Re: Scanner
On Tue, 27 Apr 1999, Sean wrote:
> So why is it that parallel port scanners don't tend to be supported, but
> their SCSI cousins are. I wouldn't think that there would be that much
> difference between the hardware on a SCSI scanner vs a parallel port
> scanner.
There isn't, not inside the scanner itself. In fact, some scanners just
use a SCSI-to-parallel adapter chip and special driver software on the
workstation. However...
1. The SCSI standard specifies almost all of what you need to run a
scanner. What isn't specified can usually be reverse engineered
fairly easily. Many vendors have been open about their extensions,
too.
2. The vendors responsible for the various parallel-port protocols
(including the SCSI-to-parallel stuff) have not been forthcoming
to developers. Thus, it becomes a painful task of reverse-engineering
the entire protocol, which is thoroughly annoying. One of the main
SCSI-to-parallel chip vendors recently coughed up some specs, I
think, and so there's some hope for some scanners.
Again, check the pport scanner page:
http://www2.prestel.co.uk/hex/scanners.html
Sincerely,
Ray Ingles (248)377-7735 ray.ingles@fanucrobotics.com
Modern inductive method: 1) Devise hypothesis. 2) Apply for grant.
3) Perform experiments. 4) Revise data to fit hypothesis. 5) Publish.
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