ESP8266 Community Forum

- Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:00 pm #85172 Hello,

I have build a order system with tablet, for my scouts group. It works fine when in use. The group that is in charge of the kitchen wanted to get prints so i hookt up a network printer to my laptop and they are happy. To deploy the full system i need 6 tablets, 2 computer's and a network printer (mine). I want to remove the need of my own printer with a printer of a local store.

A store where i have a student job has given me 3 (and more if i want) Toshiba TRST-56 -p-1w-qm-r receipt printer and i want to hook them up to the system.

my favorite choice would be a esp8266 (nodemcu) and json but i have no idee how and with what device i can connect the printer to the (local) network. I have seen online staps for a serial printer but i have a parralel. i have a bad relation with raspberry pi or other boards (bad sd cards with class 10).

Thanks for thinking with me.

Note: i'm a student ict with a little background of electronic's but that's all.

- Mon Jan 06, 2020 5:33 pm #85175 The parallel interface module uses a centronics interface which needs 8 data lines plus at least 2 control lines (strobe / busy). That is a bit of a struggle with esp8266 but do-able if you use the uart lines as gpio.

You can get some ideas from

https://github.com/gianluca-nitti/printserver-esp8266

which also has drivers for a shift register approach to use less pins.

- Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:45 pm #85176 @btidey, I have seen that url but i want to remove the need of a computer. I have always used the arduino ide, and can not see hou to use the data of the url.

- Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:47 pm #85177 There is a interface card: