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Converting centronics to what?

S

SCSI2Connect

Junior Member
I have an old HP 5P scanner. It works fine, except I have a new computer with Windows 7 and no SCSI-interface anymore. My AVA-2904 SCSI card isn't supported no more and Adaptec said 29320-ALP-R (PCI slot) and their 29320-LPE (PCI-E slot) are the only two working SCSI solutions. These cards are very pricy, so I hope there are other solutions. Is there a solution to convert the scanner Centronics female connector to USB, firewire or any other interface for which a cheaper card is available?
Thanks for suggestions.
 
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If you're really, really intent on keeping that scanner I'd probably look for one of those cards on ebay.

A quick look suggests both can be had for around the $100 mark, with the PCI version <$70 on a couple auctions.

It appears that there have been adapters in the past that would do what you wanted, but they're largely discontinued now. Even if you could track one down you'll be spending enough time and money for the 'maybe it will work' solution that you might as well just do it right. Your time is worth something, & if it's any more than the $30-40 you might save between an adapter and buying a card you may as well just buy the card.

Viper GTS
 
Do you have your computer on a network of any kind? A MAYBE idea: use a Print Server interface box that plugs into the Centronics port (has its own power brick) and allows you to communicate with the device as a network-attached device. I have done this with an older HP LaserJet 4 printer, and am about to do it with a HP DeskJet printer. I resume - but am not completely sure - that a scanner can communicate on a network just as well as a printer. The ones I looked up are priced in the $30 to $50 range, and use a wired Ethernet connection to a local network. Maybe check with the Print Server maker to verify it can work for your scanner.
 
Viper GTS said:
If you're really, really intent on keeping that scanner I'd probably look for one of those cards on ebay.

A quick look suggests both can be had for around the $100 mark, with the PCI version <$70 on a couple auctions.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...

Thanks Viper GTS. I think you may be right. At least I will save me a lot of time and probably frustration. And I think the scanner is worth it. And I don't like to throw away good stuff, because hardware boys want to sell.
 
Paperdoc said:
Do you have your computer on a network of any kind? A MAYBE idea: use a Print Server interface box that plugs into the Centronics port (has its own power brick) and allows you to communicate with the device as a network-attached device.
Click to expand...

Thanks Paperdoc. This is an interesting idea. I will look into it. The only problem I see is my lack of hardware knowledge. If it is gonna cost me to much time or trouble I cannot solve, I have to leave this path.
 
Torn Mind said:
You could try this:

Otherwise, you might need to have an XP VM and a CPU with VT-d support or just dual boot XP. I'm not in expert in these things, maybe someone will set me straight with regards to this second suggestion.

Or maybe Linux might be an alternative to XP. Maybe.
Click to expand...

Thanks Thorn Mind. I surely will check the link. But the rest of your answer is abacadabra to me. And Linux is fantastic for the ones who understand it. I don't. I'm a simple user, so I have to leave it behind.
 
paul878 said:
I think you should just get a new scanner instead.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry Paul878. This is no solution to my problem. This is the easiest way out, but it's very bad for the world I live in. I'm happy with this scanner. Why throw it away if there are solutions around? Just asking around is nice, friendly and doesn't waste good stuff.
 
I use Fujitsu scanners at work with sheet feeders. These are really good working scanners. They make a wide range of scanners from a home Snap Scan to even more expensive ones like mine or even more expensive. I think I have seen them for like $400 -$3,000. Mine cost like $1500 with all the software. It has been running great over a year. We are using USB2 on these right now. Scanners are really tough depending what operating system you are using. They don't like you to change the OS due to driver issues. Flatbed scanners are probably still pretty inexpensive like the kind they have on printers. They have one model for about $550 that they claim is wireless IX500. They aren't cheap. Never tried wireless scanning.

If you use KOFAX you can interactively adjust the scan quality and filter out things like background images and defeat the security features built into transcripts and adjust to get rid of bleed-through.
 
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piasabird said:
I use Fujitsu scanners at work with sheet feeders. These are really good working scanners. They make a wide range of scanners from a home Snap Scan to even more expensive ones like mine or even more expensive. I think I have seen them for like $400 -$3,000. Mine cost like $1500 with all the software. It has been running great over a year. We are using USB2 on these right now. Scanners are really tough depending what operating system you are using. They don't like you to change the OS due to driver issues. Flatbed scanners are probably still pretty inexpensive like the kind they have on printers. They have one model for about $550 that they claim is wireless IX500. They aren't cheap. Never tried wireless scanning.

If you use KOFAX you can interactively adjust the scan quality and filter out things like background images and defeat the security features built into transcripts and adjust to get rid of bleed-through.
Click to expand...

Thanks Piasabird for this reaction. I really don't know to what you think you answer to. Maybe you should read the original problem and the question about it.
 
The cheapest solution would probably be a headless XP machine. You can RDP into it to do your scans and copy the scanned docs off it. Of course this assumes you have one of the 26 million old Dell pentium 4 machines that are two steps away from the trash heap.
 
SCSI2Connect said:
I have an old HP 5P scanner. It works fine, except I have a new computer with Windows 7 and no SCSI-interface anymore. My AVA-2904 SCSI card isn't supported no more and Adaptec said 29320-ALP-R (PCI slot) and their 29320-LPE (PCI-E slot) are the only two working SCSI solutions. These cards are very pricy, so I hope there are other solutions. Is there a solution to convert the scanner Centronics female connector to USB, firewire or any other interface for which a cheaper card is available?
Thanks for suggestions.
Click to expand...

Dont take this the wrong way, but there's no cost effective way to do what you're trying to do. You're up against several problems:

-The fluorescent bulb in your scanner has a fixed life span. Youre approaching the end of that.

-I'm not sure Windows 7 drivers are available for that scanner

-The cost of a compatible interface card is several times that of a new quality unit.

Your best bet would be to sell that unit and buy a new(er) one. This might surprise to you, but working vintage gear commands a premium especially vintage Mac compatible gear, which I think this scanner is.
 
SCSI2Connect said:
Thanks Thorn Mind. I surely will check the link. But the rest of your answer is abacadabra to me. And Linux is fantastic for the ones who understand it. I don't. I'm a simple user, so I have to leave it behind.
Click to expand...

A virtual machine allows you to run an OS within another OS. Virtualbox and VMware provide such software. VT-d enables the VM to see installed hardware directly.
 
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