivers of unknown provenance. Something generic that supports Epson's ESC/P protocol would be worth a try.

Win 10 seems to be very recalcitrant to allow you to try a driver for something it doesn't recognise. Had that with a video card.

Might be worth trying an XP etc emulator that will see an old printer?

Thanks for all the responses guys.

I spent a while uninstalling and reinstalling drivers without success, but finally looked more broadly at Windows 10. It seems that the "allowing Windows to manage your printers" could have been blocking the install. That or the printer needing to be set as the default for whatever reason.

Anyhow the printer is now printing and an old Epson scanner is scanning.

Thanks for the support guys

Phil

HOORAY!

Its unwise to let Windows manage anything...

Agreed, but our this is a company laptop and devices are controlled by group policy, so it is highly likely that this change will be reversed when I will reconnect to our corporate network :(

I found I had to use a Vista driver to work my ancient Dell printer on Windows 7.

Have to tried "asking the Internet"?