Re: Apple Printer and PC

[Andy Biggs <wanb@camcon.co.uk>]

The NTX has four connectors on the back. From left to right these
are:

a) Apple Desktop Bus
b) SCSI-1 port (big 50 way) - NOT a parallel port
c) 25 way D-type RS-232 serial (9600baud,8,1,noparity)
d) Apple LocalTalk network port.

between (b) and (c) is a DIP switch bank.  There is no parallel
port.

To connect to a PC, only the serial port (c) can be used.  The
printer only requires pins 2,3 and 7 to be used, tho' your
PC may disagree. At the printer, pin 2 = Transmit, 3=Receive,
7 = Ground.

To set the printer for serial port input, the DIP switches
should be set to

1 = Up
2 = Down  ( 1 & 2 set serial 9600)
3 = Up
4 = Up    ( 3 & 4 set Postscript mode)
5 = Up
6 = Up    ( 5 & 6 Up set XON/XOFF mode)

Your Com port settings need to match this. 9600,8,1,noparity
with XON/XOFF flow control.

Use a standard Postscript printer driver.  Remember by todays
standards it's a slow printer, so give it time to process and
print each page.

If the green 'ready' light flashes, then it's receiving/processing
data.

check out www.apple.com for documentation.  I haven't looked (I've
got the manual!), but it might be there somewhere.

good luck

Andy Biggs
Cambridge Consultants UK.




Thommi Stephan wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> a friend gave me an Apple LaserWriter II NTX. I would like to use it
> with
> a PC running Windows 95. I don't have any drivers or documentation.
> Does anybody know how the printer cable has to be wired for connection
> via the parallel port of the PC ? Or do I have to use the serial port ?
> Which of the 4 connectors on the printer is the right one ?
> Does anybody have drivers for this device ?
> I think I can use the standard windows driver for the LaserWriterII, but
> it seems to me the connector cable is the main problem.
> 
> Thank You,
> Thommi
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas Stephan
> Email: tstephan@nefo.med.uni-muenchen.de