When upgrading old hosts at supermarket checkout counters and hospital laboratory departments, the most common problem encountered is not performance problems, but the loss of printer interfaces. How parallel port and multi-serial port peripherals can continue to work on the new platform is the main line of this type of transformation. It will be dismantled according to three ideas below.

The parallel port has not disappeared: printing receipts and documents still relies on LPT

Many pin-type ticket machines and passbook printers still use the DB25 parallel port, with direct transmission and mature drive links. New motherboards generally no longer provide LPT ports.PCI-E parallel port cardReplace the port and set the working mode to ECP in the BIOS and system after installation. The printing buffer will be more stable and large documents will not be lost easily.

Co-existence of multiple peripherals: one host has multiple serial ports

Most of the electronic scales, customer displays, and code scanners on the checkout counter, as well as the barcode guns and card readers next to the instruments, are still RS232. Three or four peripherals can use up the native serial port. At this time, usePCI to 4 serial port cardThis type of multi-port card completes the interfaces of one terminal at a time, and can be used on old platforms and new machines. When there are multiple terminals at the same counter, it is recommended to list all the interface gaps of each terminal first.

Slots are tight: choose parallel and serial combination cards to save space

The half-height chassis has only one short slot, but it requires both parallel and serial ports. OptionalPCI parallel and two-serial expansion card, one card covers both interfaces, and the number of gears and cables can be reduced by half, making the cabinet more tidy.

It is recommended to register the interface list (device model, connector type, baud rate) of each terminal into a table before the transformation, and then allocate cards according to the table to avoid repeated disassembly. The list can be sent to EB-LINK engineers for verification. During batch replacement, the list can be completed at once to reduce order replenishment and rework.