[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Help needed with HP-Deskwriter & Localtalk

aes19@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de ( aes19) (06/05/91)

Hi there.
Can anyone tell me how to connect an Deskwriter to appletalk ? Because
this printer is the only device on the net i won't buy the appletalk-
kits. I need this only for work with System 7 and virtual memory on an
SE/30. The serial driver for the Deskjet won't work work in this confi-
guration ( and i've heared that the appletalk driver does ). 
Thanks in advance
	Andy

dplatt@ntg.com (Dave Platt) (06/07/91)

In article <3592@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de> aes19@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de ( aes19) writes:

>Can anyone tell me how to connect an Deskwriter to appletalk ? Because
>this printer is the only device on the net i won't buy the appletalk-
>kits. I need this only for work with System 7 and virtual memory on an
>SE/30. The serial driver for the Deskjet won't work work in this confi-
>guration ( and i've heared that the appletalk driver does ). 

My understanding is that you _will_ need some form of LocalTalk kit
(either Apple's, or Farallon's PhoneNet, or something equivalent).
Someone I spoke with recently tried to set up a "minimal" LocalTalk
network between his Mac and DeskWriter, for the same reason you've
mentioned, and was unable to get it to work.

The reason is this: the DeskWriter (recent ones, at least) are designed
to detect whether they are connected to a LocalTalk network, or directly
to a Mac via a serial null-modem cable.  They apparently do this by
sensing certain electrical characteristics of the RS-422/423 interface.
I infer that they're measuring the impedence of the circuit they are
driving... a direct serial connection will appear to have a fairly high
impedence, while a LocalTalk connector's transformer will have a rather
low DC impedence.

If you connect a DeskWriter directly to your Mac, it will insist on
going into direct-connect mode.  If you tell your Mac to turn on
AppleTalk, and go into the Chooser, the DeskWriter driver will send out
NBP lookup packets... but the DeskWriter itself will ignore them.

There might be some way to "spoof" the DeskWriter's connection-sensor...
but as I don't have detailed information about how the sensing is
actually done, I can't recommend a specific spoof.

I'd suggest that you buy two inexpensive PhoneNet-clone connectors.


-- 
Dave Platt                                                VOICE: (415) 813-8917
              Domain: dplatt@ntg.com      UUCP: ...apple!ntg!dplatt
 USNAIL: New Technologies Group Inc. 2468 Embarcardero Way, Palo Alto CA 94303

jose@calvin.ee.cornell.edu (Jose M. Rosado Roman) (06/07/91)

In article <3592@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de> aes19@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de ( aes19) writes:
>Hi there.
>Can anyone tell me how to connect an Deskwriter to appletalk ? Because
>this printer is the only device on the net i won't buy the appletalk-
>kits. I need this only for work with System 7 and virtual memory on an
>SE/30. The serial driver for the Deskjet won't work work in this confi-
>guration ( and i've heared that the appletalk driver does ). 
>Thanks in advance
>	Andy

I had to use appletalk connectors (eg. phone net connectors) because
the DW only does serial on a serial line.  Connecting it via the
appletalk phone connectors let's you choose between serial and appletalk
modes.  I am currently running Sys7.0 on a Mac+ and have a DW connected
via appletalk.  Works nice with the drivers that came with the DW.

While I'm at it, the true type fonts are nice to use with the DW because
I don't have much room for too many bitmapped fonts and the price for the
extra fonts package from HP is a bit steep for a wee grad student.

I have ftped some true type fonts from sumex but although they are nice
(thanks for posting!) I would like to know if it is possible to get the
fonts with accented characters.  There is a world out there that
unfortunately likes to read text with accented words, eg. spanish, french.
Any clues out there?  Will fontographer, et al, work on TT fonts??

Pink Pirate, Inc. --------------------------------------------------------
                   Disclaimer:  I am only related to my parents.
"The day they invented excuses, ..."  Sorry, I forgot!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu (06/08/91)

In article <961@goblin.ntg.com>, dplatt@ntg.com (Dave Platt) writes...
>In article <3592@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de> aes19@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de ( aes19) writes:
> 
>>Can anyone tell me how to connect an Deskwriter to appletalk ?

>I'd suggest that you buy two inexpensive PhoneNet-clone connectors.

Two possibilities here:  for the adventurous, there are do-it-yourself
pseudo-phone-net connector instructions in /info-mac/report on 
sumex-aim.stanford.edu.  No experience here.  The report claims that
you can make your connections for < $1 each and warns that they are
incompatible with multi-building internetworking (ie: needs common ground).

