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Centronics connectors are standard parallel interface devices for connecting printers and other peripherals such as portable disc drives, tape backup drives, and CD-ROM players to computers. Centronics connectors are named after the printer that first used them and include two rows of flat contacts. Both male and female Centronics connectors are available. Male Centronics connectors have side latches that snap into tabs on the sides of female connectors. Female connectors also have slots to receive pins from male connectors. Typically, Centronics connections consist of a 36-pin male or female connector at the printer or other peripheral, a cable, and a 25-pin parallel port on the computer. Centronics connectors use eight parallel data lines, as well as other lines to read status information and send control signals. There are a variety of applications for Centronics connectors. Some connectors work only with peripherals that support the IEEE 1284 standard. Others are designed for use with devices that use the small computer systems interface (SCSI). Micro connectors and nano connectors exhibit contacts with a pitch of 0.05” and 0.025'', respectively. Peripherals that do not use Centronics connectors often use universal serial bus (USB) or Bayonet Neil-Concelman (BNC) connectors instead.
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