Universal virtual printer that you can connect to a parallel or serial port?

[theancientone]

As I was looking at my collection, I noticed that some has a parallel port and some a serial port; which in most cases is enough to send and receive data. Although I have 3 different printers :D Is there anything that could be used as "universal" printer, that would connect either on a serial or parallel port, so I can send prints on it and save the output as a document to then print from my main computer ?

found something for RPI as hat that simulate many printers, but it is like 100+ USD shipped, and I do not want to spend that much as I would not use it so often :D DIY is also fine; I found some projects using Pico or Arduino to connect to a parallel port, and there are plenty of FTDI for serial ports; but nothing that is a "one stop" solutoin that I can just swap on different old computers.

 

[Steve Toner]

Maybe not what you need, but there were printer sharing devices like the Quadram Microfazer VI that would let you connect multiple computers to a single printer:

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There may be other similar vintage devices as well...

 

[theancientone]

Thanks; that is interesting as way to share a printer; although it would not work with serial ports and I still need to have a printer that would be supported by other devices, which is what I am trying to get rid of Got a thermal printer with serial and IR ports, another printer with parallel port and inkjet and an old parallel 9 pin printer, and each of these is for one or two computers/devices , while I wish I could have one printer instead :D

 

[Plasma]

DIY is fine but you also want a "one stop" solution?

Here is the previous thread about this topic, if you haven't seen it already.

 

[retrogear]

I used a serial to parallel converter for years but that's probably not what you're looking for. It looked similar to a modem in size.
Still have it in my box of gadgets somewhere.

Larry G

 

[theancientone]

DIY is fine but you also want a "one stop" solution?

Here is the previous thread about this topic, if you haven't seen it already.

Thanks; by the way when I say "one stop" I do not mean a packaged version of an item; I just imply that the work to implement the printer and its connectivity is done already, so I don't need to "patch together" different solutions

That thread was very interesting. Indeed Retroprinter is the most complete solution so far, although the cost is prohibitive sadly, unless it can run on something smaller than a RPI (like a Zero 2 or a orangepi zero and similar).
Dosprint would not work as I have devices that are not using only dos
This repo seems a good lead (https://github.com/Raspberryy/Emulated_USB_Printer); I assume there are ways to connect the Pi Zero to a physical connector, and probably it will need some level shifting to be 5V compliant, from what I read around about parallel ports