Inexpensive clone source:  Ora Electronics, 1-800-423-5336 (orders only).  
Modunet Connector; part number MDT-M8 (price depends on buyer, catalog 
lists $17.50 for individuals, less for businesses/resellers.  This doesn't
include the phone wire, just the part that plugs into the Mac with 
two female RJ-11 jacks and a terminator.

I have dealt with ORA.  The catalog is better (IMO) than competitors
like "Black Box".  Prices are very competitive on items that are more
expensive at the Mac-only mail-order houses.  Full-range of connectors,
cables, phone, video, etc. 

Note: ORA doesn't offer technical advice on Apple-talk networking.
The phone people are pleasant, but this is not a service-oriented
company and they don't actively seek orders from individuals.

-- Bill (johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu)

amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) (06/09/91)

In article <961@goblin.ntg.com> dplatt@ntg.com (Dave Platt) writes:
>In article <3592@> aes19@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de ( aes19) writes:
>>Can anyone tell me how to connect an Deskwriter to appletalk ? Because
>>this printer is the only device on the net i won't buy the appletalk-

>you _will_ need some form of LocalTalk kit, the DeskWriter are designed
>to detect whether they are connected to a LocalTalk network, or a
> RS-422/423 (232) interface.
>If you connect a DeskWriter directly to your Mac, it will insist on
>going into direct-connect mode.
>There might be some way to "spoof" the DeskWriter's connection-sensor...
>I'd suggest that you buy two inexpensive PhoneNet-clone connectors.

   The edited portion of the quoted article says it all, as well as anyone
needs to know.  It is not impossible, just nearly so, so use a deskwriter
with a mac in serial mode.  Essentially, when the HP senses a serial
connection, the assumption is that it is going to be used with a IBM type
computer and when the localtalk network is sensed, a MAC type computer is
assumed.  
   Any information in regards to fooling a HP DeskWriter into working with 
a MAC while actually using a cheap serial(rs232/422)  cable would be 
appreciated.

al



-- 
Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University
 InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu  amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu
 Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE 

price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu (John Price) (06/10/91)

In article <1991Jun9.050154.26462@rodan.acs.syr.edu>, amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:
>...It is not impossible, just nearly so, so use a deskwriter
>with a mac in serial mode.  Essentially, when the HP senses a serial
>connection, the assumption is that it is going to be used with a IBM type
>computer and when the localtalk network is sensed, a MAC type computer is
>assumed.  
>   Any information in regards to fooling a HP DeskWriter into working with 
>a MAC while actually using a cheap serial(rs232/422)  cable would be 
>appreciated.

Hmm.  Here's how I did it:

1: Place printer on desk, near Mac.
2: Plug one end of serial cable (RS232 end) into DeskWriter.
3: Plug other end (DIN 8) of serial cable into Mac.
4: Turn on Mac and DeskWriter.

I think you meant to say, "fooling a HP DeskWriter into working with a Mac 
*in*a*network* while actually ...", right?  :)

There, of course, I haven't a clue.  But running it with the Mac in a 
standalone configuration is no problem.

           John Price * * * * price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu
           Where there is no solution, there is no problem.

dplatt@ntg.com (Dave Platt) (06/11/91)

In article <1991Jun7.005742.5236@calvin.ee.cornell.edu> jose@calvin.ee.cornell.edu (Jose M. Rosado Roman) writes:

>I have ftped some true type fonts from sumex but although they are nice
>(thanks for posting!) I would like to know if it is possible to get the
>fonts with accented characters.  There is a world out there that
>unfortunately likes to read text with accented words, eg. spanish, french.
>Any clues out there?  Will fontographer, et al, work on TT fonts??

I'm not certain about Fontographer.  I know that most of the
professional font-foundary applications have been, or are being updated
to work with TrueType fonts.

The least-expensive way to create accented-character versions of outline
fonts is probably to use FontMonger.  Although FontMonger does not
have a full-featured font editor, it does have the ability to create
"composite" characters.  For example, if the font contains an "a" and a
"'" character, you can combine then to create an accented "a"... you
simply create a new character-cell, copy and paste in the outlines for
the two existing characters, tweak their positions until you're happy
with the result, and then "freeze" the composite outline and store it in
the appropriate location in the font.  You cannot alter the outlines of
the characters you're compositing, but you can apply certain linear
transformations (compression, stretching, and shearing).

FontMonger is available for roughly $65 from MacConnection.  Many of the
TrueType fonts now available on SUMEX were translated from PostScript to
TrueType via FontMonger.

-- 
Dave Platt                                                VOICE: (415) 813-8917
              Domain: dplatt@ntg.com      UUCP: ...apple!ntg!dplatt
 USNAIL: New Technologies Group Inc. 2468 Embarcardero Way, Palo Alto CA 94303