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Apple LocalTalk cabling

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Apple LocalTalk cabling
A Farallon PhoneNET connector with two RJ-11 sockets (left) and an Apple LocalTalk connector with two 3-pin mini-DIN sockets (right) (photo: Bill Woodcock, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Manufacturer Apple Computer
Type Network connectors and cables
Release date January 1985
Interface DE-9 or Mini-DIN-8 printer port
Compatible Macintosh 128K and every later Macintosh with a serial printer port, Apple IIGS, Apple LaserWriter and other AppleTalk printers
Model M2065, M2068, M1657Z/A, M1661Z/A
Connectivity LocalTalk, 230.4 kbit/s

Apple LocalTalk cabling is the set of connectors and shielded cables that Apple sold for LocalTalk, the physical network of AppleTalk, which runs from the printer port of a Macintosh, an Apple IIGS or a LaserWriter. The connectors first went on sale in January 1985, under the name AppleTalk Personal Network, to connect the LaserWriter to the Macintosh.[1] Every device on the network needs one connector: a small box holding an isolating transformer, with a short cable to the device's serial port and two sockets for the network cable. Apple's specification is shielded twisted pair carrying RS-422 signals at 230.4 kbit/s, wired as a bus, with 32 devices per network.[2] Apple gives 1,000 feet (about 300 metres) as the recommended length limit.[2] By 1993 Apple also sold the LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector for unshielded telephone wire, compatible with Farallon's PhoneNET.[3]

Apple LocalTalk connectors and cables
Product Order number Used with Contents
LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit, DB-9 M2065 Macintosh 128K, 512K and 512K Enhanced; original LaserWriter and LaserWriter Plus Connector with DB-9 plug, 2 m of cable
LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit, DIN-8 M2068 (M2068LL/B) Apple IIGS, Macintosh Plus and later Macintosh models, later LaserWriters Connector with DIN-8 plug, 2 m of cable
LocalTalk Locking Cable Kit – All 10 m or 25 m cable
LocalTalk Custom Wiring Kit – All 100 m of plenum cable with connectors
LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector Kit, DIN-8 M1657Z/A As the DIN-8 kit RJ-11 connector, 2 m of unshielded cable, one terminating resistor
LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector Kit, DB-9 M1661Z/A As the DB-9 kit RJ-11 connector, 2 m of unshielded cable, one terminating resistor

Uses and contents of the locking connector kits are from Apple Facts; the cable kits and the order numbers are from Apple's Tech Info Library.[4][5][6][7][3]

The connector

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Apple's drawing of the LocalTalk connection module, with the DIN-8 and DB-9 pin numbering and the circuit (Inside AppleTalk, Figure A-2)

Apple's Inside AppleTalk calls the connector a connection module. It holds a transformer, a DB-9 or DIN-8 plug on a 460 mm cable, and two 3-pin miniature DIN sockets for the network cable.[8] The transformer has a 1:1 ratio and isolates the network from each device. Apple's transformer specification allows no significant leakage current with 1,000 V DC applied between the secondary winding and the core.[8][9]

Each network socket has a switch. When both sockets hold a cable the switches are open. When one socket is empty, its switch puts a 100-ohm resistor (R2) across the line, so the boxes at the two ends of a daisy chain terminate the network without any action from the user.[8] The cable's characteristic impedance is 78 ohms. Apple chose 100 ohms as a compromise between the losses from an exact match and the losses from a large mismatch across the transformer.[2] R3 and R4 improve the noise immunity of the receivers. R5 and C1 isolate the frame grounds of the connected devices from each other and stop ground-loop currents, and R1 drains static from the cable shield.[8]

Connection module wiring (Inside AppleTalk, Figure A-2)
Signal DIN-8 pin DB-9 pin Inside the module
RXD+ 8 8 Transformer pin 1 through R3 (1 kilohm)
TXD+ 6 4 Transformer pin 1
RXD− 5 9 Transformer pin 3 through R4 (1 kilohm)
TXD− 3 5 Transformer pin 3
Case ground Plug shell Shield through R5 (1 kilohm) and C1 (0.1 µF)

The transmit and receive pairs of the serial port share one transformer winding, so the connector carries a single balanced pair to the network.[8] These pin numbers match the Macintosh serial port pinouts in Apple's Peripheral Interface Guide: on the Mini-DIN-8, pin 3 is TxD−, pin 5 RxD−, pin 6 TxD+ and pin 8 RxD+; on the DE-9 of the first Macintosh models, pin 4 is TXD+, pin 5 TXD−, pin 8 RXD+ and pin 9 RXD−.[10]

