Centronics interface
An earlier, 36-pin parallel interface for connecting printers and other devices to a computer. It transferred data asynchronously at 150 Kbytes/sec and used an Amphenol Micro-Ribbon plug and socket, a common telecommunications connector. The Centronics interface was superseded by the IEEE 1284 standard in 1994.IBM Adapted the Interface
Developed by the Centronics Data Computer Corporation, which introduced the first successful dot matrix printer in 1970, it became a de facto standard for parallel port printers after IBM chose it for the PC in 1981. See IEEE 1284, parallel port and printer cable.
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| Centronics Plug and Socket |
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| These connectors have been widely used for parallel ports and other purposes. Whenever Micro-Ribbon plugs and sockets are used, they are often called Centronics connectors even if they have nothing to do with Centronics signaling. |
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