Intellicom Long-Link Transmitter Parallel Interface Extender w/ Ribbon Cable

Intellicom Long-Link Transmitter Parallel Interface Extender w/ Ribbon Cable

The Intellicom Long-Link is a parallel interface extender designed to extend the range of a standard parallel port connection beyond the typical cable-length limitations of a direct parallel hookup. The Transmitter module connects to the host computer's parallel port via the attached flat ribbon cable and works in conjunction with a corresponding receiver unit to bridge the parallel signal over greater distances — commonly used to connect printers, scanners, or other parallel-port peripherals located farther from the host than a standard Centronics/DB25 cable would allow.

Specifications & What's Included

• Brand: Intellicom
• Product: Long-Link Transmitter – Parallel Interface Extender
• Interface: Parallel (DB25 female connector)
• Includes: Attached flat ribbon cable with DB25 female connector
• Front panel: Row of LED status indicators, RJ-style modular connector, DC power jack
• Form factor: Compact desktop module
• Note: This is the Transmitter unit only; a matching Long-Link Receiver unit is required to complete the extension link

Applications

Parallel interface extenders like the Intellicom Long-Link were widely used from the late 1980s through the early 2000s in office and light industrial environments where parallel-port devices — printers, plotters, scanners, and data acquisition peripherals — needed to be located at a distance from the host computer that exceeded the roughly 15-foot practical limit of a standard parallel cable. The Long-Link system allowed users to run the parallel signal over longer spans (typically via twisted-pair or structured cabling between transmitter and receiver units), effectively decoupling the peripheral from the need to sit immediately adjacent to the PC. This type of extender also saw use in shared-printer environments where a single printer served multiple workstations routed through a switch and extender combination. While parallel ports have largely been replaced by USB and network printing in modern computing, Long-Link extenders remain useful for maintaining legacy parallel-port equipment in older industrial, scientific, or specialized computing environments where parallel devices are still in service.