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I have a software that only prints on a COM port. I have only USB ports available.

I tried this solution How to map a virtual COM port to a physical USB port? but the NET USE COM66: \\name\printer /persistent:yes command gives me system error 67

I shared my printer as suggested in the previous question.

Note: I can't use any sort of adapters. I need a software solution

dirkt
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Daniele
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  • Have you looked at USB to Serial Port adapters? Have used them in past with good results Something like this from Startech https://www.startech.com/ca/Cards-Adapters/Serial-Cards-Adapters/Professional-USB-to-RS-232-Serial-Adapter~ICUSB2321X Believe they have resellers in many countries – Dave M Jul 03 '18 at 16:27
  • I need USB for printing. I can't use adapters. I am looking for a software solution – Daniele Jul 03 '18 at 16:30
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    Not happening. If it *requires* a serial port then it probably needs low-level hardware access. It can't get this from a network share. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Jul 03 '18 at 16:39
  • did you look for `system error 67`? it means [The network name cannot be found](https://support.microsoft.com/en-ie/help/843156/you-receive-a-system-error-67-has-occurred-the-network-name-cannot-be), https://serverfault.com/q/663724/343888, https://stackoverflow.com/q/39856389/995714 – phuclv Jul 03 '18 at 17:02
  • Are you using the correct sharename? And why use COM66? I'm not sure whether that is allowed in Windows – hdhondt Jul 04 '18 at 06:14
  • @hdhondt tried different COM numbers, it was just an example – Daniele Jul 04 '18 at 07:20
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    In that case something must be wrong with the server_name or printer share_name you used. Note you need to use the share_name, not the printer_name. – hdhondt Jul 04 '18 at 23:09

2 Answers2

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There are no modern printers that do printing over COM port, even most older printers use SPP or EPP parallel (Centronics) ports. The only COM printers I recall were of "terminal" types, with daisy-type heads, or IBM typewriters, 40-some years ago. Maybe some POS thermal receipt printers still use this interface though.

So, if you say it "prints on a COM port", it means likely a very simple ASCII character stream, strings/lines terminated with CR-LF characters. While all USB-based bitmap printers use some high-level language (PCL or PostScript) to control the printer. Even if you map your output to virtual COM/USB port, the resulting data stream will be the ASCII-CR-LF, and no USB printers can understand this.

What you likely can do is to hook-up your COM output somehow virtually to a Windows "terminal" application, and then use the generated bitmap as an image to print (including printers with USB interface). This looks ugly, but the COM-port printing is a blast from deep past.

Ale..chenski
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  • I just need to pass some string commands using ZPL language. I need to connect a Zebra thermal printer. This is why I could do that using only the COM output – Daniele Jul 04 '18 at 07:23
  • @Daniele, then a USB-to-COM adapter should do the job (assuming the Zebra printer uses COM port). – Ale..chenski Jul 04 '18 at 15:30
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Maybe try Epson Virtual Com Port. It will create a faux COM port, and it will communicate with a USB port on windows. It will work even with non Epson printers.

You can downloaded for free here

The user interface is not that intuitive at first, but after some 5 minutes you should be set.

I hope you find this useful.

Anibalismo
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