[G4] USB-DIN adaptor cable

[Michael L. Brown]

Doug, since you have a G4/400, and if you are not using the modem, 
you can replace the modem with a Griffin Technologies SerialGPort. 
Check out URL:

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/gport/index.html

This little beast plugs into the modem socket and using it you can 
connect to the printer using the existing printer cable. This is a 
cheaper solution, but not for those using a built in modem.

I went the LocalTalk route because I was using an SE-30 when I bought 
the printer. The SE-30 had two serial ports, but only the printer 
port allowed the use of AppleTalk which was Apple's networking 
protocol for years before ethernet replaced as the standard in the 
first iMac. The modem port could not pass AppleTalk. So to connect 
both my ColorStyleWriter 6500 and LaserWriter Select I had to put 
together a simple LocalTalk network. The LocalTalk connectors are 
cheap, and there are lots of them laying around in parts boxes.

Regards,

Mike

>Many thanks for taking time to respond to my request.  My machine is 
>a G4 (400Mhz) and I'm currently running OS 9.2.  I'm using the 
>machne in my home and so have no need for routers, etc.  Since I can 
>happily survive using my inkjet printer, and can't afford any heavy 
>expense to get this printer hooked up, I'm hoping a simple solution 
>involving something like a cable adaptor is available.  Being a 
>computer novice, I'm somewhat surprised that Apple didn't make the 
>G4 backward compatible with older Apple printers or at least make it 
>easy for non-experts like myself to obtain the necessary accessories 
>to allow this.
>
>Any more thoughts you have on this matter would be very welcome.
>
>Best regards.
>
>Douglas
>
>>From: "Michael L. Brown" <brownml at adelphia.net>
>>Reply-To: "Power Macintosh G4 List" <G4 at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
>>To: "Power Macintosh G4 List" <G4 at lists.themacintoshguy.com>
>>Subject: Re: [G4] USB-DIN adaptor cable
>>Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 18:01:51 -0400
>>
>>Doug is correct. The easiest way to connect the printer up is via 
>>ethernet, thru a pair of  LocalTalk connectors and some telephone 
>>line to a Farallon or Asante AppleTalk to ethernet adapter. Either 
>>connect the Farallon/Asante adapter to your Mac via crossover 
>>cable, or via your hub or router with a regular ethernet patch 
>>cable. You did not say which LaserWriter Select printer, which Mac 
>>or which system. The lash up above will work with any Mac with 
>>built-in ethernet, or an ethernet card, a LaserWriter Select 360 
>>and the adapter on both OS 9 and OS X. Appletalk has to be active 
>>for the computer to talk to the printer adapter over ethernet. 
>>Avoid the LaserWriter Select 300. Apple did no port the driver over 
>>to OS X.
>>
>>FYI the 3pin DINs are the pre-USB printer cable that connected up 
>>to a serial port. Serial port cables and LocalTalk connectors have 
>>seven pins but fit into the same socket.
>>
>>I have a LaserWriter Select 360 that I splurged and bought for 
>>$1300 in 1994, and it is still going strong... over 4500 pages per 
>>cartridge, in Postscript level II and 10 pages per minute. It is by 
>>far the oldest and most reliable piece of computer equipment I have 
>>owned.
>>
>>Mac G4/400, with 1 MB RAM, PowerLogix PG4-1000 accelerator card, 
>>ATI Radeon 8500, an a bunch of other junk running on OS 10.2.6.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>>At 16:07 +0000 6/23/03, Douglas McCabe wrote:
>>>>I've been given a Personal LaserWriter printer that seems in good 
>>>>working order except that I can't attach it to my G4 which only 
>>>>has USB sockets for connecting peripherals. The LaserWriter cable 
>>>>has an eight-pin DIN plug at one end going into a 2-socket 
>>>>housing at the other end, and these sockets are 3-pin DINs.  Does 
>>>>anyone know where I can purchase a DIN-USB adaptor cable that 
>>>>will allow me to hook the printer to the G4?  Would appreciate 
>>>>any help.  Regards.
>>>
>>>The 8 pin MiniDIN is an RS422/RS232 "Localtalk" connector. It can 
>>>be connected to any standard RS232 serial port with an appropriate 
>>>cable. It can also connect to an AppleTalk cable if the printer 
>>>has the right plug in board attached.
>>>
>>>What you're probably looking for is a USB to serial adapter but 
>>>the software for it is another matter.
>>>
>>>For Ethernet you might be able to use an Asante ethernet to 
>>>LocalTalk adapter.
>>>
>>
>>--
>>Almost never pointless.
>>
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-- 
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