Re: Apple Printer and PC

[danno@ans.net (Dan Pritts)]

In article <35BF12EF.C216DDE3@pa.ausom.net.au>,
Stephen C. Davidson <davoesq@pa.ausom.net.au> wrote:
>Thommi Stephan wrote:
>> 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 ?
>
>Parallel ports for any printer are basically the same (as far I know - which
>may not be much). For a printer as old (relatively) as the IINT its parallel
>port should just be a standard 25 pin female D shaped connection. You'd just
>need a standard PC parallel printer cable for a DOS/Wintel box which should do
>the trick. 


bzzt!

1) no printer i've ever seen has a 25-pin parallel interface like that
on a PC.  They use a 30-something centronics interface.  

2) the IINTX has a 50-pin centronics interface that is used to connect
a scsi hard disk; don't try to plug this into your PC somehow (you would
have to use a cable that was never intended for a printer to do so, but
you *could* find a cable that has the right connectors on each end...don't).

3) apple LW II NT / II NTX  do not have parallel ports  

4) to make the II NTX work with your PC, you will need to use its
serial connection (it is probably labeled something like "serial" or
"rs-232"), which should also be a 25-pin female interface.  You'll need
to hook this up to the serial port on your pc with a null modem cable
(aka modem eliminator aka laplink) and set up your PC to print to the com
port.  You'll probably need to use 9600,n,8,1 settings on the pc com
port.  

You will also need to set the switch on the back of the printer to a
setting that supports serial printing (off by default).  You will
need to look at apple's web site to find the switch settings.
www.apple.com/support is pretty good.


-- 
dan pritts
ans systems engineering
734/214-7409