Re: LocalTalk/AppleShare between IIgs and Mac LC 575 - how?

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Rodney Hester wrote:

>I'm a bit confused - if I don't need drop boxes for direct-connect, why are
>they necessary for each node?  I figured it would be enough to have the
>LocalTalk Connector Kit "Y" cable on the GS, with direct connects from it to
>the Mac and the ImageWriter (with the LocalTalk card).  That in and of
>itself is not a terribly expensive solution, but *3* connector kits would be
>a little more imposing.
>
>> Apple's LocalTalk cabling uses specially made cables to connect the drop
>> boxes, with Mini-Din-3 connectors.  The drop boxes usually have
>> automatic termination, so you don't need to worry about this issue.
>
>Ah - so the connectors on the "Y" aren't DIN-8?  I can't understand why.  :/
>Termination shouldn't be an issue anyway, I'd think - wouldn't the internal
>LocalTalk connectors on each device suffice?

This should be made more clear.  The serial ports on the Mac and IIgs,
with their mini-DIN 8 connectors, are RS-422.  It is a point-to-point
electrical protocol.  It cannot be "wire-ored" or paralleled with multiple
devices.

The LocalTalk network _is_ bussed, by daisy-chaining, potentially to many
devices (32?).  The "drop box" is not just wires, it contains transformer
coupling and level conversion from the LocalTalk network signals to the
RS-422 levels.  It is needed as soon as you have more than two devices,
which are, of course, interconnected point-to-point.

-michael

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