v055l9y3@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Stephen A Zelazny) (06/28/91)
Path: ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu!v055l9y3 From: v055l9y3@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Stephen A Zelazny) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: MS-DOS to Laserwriter connection (+ a Mac SE) Date: 27 JUN 91 16:06:57 Expires: References: Sender: Reply-To: v055l9y3@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu Followup-To: Organization: University at Buffalo Keywords: News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4.5 Hello! In response to the querys on the possibility of connecting an MS-DOS machine to a laserwriter, i will say that it can be done. In fact, in the Laserwriter NT,NTX manual there is an entire appendix on it. I will add that I have succeeded in getting a cable built (if interested in pin-outs i used for success, just ask) and figuring out what the necessary dip switch settings should be. This done, I set out to print from the ms-dos machine. Happily, it worked. I printed some nice postscript files out. I also go word perfect to recognize the existance of the laserwriter and had the wonderful font support at my disposal. Laserjet emulation mode even sortof worked as I would have expected. Alas, I wanted more. This is where I could use any comments/suggestions any of you might have out there. My next desire was to have both mac and ms-dos machine connected to the same printer and simply use software switching to decide which machine got to use the printer. While this idea may sould strange, my attempt stemmed from the following paragraph of the manual which seems to imply the possiblity: "If you find it more convenient to leave both LocalTalk and serial cables connected to your printer, follow these instructions to disable the RS-422 port before you switch the printer to serial mode. Never reactivate the RS-422 port (using either softawre switching or DIP swithces) while the printer is in serial mode. [interactive postscript code eliminated] " pg. 140 My problem with these instructions is that if I send the above code to the laserwriter from the mac (presumably since the serial mode which i would need inorder to send from the msdos machine is inactive as per above instructions) and disable the rs422 port, there will be no active port to communicate to since the RS-422 port is where localtalk is connected to and the serial mode of the RS232 is not active yet. I can't figure out what the author of this appendix was thinking unless he was trying to torment poor innocent :) msdos users. Which I guess is possible. Anyway. If I'm making a big mistake in terms of the above instructions, let my know. Also if you can tell me how I can talk to intelligent people at apple about what's going on that would be helpful. I've spent the last 24 hours being told that I have to talk to my local dealer who in turn tell me that they don't know anything. I'd think that if apple wrote the appendix, someone over there must know something. Sorry to drag on. Hope someone can help. Another problem, on pg. 141 the manual mentions that i can send the comand sequence Escape-Delete-Zero, followed by a Control-D to exit the laserjet emulation mode to postscript batch mode. Sending ascii sequence 27,127,48,4 fails to reset the printer to postrscript batch mode. Any ideas??? Steve Andrew Zelazny v055l9y3@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (716)834-0045