Eight Years On Since the Launch of the Retro-Printer Module
The first versions of the Retro-Printer Module were developed in 2017 with some basic code to prove the ability to capture data and convert it to a PDF.
Since then the software has gone through some massive changes with additions of a wide variety of printer emulators, speed improvements and adaptations to provide a range of different output options, many of which have been customised for specific customers.
We have also released the USB-RTC module (providing a real-time clock for the Raspberry Pi, essential in situations where the unit will not be connected to the internet), and of course a version which captures serial port data and uses the same conversion processes proven for the Centronics port version.
We have sold 310 v3 Retro-Printer modules to date, plus a further 360 of the v4 module, with sales 60% to businesses, with many repeat orders. This has proven the capability of the unit and the software to perform in a wide range of environments and fulfilling our overall objective “Extending the Working Life of Machines, thereby avoiding landfill”.
We have been supporting computers since 1986 (and still support the same computers we did in the day), and so we continue to aim to improve the Retro-Printer and address wider market needs.
Some recent changes have been to continue to optimise the code for speed (and successful testing with the Raspberry Pi 5). We were also asked to assist one customer who wished to connect several RS232 devices to the one Retro-Printer module and we implemented a FIFO system for reading the data from each of his connected machines.
On the industrial side of things, we have continued to extend the working life of expensive production machinery, including support customers using old PLCs (with a range of serial printer connection types) and another customer with injection moulding machines who previously had to use a dot matrix printer to run off over 100 pages of reports per day from each machine!
