Photologic Ltd. has extensive experience working with parallel and serial printer interfaces on legacy computer systems, since 1991. 
If you need a hardware device to help you replace your old dot matrix printer and capture the print data to a PC, then please consider our solutions.

PRINT DATA CAPTURE HARDWARE

   
   •  Require paperless printing?    
Need a dot matrix printer alternative ?
Need to rescue print data off a legacy system?                                   Require backup records for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 ?
Please inquire. Our solutions range in price from $200 to $900

Main Page
PHOTOLOGIC LTD.   www.photologic.ca    TEL: (905) 377-8915        email Photologic Ltd.
MAKE PDF's WHILE CONTINUING TO PRINT
 

Model TS5-KIT-PDF
• Retire printer or keep printing.
• Record while printing to satisfy quality compliance record-keeping mandates.
• User has opportunities to access pdf's from network using file sharing apps.
Larger View

Model TS5-KIT-PDF 
Makes PDF's while continuing to print normally.
Criteria to use:
Printer has DB25 Serial RS-232 Connector Port (25 Pins). User prints one report at a time, with at least 5 sec between reports. The print report data is either: 1.) Plain generic ASCII text, (no graphics, rich text.) or 2.) HP PCL 3,4,5 print emulation with graphics, rich text, or color.
Keep printing normally.
Makes PDF at PC when report ends.

For Plain ASCII Generic Text Reports from: - Machines - DOS systems - Windows systems - Measuring Instruments - Lab analyzing equipment Priced at: $495.00 USD More Info
 
 
CAPTURE TEXT PRINTOUT TO ANDROID SCREEN AND MEMORY

Model TS
Model TS adapter unit


Eliminate Dot Matrix Printers
. Android device acts as both a display and recorder of print data. Versions available for Parallel or RS232 Serial print cables. For generic text type data, (ASCII characters with Carriage Returns)
Android apps can allow sharing of captured text stored in memory for network access.
Priced under $300 USD icon of a movie clapper YouTube Demo
          Model TS adapter unit with Android tablet      Model TS  
CAPTURE TO PDF
PDF AUTOMATOR:
PDF Automator setup
Larger image
Use PDF Automator to replace legacy printers.
This hardware/software package automatically
makes a pdf of your Text or PCL data from your
print cable.

The pdf is made as soon as the report has ended. It is displayed automatically, and also saved with a unique filename to a folder of your choosing.
icon of a movie clapperYouTube Demo Price: $495 USD

Alternative Version:
PDF Automator "Wired" uses a wired cable to the PC not Bluetooth: PDF Automator Wired Price: $445.00 USD YouTube Demo icon of a movie clapper


Second Generation Software (also included):
Now the user can choose either original PDF Automator software or 2nd generation software: "PDF Automator2" Youtube Demo icon of a movie clapper

collage of types of measurement equipment
Use the Serial or LPT parallel print cable of machines to:
print to PC folder
print to PC Display
print to other printers
print to SD Memory Card
print to PDFadobe pdf logo
print to Android screen
print to Email

Eliminate legacy printers or keep the printer and capture
print data in the background.

Legacy equipment may include measurement and analyzer instruments, alarm systems, DOS PC's, industrial machines, Linux systems, weigh scales, onity or vingcard lock card encoders and any device that uses a parallel LPT port or RS232 serial port.

Our print capture solutions can help you modernize older equipment by giving you an electronic record rather than a hardcopy printout.

For printer replacement: our print capture solutions deal with such printers as Epson, Okidata, Printronix, Hewlet-Packard, C.Itoh. Tally, Mannesmann, Genicom, Dataproducts, Fujitsu, Zebra, Centronics, Seiko, and various thermal printers and lineprinters.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Our hardware devices also help you eliminate DOS printers that are connected with Centronics parallel or IEEE-1284 print cable, or RS-232 serial print cable.

Photologic ltd. logo
FLASH DRIVE LOGGER  For Serial Interface          
MODEL TD FEATURES POWER OUTAGE FILE SAVE
  Model TD thumbdrive logger unit

Use to record serial data from instruments, machines,
sensors, alarm systems, and print cables.


- Logs to USB/SD Reader Drive or choice USB Flash Drives e.g. 64GB
- Dual Serial Port Pass-Thru
- Power Outage File Save For Reliability
- Auto Timeout File Save For Reliability
- Record RS232, RS485, or MCU 3.3V-5V TTL Serial Data
- Logs ASCII and Binary (all possible 8 bit codes).

