Definition

LPT (line print terminal)

Part of the Printers glossary:

LPT (line print terminal) is the usual designation for a parallel port connection to a printer or other device on a personal computer. Most PCs come with one or two LPT connections designated as LPT1 and LPT2. Some systems support a third, LPT3. Whatever the number, LPT1 is the usual default. You can add a parallel port for a second printer or other device by buying and adding a parallel port adapter card to your computer. An LPT port can be used for an input device such as QuickCam, a video camera used with CU-SeeMe .

Next Steps

Parallel computer connections traditionally have used the Centronics parallel interface for printer communication. A newer standard called EPP/ECP supports the older interface while providing faster communication for a range of devices, including scanners and video cameras.

This was last updated in March 2011
Contributor(s): Terry Chambers, Nathan Ehrenberg, and Chikara Miyoshi
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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