The network sockets are 3-pin miniature DIN connectors, which Apple describes as similar to Hosiden part TCP8030-01-010. The interconnecting cable is wired one to one.[8]

A LocalTalk connector with the case removed: the DIN-8 cable, the Tokin transformer marked 157-0049-C and the two network sockets (photo: Dale Mahalko, CC BY-SA 3.0)
The termination switch behind one of the network sockets, with R1 to R5 and C1 (photo: Dale Mahalko, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A connector opened by Dale Mahalko has a Tokin transformer labelled 157-0049-C and a small board with resistors R1 to R5 and capacitor C1, the same designators as Apple's drawing. A switch sits behind one of the two sockets.[11]

LocalTalk Connector Kit

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The connector kit gave one device its connection to the network. Apple's own early support articles call it the AppleTalk Connector Kit.[12] Rogers and Bare, writing in 1989, describe each kit as one connector box, a three-metre cable and a barrel connector for joining cables.[13] Apple's catalogues of 1993 to 1996 list two locking kits, each with one connector and two metres of cable.[4]

Choose the kit by the port on the device:

  • DB-9 plug: Macintosh 128K, 512K and 512K Enhanced, and the original LaserWriter and LaserWriter Plus.[4] A Macintosh 512K needs no modification, only the DB-9 kit, M2065.[5]
  • DIN-8 plug: Apple IIGS, Macintosh Plus and later Macintosh models, and later LaserWriters.[4] Apple's cable list for the ImageWriter LQ gives the M2068 LocalTalk connector as the alternative to the serial cable for later Macintosh models and the Apple IIGS.[14]

On a Macintosh the connector goes in the printer port. On a printer or other shared device it goes in the port marked with the network symbol.[15]

LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit

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When Apple renamed AppleTalk cabling LocalTalk, it changed the connector so that the cable locks in place. Rogers and Bare record that the earlier cables tended to slip out of the boxes and break the network.[16] The locking plug has a small latching pin on the shield sleeve of the male connector, which engages a receptacle in the female housing. To unplug it, pull the sleeve back, which frees the pin. Apple designed the latch to withstand a pull of at least 6 pounds (about 27 N).[7]

Locking and earlier connectors and cables plug into each other, but an old plug in a new socket, or a new plug in an old socket, does not latch.[7] Apple sold the locking kits in DB-9 (M2065) and DIN-8 (M2068) versions, and still listed both in 1996.[5][6][17]

LocalTalk cables

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Apple's locking cable came in 10 m and 25 m kits.[7] Rogers and Bare give 10 m and 20 m for the separately sold cables.[16] Each cable has a male 3-pin plug at both ends.[13]

Apple's cable specification is drawing 062-0190-B:[2]

LocalTalk cable specification (drawing 062-0190-B)
Conductors Shield Impedance Capacitance Rise time Diameter
22 AWG stranded, 17 ohms per 300 m 85 per cent braid 78 ohms 68 pF per metre 175 ns (0 to 50 per cent) at 300 m 4.7 mm maximum

The shield is already grounded to the chassis through the connectors, and Apple says no further grounding is needed.[18]

Custom Wiring Kit

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For long runs Apple sold a custom wiring kit. A 1986 article says one kit made eight cables of different lengths, so a network with more than eight joints needed a second kit for its connectors. The same article lists third-party sources: Belden cable 9999 (PVC) and 8999 (Teflon), Montrose cable CBL6242 (PVC) and CBL6228 (Teflon), and assembly plugs 815-0878A.[19] The cable in the kit is Teflon-insulated and rated for plenum use, in 100-metre lengths.[20]

The locking system changed the method. The 1989 kit has 100 m (300 feet) of plenum cable, 26 cable-and-connector assemblies and four cable extenders. Each assembly is a 6 to 8 inch length of cable with a latching plug at one end and bare wires at the other. To make a cable, lay the bare end of an assembly and the stripped end of the plenum cable in a splice box and close it; insulation-displacement contacts join the wires and the box clamps the shield and holds the cable.[7]

Telephone-wire networks

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Farallon's PhoneNET carried LocalTalk over ordinary telephone wire with RJ-11 connectors, using the outer pair of the modular connector (yellow and black).[1][21] PhoneNET connectors are not self-terminating. Fit Farallon's 120-ohm terminating resistors at the two ends of each network segment, and at the end of each branch from a StarController; no other value terminates the line correctly.[22][23] Farallon later replaced the original PhoneNET connector with PhoneNET Plus. The older connectors have transformers with slower rise and fall times and do not work at the higher speeds of products such as TOPS FlashTalk.[16]