Power Outage Save feature is a necessity if you are capturing hard to replace important data:
- When a power outage is detected, the logger safely closes
the Thumbdrive log file so that the file structure is complete and the file does not become inaccessible.

Please inquire. More Info

      Model TD pass through connection
Pass-Thru Connectors

If required, use DB25 Adapters to match cabling connectors. A NUL Adapter to reverse data direction should not be required as this unit has a NUL switch that saves the user from adding a NUL Adapter or soldering to reverse pins. Just Enable or Disable the NUL function with the internal switch.
  REPLACE PRINTER WITH SERIAL INTERFACE DATA RECORDER
MODEL RX-PTR
  Model RX-PTR logger unit
   DB25 Connector (25 Pins) RS232 Serial Interface Input
   Use with early model equipment such as:
DOS Based PC's, Machines,  Analyzers, Alarm Systems.


Record weeks and months of plain text data.
For unattended 24 hr. operation..
LED indicators help confirm operation.
A proven design since 2010
Priced at $256 USD

This item is Model RX with a specially wired
print cable added.

More Information "Model RX":
recordeverything.htm
  CAPTURE PARALLEL TO  SD MEMORY CARD
 MODEL PDX-R
Model PDX-R adapter unit

This is still a popular solution in 2025.
It works like a charm!

Keep printer or eliminate printer.
Backup print jobs.
No front panel controls. No settings or license. Just plug in. Is meant to automatically recover after power outage.

Uses 2GB SD Card only: They are still available for supporting
legacy equipment, and should not be an issue.

http://www.photologic.ca/pdxr.pdf Priced at: $465.00 USD icon of a movie clapper YouTube 5:10 minutes Purchase Online at: recordeverything.htm

Our hardware devices help you extract data from equipment without you having to use a printer. There is no software that you have to load or modify on your equipment. Just direct the print data to a parallel or RS232 serial port where our capture hardware device can do it's work.
Once you have the data captured, you have options to do what you need with the data such as parse it for spreadsheet, archive it, share it on the network,email it, convert it to PDF or even print it to another printer on your PC system.

No licensing or monthly fees are involved with our solutions.

You can produce electronic records for record keeping compliances/mandates from various kinds of printers that print plain generic text with tractor feed such as impact dot-matrix printers, (e.g. DOS printer), or PCL type printers that are used to print graphics and colors such as laser printers and ink jet printers using PCL print emulation, ( e.g. PCL4 or PCL5).
Your virtual printer could be in the form of MS Notepad, Word, or PDF
Connector reference:
A36 pin Centronics connector female36 PINS B 36 pin Centronics connector female 36 PINS
C DB25 25 pin connector female25 PINS D DB25 25 pin connector male 25 PINS
E DB9 9 pin connector female9 PINS F DB9 9 pin connector male9 PINS
G M50 50 position connector male50 PINS H DB50 50 pin connector male50 PINS
CAPTURE PARALLEL TO PC
Parallel Input:
36 Pin Connector 
               
               - Windows LPT
               - UNIX Parallel
               - Print Server Parallel
               - Classic Centronics
               - IEEE-1284 Centronics

MODEL CS-ZN
Model CS-ZN adapter unit
Example application and purchasing.

Serial Output:   
DB9F 9 Pin Connector - Plug onto PC serial COM Port DB9M - User chooses any data capture software. Example: - Windows HyperTerminal
- Free "Tera Term"
- Terminal Emulation Softwares

- Also plugs onto USB/CommPort DB9 Adapter if your PC lacks a DB9 Comm Port.
CAPTURE PARALLEL TO ANDROID OR PC
Parallel Input:
DB25 Pin Connector
For:
- Machines
- Measuring Instruments
- Alarm Systems
- Medical Equipment


Model UNIPRINT
Model Uniprint adapter unit Dual output
 Output #1:            
               Bluetooth to Android Tablet or Phone
           
 Output #2:
                USB  to PC 
Choose which output suits your requirement.

