glenn@SLOTH.ICST.NBS.GOV (Terminator) (02/17/89)
I was wondering if anyone could help me with the following problem. We have a LaserWriter II NTX connected to both an Apple via the local_talk port and to a Sun via the RS-232 port. Unfortunately, only one machine can use the port with out changing some dip switches and cycling the power on the LaserWriter. Both machines are used somewhat extensively and we cannot afford to purchase a laser printer for each. We are afraid that we're going to eventually break the small plastic switches. Is there anyway we can get around this problem. One idea that I thought of was a possible local_talk to RS-232 converter and connecting everything to a switch box. Does anyone know if such an animal exists? We would still have to cycle the power but atleast the switches would not break. I was also wondering if there was any kind of expansion card for the LaserWriter that would eleviate this problem. The only other alternative I can think of, is to open up the back of the printer and solder a heavier toggle switch to where the dip switch is attached, thus overriding it. Thanx In Advance, Rob Glenn (301) 975-3667 E-MAIL: glenn@osi3.icst.nbs.gov
keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) (02/17/89)
In article <8902162036.AA01561@sloth.icst.nbs.gov> glenn@SLOTH.ICST.NBS.GOV (Terminator) writes: >I was wondering if anyone could help me with the following problem. > > >We have a LaserWriter II NTX connected to both an Apple via the local_talk >port and to a Sun via the RS-232 port. Unfortunately, only one machine can >use the port with out changing some dip switches and cycling the power >on the LaserWriter. Both machines are used somewhat extensively >and we cannot afford to purchase a laser printer for each. We are >afraid that we're going to eventually break the small plastic switches. >Is there anyway we can get around this problem. > >One idea that I thought of was a possible local_talk to RS-232 converter >and connecting everything to a switch box. Does anyone know if such an >animal exists? We would still have to cycle the power but atleast the >switches would not break. I was also wondering if there was any kind of >expansion card for the LaserWriter that would eleviate this problem. >The only other alternative I can think of, is to open up the back of >the printer and solder a heavier toggle switch to where the dip switch >is attached, thus overriding it. > There are AppleTalk to serial boxes, but I think that they can only be used if the connection is initiated from the AppleTalk side. The reason for this is that there is no way from the serial side (ie, your Sun) to specify what network entity you want to talk to. Since you have a Sun, you should be able to use a Kinetic FastPath to connect from EtherNet to AppleTalk. However, I think that those puppies run about $1500. These are probably not the only solutions, but they are the only ones that I can think of right now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Keith Rollin --- Apple Computer, Inc. --- Developer Technical Support INTERNET: keith@apple.com UUCP: {decwrl, hoptoad, nsc, sun, amdahl}!apple!keith "Argue for your Apple, and sure enough, it's yours" - Keith Rollin, Contusions
mikes@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (Michael Steele) (02/24/89)
> >Since you have a Sun, you should be able to use a Kinetic FastPath to connect >from EtherNet to AppleTalk. However, I think that those puppies run about >$1500. Why not run an appletalk network? I am very iffy on the details of this so someone else will have to fill in the details. Isn't there a Pd appletalk converter for the SUN? (ie a program that will code/decode appletalk packets)? This would be the cheapest route.