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View Full Version : Printing causes big slowdown

ppera2
11th December 2001, 22:00
When I print while encode it almost stops encoding, slowdown is about 90%. It is with parallel port, to Canon ink-jet.

Is situation with USB printers so bad too ?
UHT
12th December 2001, 16:45
well yes it is going to cause slowdown...the usb possibly wont be as bad, so long as there is enough power for it
DeathTheSheep
6th February 2006, 19:39
How 'bout changing the priority of the print task and the priority of the encoder? Make encoder high, and print task low.

see, PROBLEM SOLVED!!! Glad I was able to help you folks in a timely manner.
unmei
6th February 2006, 20:45
i think UHT is on the right track, i had a parallel port scanner that almost completly locked the computer during the scan operation, now i have a USB one.. the thoughput is about the same, but that same computer is no longer stalled. I think i once learned what the actual problem is, but i don't remember exactly ..something along the line of interrupts caused by the //-port device, or it generally locking the bus..

[edit]
OTOH if you print a real lot of complex pages that all need to be rendered to post script, that may actually stress the CPU a bit, so there the usually low priority of the encoding process comes into play..
Koepi
6th February 2006, 22:35
Parallel ports work with a lot of CPU-handled interrupts. That's why the situation is better with USB periphery, it's designed for being less CPU intensive.
(No problems with USB printing here except that i need to decrease encoding priority so that the printer even starts...)

Cheers
Koepi
Mr_Odwin
6th February 2006, 22:53
Is this sort of huge thread bumping tolerated on these forums?
unmei
7th February 2006, 01:55
wow, i didn't see he bumped it from 2001 :)
ppera2
7th February 2006, 11:11
How 'bout changing the priority of the print task and the priority of the encoder? Make encoder high, and print task low.

see, PROBLEM SOLVED!!! Glad I was able to help you folks in a timely manner.

No, your theoretic help was not the solution. Of course that I tried it...
Just to complain something after more than 4 years :D

Btw. I went on USB already before couple years, and it is big diff.
Looking at back side of PC I see that parallel port connector takes lot of space.

Question: when it will disappear on regular, new PC's ?
HardwareGeek
9th February 2006, 18:57
Question: when it [parallel port connector] will disappear on regular, new PC's ?No time soon, I would imagine. Parallel port is needed for backward compatibility with alot of parallel port printers that are still out there.