Apple's own LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector, described in May 1993, does the same job and is compatible with PhoneNET. It came in a DIN-8 kit (M1657Z/A) and a DB-9 kit (M1661Z/A), each with the connector, 2 m of unshielded twisted pair, one terminating resistor and a configuration guide. The connector has two RJ-11 sockets for the network cable. Apple's specification for it is silver satin or telephone cable, up to 550 m (1,800 feet) and 24 devices, with a terminator at each end of the network.[3]

Do not connect an Apple LocalTalk connector straight to a telephone-wire backbone through a PhoneNET-to-LocalTalk adapter cable. Farallon's documentation says the first connector from the wall should be a PhoneNET connector, which has surge protection for unshielded wire, with LocalTalk branched from it. Apple adds that the adapter reduces the shielding and mismatches the impedance.[24]

Network size

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Single-segment limits at 230.4 kbit/s (Rogers and Bare)
Cabling Devices Maximum length
LocalTalk 32 1,000 ft (300 m)
PhoneNET, 26 gauge, daisy chain 24 1,800 ft
PhoneNET, 26 gauge, trunk 48 1,800 ft
PhoneNET, 22 gauge, trunk 48 4,500 ft

The table is from Hands-On AppleTalk, which notes that repeaters and bridges extend a network beyond one segment.[25] Apple's limit of 32 devices is a recommendation based on traffic and on the drop in signal level across 32 transformers over 1,000 feet of cable. Every connector loads the line, whether or not its device is switched on.[2][26] The limit counts physical devices such as computers and printers.[27]

Direct cable without connectors

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A single Macintosh can drive a LaserWriter over LocalTalk without connector boxes. For a Macintosh Plus, Apple says to use the Macintosh Peripheral Cable M0185, with the DE-9 end in the LaserWriter and the Mini-DIN-8 end in the printer port. For other cases Apple gives this wiring:[28]

Direct LocalTalk cable from a Macintosh to a LaserWriter
Macintosh signal Macintosh Plus Mini-DIN-8 Macintosh DB-9 LaserWriter DB-9 LaserWriter signal
GND 4 3 3 GND
TXD+ 6 4 8 RXD+
TXD− 3 5 9 RXD−
RXD+ 8 8 4 TXD+
RXD− 5 9 5 TXD−

Set the LaserWriter's mode switch to AppleTalk and make the cable fully shielded. Without the connector boxes nothing attenuates the signal, and an unshielded cable will exceed the FCC Class B limits.[28] The same article lists Macintosh XL DB-25 pins as well, giving RXD+ on pin 9; Apple's article on converting Macintosh XL AppleTalk connectors puts RX+ on pin 19, so check the XL end with a meter.[28][29]

Faults

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LocalTalk and PhoneNET faults
Symptom Probable cause Action
Network breaks when a cable is knocked Early non-locking connectors, or a mix of old and new plugs and sockets, which do not latch Use locking connectors and cables throughout[16][7]
Intermittent faults on cables made with the Custom Cable Kit, which clear after unplugging and replugging a few times Solder flux has run along the channel of the rolled pin into the contact area of the male connector Flush the male connectors with a contact cleaner that contains no solvent; most flux removers attack the connector plastic[30]
Some Macintosh computers cannot see the printer Loose connection, or circular or improper wiring Open the Chooser on each Macintosh in turn, working away from the printer, to find where the connection breaks. A bus has two ends, and only the two end connectors should have a single cable[31]
Macintosh sees nothing on the network Connector in the modem port Move it to the printer port[31][15]
Devices appear and vanish in the Chooser on a busy or long telephone-wire network Reflections from poor termination Terminate each segment with 120-ohm resistors at its two ends only[22][32]
Uneven performance on PhoneNET, with some nodes unable to receive in some places Terminating resistors fitted at the ends of drops from the backbone Keep two resistors per network, or one at the end of each StarController branch[23]
PhoneNET network fails when a modem shares the wall jack The modem shorts the yellow and black pair in its key-telephone mode Disable that mode. Farallon's list, as reprinted by Apple: Apple Modem 300/1200, pull up jumper J1; Hayes Smartmodem 2400, AT&J0; for a US-made Apple Personal Modem, which cannot be set, cut the yellow and black wires in its telephone extension cable[21]
A long run in metal conduit does not work The conduit changes the impedance and capacitance of the cable Test the same length outside the conduit, and check whether the conduit is grounded to the same point as the cable shield[2]

