Laplink
Laplink (sometimes styled LapLink) is a proprietary software that was developed by Mark Eppley and sold by Traveling Software.[1] First available in 1983,[1] LapLink was used to synchronize, copy, or move, files between two PCs, in an era before local area networks, using the parallel port and a LapLink cable or serial port and a null modem cable[2][3][4] or USB and a USB ad hoc network cable. Traveling Software is now known as LapLink Software, Inc.,[5] and their main software is now the PCmover.
Cable
[edit]LapLink typically shipped with a specialized cable, allowing two PCs computers to be linked together via the parallel port, establishing a direct cable connection. This so-called LapLink cable or null-parallel cable is capable of faster transfer rates than the traditional null modem serial cable. At the time, almost all PCs had a parallel printer port, but neither USB nor modern Ethernet was available.
A Laplink cable can be seen as a parallel equivalent to a serial null modem cable. Because of the higher bandwidth of the parallel port versus the serial port, a Laplink cable is able to transfer data more quickly.
The Interlnk program on MS-DOS can also use the Laplink cable.
With the demise of parallel ports on PCs, Laplink no longer sells the traditional cable.[6]
Wiring
[edit]The cable used two DB25 male connectors, and was wired as below:
| D0 | 2 | 15 | Error |
| D1 | 3 | 13 | Select |
| D2 | 4 | 12 | Paper Out |
| D3 | 5 | 10 | ACK |
| D4 | 6 | 11 | Busy |
| ACK | 10 | 5 | D3 |
| Busy | 11 | 6 | D4 |
| Paper Out | 12 | 4 | D2 |
| Select | 13 | 3 | D1 |
| Error | 15 | 2 | D0 |
| Select In | 17 | 19 | GND |
| GND | 18 | 18 | GND |
| GND | 19 | 17 | Select In |
| GND | 21 | 21 | GND |
| GND | 22 | 22 | GND |
| GND | 23 | 23 | GND |
| GND | 25 | 25 | GND |
See also
[edit]- Parallel Line Internet Protocol (PLIP)
- Direct cable connection
- Interlnk
- Serial console
- Ethernet cable
References
[edit]- ^ a b LapLink Software, Inc. "About LapLink Software, Inc". laplink.com. About Us.
- ^ Traveling Software (14 February 1989). "Why Lap-Link Has Connected Over 200,000 Computers". PC Magazine. Vol. 8, no. 3. Ziff Davis, Inc. p. 92. ISSN 0888-8507.
- ^ Bem Cotterman (8 November 1994). "Laplink for Windows Takes Controls of Remote PC's". PC Magazine. Vol. 13, no. 19. Ziff Davis, Inc. p. 52. ISSN 0888-8507.
- ^ Steve Rigney (17 November 1998). "Access Your Office PC". PC Magazine. Vol. 17, no. 20. Ziff Davis. p. 73.
- ^ "About us", laplink.com
- ^ "Laplink Easy Transfer Cable For Windows® - Laplink® Software". www.laplink.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-19.