IEEE Std 1284 (hereafter referred to as Std 1284) specifies all the required mechanical, electrical, and timing characteristics for a high-speed, bi-directional parallel port for printers and other peripherals. While these parameters define the physical environment and protocol requirements for an operational Std 1284 port, there is a need to standardize a number of extensions and operating system interfaces to help facilitate operation across various system platforms and operating environments.