Provides simple data capture of print reports that consist of plain generic ASCII text.
- For eliminating old dot matrix printers on
legacy machines and instruments.
Either an Android device or a PC is required. Use to capture data on the spot when visiting the machine or use as a virtual printer running 24 hours/day. Model UNIPRINT Adapter Priced at: $235.00 USD
  LOG SERIAL PRINT DATA       
MODEL TG RS232 SERIAL DATA RECORDER WITH TIMESTAMP
   Model TG recorder unit
Record while printing or record without a printer.
Model TG with T-TAP accessory cable
For:
Printers Modems Lab Instruments Machinery Weigh Scales
     - Dual Channel:   Tap into working systems to record half duplex dialogs.
     - Replace printers.
     - Backup print data for record keeping mandates eg. CFR Part 11
http://www.photologic.ca/TG.pdf
icon of a movie clapper YouTube 7 minutes Purchase Online at: recordeverything.htm
CAPTURE PRINT DATA BY TAPPING INTO LPT PARALLEL CABLE

Print data byte is transfered to printer, then to Capture PC one byte at
a time so equipment is always in step.
The printer speed paces data to Capture PC. Standard hardware flow
control on Capture PC paces data to the printer.
 

MODEL PT8

An LPT Parallel Interface Tap
For Dot Matrix Print Cables
.

LPT Parallel Print Input LPT Parallel Output RS-232 Serial/USB Output Pass-Through Parallel Port:
- allows the user to gradually establish the print capture
system and phase out the printer at any time.

A Key Component In Your Virtual Printing Project
- Capture print data to a PC with the USB output, or use the RS-232 output port to connect to data
recorders, ethernet/WiFi device servers or a PLC system.

Price: $445.00 USD MORE INFO
 
PRINT TO EMAIL    
  Collect Serial RS-232 data from instruments and machines remotely.
           
           Captures serial cable data to SD Card.
           The card data can be retrieved remotely by email.
   Can replace legacy hardcopy dot matrix printer, or work
    concurrently with the printer using a T-TAP25 Splitter Cable.
           
   For plain generic ASCII text on RS-232 cables.
           
   Use with:
       Measurement instruments
       Machines that print output reports
       Alarm system panels 
Model RM email adapter unit  
  Price: $575.00 USD
   
   Model RM
   

NOTICE: At April 10, 2025
Our equipment is readily available so you
can work on print capture projects.

We have been shipping by UPS Courier Express, (rather than mail post).

 MODERNIZE LEGACY PRINTERS  WITH BLUETOOTH
Model BTS bluetooth adapter unit

Older printers with RS-232 Serial Interface can be easily upgraded to Bluetooth interface.

Enables Android devices to connect to a printer.

Increases print opportunites for Android developers.

Access printer from PC with Bluetooth COM Port USB adapter or from Android device.
8 Bits Transparent for:
- Graphics
- Print Emulations
- Color

Printers:
Dot Matrix, Thermal Label, POS Receipt, Kiosk, Laser, and Lineprinters.

Price: $129.00 USD  
Model BTS  
PRINT DIRECTLY TO A MONITOR
Display serial text data while also recording.

No PC is required.
Choose a small monitor or a large monitor for readable data at a distance.
Display 25 rows of 80 columns
SD Card records millions of print lines.

For Serial Interface Print cables (Plain Text Data).

Use with:
Measuring instruments
Replacing alarm printers Weighing equipment Laboratory equipment.
Model SV adapter unit with monitor screen
Price: $375 USD  
Model SV  
CONVERT DATAPRODUCTS INTERFACE TO LPT PARALLEL
 Model DC-1 interface adapter unit

Enables you to replace older lineprinters with
a more modern printer.
Model DC-1 accepts a 50 pin print cable found
on many legacy minicomputers such as Gould/Encore, or Data General.

Add optional adapters to save the print data
directly to SD Memory Card, or to a PC folder.

Price $735.00 USD  
Model DC-1  
FOR MIDMARK AUTOCLAVE STERILIZER
                       
Model AR bluetooth unit with tablet device
Model AR   "Bluetooth Sender"
Replaces Midmark dot matrix printer with a modern logging solution
using an Android tablet.
The user installs Model AR "Sender Unit" that transmits print
data to a tablet.            
Clearly display the sterilizer cycle progress to office staff.
           
The tablet records all print data to its internal memory.
The tablet can be placed in a convenient office location
so staff can better be aware of the sterilizer completion.
Model AR
 
FOR RED LION (TM) METERS
Model RL logger unit
Model RL   "Add-On Logger"  for Red Lion Meters.

Connects to a CUB5 or PAX type meter to record meter values. Log meter values periodically: E.g. every 10 seconds or every minute or hour.

- Each meter sample is timestamped by the logger.
- SD Card logs months of meter data. - A stand alone system: No software required.
No computer or PC is required
Model RL