TOPIC
I recently upgraded from a Macintosh II to a Power Macintosh G3 computer. I used to print to my Personal LaserWriter NTR with a serial cable just fine, but I cannot do this with my new G3. What can I do?
DISCUSSION You need to use LocalTalk cabling with most AppleTalk compatible Apple printers. There are a small number of LocalTalk printers that can be connected to a computer via a serial cable. The Personal LaserWriter NTR is not supported with this type of cable. The following TIL article lists the printers that are supported through a peripheral-8 serial cable: Tech Info Library Article 7617: " LaserWriter: Connecting to a Macintosh via Serial Cable " The main issue with using a serial cable is the peripheral-8 cable has no mechanism to deal with changes in the signal or to reduce excess noise on the line. Different computers have slight variances in the LocalTalk signal and with improper cabling, the signal can either degrade or reflective noise can cause a loss of signal. LocalTalk cabling provides the proper impedance level for the LocalTalk signal as well as termination to prevent the signal from reflecting excess noise. Apple has several LocalTalk cabling kits that can be ordered from an Apple Authorized Reseller. M1657Z/A is a LocalTalk adapter with RJ-11 type connectors. It comes with a 2-meter cable and a terminator. M2068LL/B is a LocalTalk adapter with mini-3 connectors and a 2-meter cable. M2066LL/B is the same as M2068LL/B but with a 10-meter cable. Other companies offer connectors similar to ours with the RJ-11 type connectors. You can try searching the Mac OS Software & Hardware Guide for these at: " http://www.macsoftware.apple.com " Also see the following article for a separate issue with the LocalTalk PCI extension on some Power Macintosh computers that can keep the printer from being selected in the Chooser. Tech Info Library Article 7617: " LocalTalk PCI Extension: LocalTalk Printing Issues " |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Printers |
| Category: | LaserWriters |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
| Keywords: | hts |
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