Parallel cables come in different flavors. The most common type of parallel cable, a printer cable generally comes with a DB-25 connector on one end, and a centronics connector on the other. As the name implies, this cable connects the printer to your system unit.

Other parallel cables have a DB-25 male connector on one end, and a DB25 female connector on the other end. Occasionally you may need to purchase a gender changer at your local computer store so you can adapt your parallel cable to fit a specific peripheral device.