| RS 232C Serial Communication
The RS 232C
Serial communication port has long been a popular one,
mostly due to ease of use in programming. Today, it is
still popular because of its flexibility.
While RS 232C
communication is limited in its transfer speed, it is still
a reliable means of communicating
with a peripheral device. When printing simple receipts,
without graphics, serial communication will often suffice.
Graphical printing is better suited to IEEE 1284 or
USB communications protocols.
Many POS terminals in
use today only make available at least one serial port.
This is one of the major
reasons printer manufacturers are still providing this
option to customers. Another reason is the aforementioned
functionality of allowing long cable runs. Longer cable
runs make this communications protocol perfect for
applications such as a kitchen printer, where only
a simple text receipt is necessary.
RS232 serial ports
may soon become a thing of the past. Many computer
manufacturers are no longer including
RS232 serial ports on their system. They have instead
chosen to go with the newer, faster, USB standard of
serial communication.
Pros
• Long cable
runs
• Simple implementation
• Inexpensive
Cons
• Slow data transfer rate
• Susceptible to lost data
• Not supported on many new platforms |
Star printers available
with RS232 serial:
SCP700, SP200,
SP2000, SP298,
SP300, SP500,
TSP400, TSP600,
TSP700, TSP800,
TUP400, TUP900 |
