IEEE 1284
IEEE 1284, also known as the Centronics port, is a standard that defines bi-directional parallel communications between computers and other devices, with a theoretical maximum throughput of 4 MB/s. It was originally developed in the 1970s by Centronics for use with dot matrix printers before being formally standardized by the IEEE in March 1994.
The standard defines five operating modes Compatibility Mode, Nibble Mode, Byte Mode, Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP), and Extended Capability Port (ECP) and three connector types. It supports a variety of peripheral devices including printers, scanners, tape drives, and hard disks. Since its release, the parallel interface has been largely displaced by local area network interfaces and USB 2.0.