Forums | MacLife

just daisy chain 'em.

Sun Remarketing http://www2.sunrem.comsun02.w?cat=ImageWriter%20II%2FL has (as of July 31, 2003) for ~$20.00 a network card needed to network via Localtalk an ImageWriter II and a group of Macs. I don't know if it will come with just the card, or the other needed bits.

Apple's installation instructions can be found here: http://manuals.info.apple.com/Apple_Sup … pecIns.PDF and are also below...

SPECIAL INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR SOME IMAGEWRITER II PRINTERS
If you have a model of an ImageWriter II that has a power socket on the side of the printer (instead of on the leg), you should follow the instructions in this booklet.

Other ImageWriter II owners should read the LocalTalk Option User's Guide instead.

What You Need
Before beginning, make sure that you have everything you'll need. Besides this user's guide, you should have

- the LocalTalk Option package, containing
- the LocalTalk card
- the ImageWriter II/LQ AppleTalk disk
- a package of four support posts
- a LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit, containing
- a LocalTalk connector box
- a LocalTalk 2-meter shielded cable
- a LocalTalk cable extender
- a small Phillips screwdriver

Install the Card
Before beginning, make sure that the ImageWriter II is plugged in and turned off.

1.  Remove the front cover of the ImageWriter II by grasping its sides at the arrow icons and lifting upward.

WARNING:  Never install or remove an interface card or touch circuitry parts when the printer is on. Doing so can damage the printer or its interface card.

2.  Remove the ribbon cartridge by gently spreading the support tabs and lifting the cartridge.

3.  Gently slide the ribbon cartridge deck all the way to the left.

4.  Turn the two cover screws counterclockwise until they feel very loose.

5.  Remove the platen knob. Get a good grip on the knob and pull it off its shaft. Set the knob aside -- you'll put it back on after you install the LocalTalk card.

6.  If necessary, move the paper feed selector to the friction-feed position.

7.  Disengage the back left corner of the front edge cover. Place your hand on the back left corner of the front edge cover. Disengage the corner by lifting it up while squeezing it.

8.  Disengage the back right corner of the front edge cover. Place your hand on the back right corner of the front edge cover. Gently pull out the plastic tab next to the exposed platen shaft. At the same time, disengage the back right corner by lifting it up while squeezing it.

9.  Lift up the cover and set it on the edge of the printer frame.

WARNING:  Don't let the cover dangle by its wires. This can loosen the wires or their connectors. Gently lift the front edge cover up and toward you. Using the grooves behind the plastic clips, carefully set the cover on the front edge of the printer frame.

IMPORTANT:  If you discover that another interface card has been installed, remove it. The ImageWriter II holds just one interface card. Before you put the card in, you need to set the DIP switch, as described in the next section.

Set the DIP Switch
In this section you'll set one DIP switch inside your ImageWriter II. (DIP stands for dual in-line package.) Setting the switch tells the printer that it will receive its data via the network rather than directly from a computer.

WARNING:  Do not run your ImageWriter II on an AppleTalk network unless DIP switch SW2-4 is in the closed, or down, position. Running the printer on the network with the switch in the up position could stop the network from functioning.

1.  Make sure the printer is off.

2.  Slide the ribbon cartridge deck to the right to gain access to the DIP switches.

3.  With a small screwdriver or strong fingernail, flip switch 4 on block SW2 (the block on the right) to the closed, or down, position, toward the front of the printer.

WARNING:  Be careful not to change the positions of the other switches, especially SW2-5 and SW2-6. These switches are set at the factory and should be reset only by an authorized Apple service provider. Now you're ready to connect the LocalTalk card to your ImageWriter II printer, as described in the next section.

Connect the LocalTalk Card

Connecting the LocalTalk card involves three tasks: installing the support posts, placing the card, and connecting the card's ground wire.

1.  Press a support post, with "wings" facing down, into each of the four holes. Each post should feel firm in its hole and should stand straight.

2.  Remove the LocalTalk card from its anti-static bag, handling the card by its edges. Avoid touching the card's components.

IMPORTANT:  Save the card's anti-static bag. If you ever need to remove, store, or transport the card, return it to the bag to protect it from electrostatic damage. To protect the card from breakage, put it between the foam cushions in its box.

3.  Slide the ribbon cartridge deck all the way to the left.

4.  Place the card (component side up) so that its receiving holes meet the support posts.

5.  Press the card down firmly until the support posts click through the receiving holes.

6.  Press down firmly on the right corners of the card to fasten the card's connector to the printer's connector.

7.  Connect the ground wire.Locate the screw that secures the front left corner of the printer's circuit board and the vertical tab to the immediate right of the screw. Press the connector on the end of the card's ground wire over this vertical tab.

Reassemble the Printer
Now you're ready to put the printer back together and connect it to the network. Follow these steps to close up your ImageWriter II:

1.  Lift the front edge cover from its hinged position and press it back into place.

2.  Tighten, but do not over-tighten, the two screws.

3.  Remount the ribbon cartridge on the ribbon cartridge deck.

4.  Replace the printer's front cover. (The ImageWriter II will not print if the front cover is loose or off.)

5.  Put the platen knob back on.Make sure the hole on the platen knob is properly aligned with the shaft.

6.  If necessary, set the paper feed selector.

To finish your hardware installation, continue with the next section, "Connect to the Network."

Connect to the Network
With your printer reassembled, you can connect it to the network. Make sure that you have a LocalTalk connector box, one or more cables, and, if necessary, a cable extender at hand. Regardless of whether you're connecting the ImageWriter to the end of the network or between two devices already on the network, you need to prepare the printer for the network.

Note:  Apple 2- and 10-meter cables are PVC-coated and are not designed to be routed through walls or suspended ceilings unless through conduit.If you have any questions about how the printer fits into your network architecture, see the LocalTalk Cable System Owner's Guide.

WARNING:  Make sure your network is open-ended. Don't connect it in a closed loop.Before connecting the ImageWriter II to the network, you need to attach the connector box to the printer and the LocalTalk cables from the network to the connector box. Follow these steps:

1.  Make sure the printer is turned off. If the printer is connected to a computer, disconnect the cable from the computer's printer port.

2.  Plug the LocalTalk connector box cable into the printer's serial interface socket.

3.  Plug the LocalTalk cable into either socket on the LocalTalk connector box.

IMPORTANT:  When connecting any network parts, make sure that the arrows on each part meet each other. (The arrows indicate the side that should be up.)If you're not using extension cables, skip to step 5. Step 4 tells you how to add extension cables to the printer's LocalTalk cable.

4.  If you want to add an extension cable to your LocalTalk cable, press the cable extender onto the open end of the connector box's cable.

5.  Now you're ready to connect your ImageWriter II to the network. Find the instructions appropriate for you:

- To connect your ImageWriter to the end of the network, read the instructions in the LocalTalk Option User's Guide.
- To connect your device between two other devices on the network, read in the LocalTalk Option User's Guide.

Moving On
The rest of the information you need to use your ImageWriter via the network is in the LocalTalk Option User's Guide:

- Chapter 2, "Macintosh Computers and the LocalTalk Option,"describes how to prepare a Macintosh computer to print on an ImageWriter via an AppleTalk network.

- Chapter 3, "Apple II Computers and the LocalTalk Option," describes how to prepare any Apple II computer to print on an ImageWriter via an AppleTalk network.

- Chapter 4, "Troubleshooting and Maintenance," describes what to do if your installation of the LocalTalk Option wasn't successful. It also tells you how to disconnect and reconnect your ImageWriter to an AppleTalk network.



Enjoy!