For a network fault with no obvious cause, Apple's first steps are to shut every machine down (not restart), wait 30 seconds and power on again, then swap the connector, cable and any terminating resistor one at a time. Shut down before changing any hardware.[15] An AppleTalk cable tester of the period, the AESP AT-Tester, tested both LocalTalk mini-DIN cables and PhoneNET RJ-11 cables. LocalTalk cable is wired one to one, so each pin should show continuity only to the same pin at the other end.[33][8]

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wikipedia, LocalTalk (retrieved 2026-10-04). History only: first release of the connectors in January 1985 with the LaserWriter, the original name AppleTalk Personal Network, the change from DE-9 to Mini-DIN-8 transceivers with the Macintosh Plus, and PhoneNET's use of the outer pair of a modular telephone connector.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 6971, LocalTalk Cable: Specifications, revised 7 August 1992, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: serial bus topology, shielded twisted pair, RS-422 balanced signalling, 230.4 kbit/s, FM0 encoding, 32 connections per segment, passive drops; cable drawing 062-0190-B (22 AWG stranded, 17 ohms per 300 m, 85 per cent braid, 78 ohms, 68 pF per metre, rise time 175 ns at 300 m, 4.7 mm maximum diameter); the 32-node and 1,000-foot limit as a recommendation; each transformer-isolated connector loading the network whether or not its device is on; 100-ohm termination against a 78-ohm cable; the failed run in metal conduit.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 12178, LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector: Description (5/93), created 21 May 1993, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL09433_to_TIL17062.pdf. Supports: the RJ-11 connector for unshielded twisted pair; DIN-8 and DB-9 versions and which computers and printers need each; two RJ-11 sockets; silver satin or telephone cable; 550 m (1,800 feet) and 24 devices maximum; termination at each end with terminators supplied; compatibility with PhoneNET; FCC Class A; 0 to 55 °C; order numbers M1657Z/A (DIN-8) and M1661Z/A (DB-9); kit contents.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Apple Computer, Apple Facts, October 1994, "Apple Cables and Cards", networking section, pp. 138-141, archive.org item applefacts10.94ocr (retrieved 2026-10-04). The same LocalTalk entries appear in the February 1993 edition (archive.org item apple-facts-9302-2.93-february-1993). Supports: the DB-9 and DIN-8 Locking Connector Kits, the computers and printers each is for, and each kit holding one connector and two metres of LocalTalk cable; the LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector in two versions for silver satin telephone cable.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 8491, Macintosh 512K: How To Connect To LocalTalk Network, created 14 June 1991, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: the 512K needing no modification, only the LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit-DB9, part number M2065.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 17367, Apple LocalTalk Bridge: Specifications (3/95), in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL17065_to_TIL60496.pdf. Supports: ordering information for the Apple LocalTalk Locking Connector DIN8 (M2068LL/B) and the LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector DIN8 (M1657Z/A).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 794, LocalTalk: Description of Cable System Hardware, revised 18 September 1989, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: the locking mini-3 connector, its latching pin and receptacle, the pull-back sleeve, a shear pull force of at least 6 pounds; compatibility with earlier connectors without latching; custom cables built with a splice box from 6 to 8 inch pigtails and plenum cable with insulation-displacement contacts; the kit list (Locking Cable Kit 10 m and 25 m, Locking Connector Kit DIN-8 and DB-9, Custom Wiring Kit with 100 m of plenum cable, 26 cable and connector assemblies and 4 cable extenders).
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Gursharan S. Sidhu, Richard F. Andrews and Alan B. Oppenheimer, Inside AppleTalk, 2nd ed. (Addison-Wesley, 1990), Appendix A, "LocalTalk Hardware Specifications", pp. A-3 to A-5 (PDF pp. 518-520). Hosted as File:Inside AppleTalk Second Edition 1990.pdf; see Inside AppleTalk Second Edition 1990. Supports: the specification corresponding to Apple document 062-0190-B; the connection module with its transformer, 460 mm cable and two 3-pin miniature DIN connectors; Figure A-2 with the DB-9 and DIN-8 pin assignments, R1 (1 megohm), R2 (100 ohms), R3, R4 and R5 (1 kilohm) and C1 (0.1 µF); the switched sockets and the 100-ohm termination; the purpose of R1, R3, R4, R5 and C1; the 3-pin connector being similar to Hosiden TCP8030-01-010; the cable wired one-to-one; the 1:1 transformer.
  9. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 3688, LocalTalk Has Effective Electrical Isolation, revised 11 May 1989, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: differential signalling, transformer coupling, and the 1,000 V DC leakage test between secondary and core.
  10. ↑ Apple Computer, Peripheral Interface Guide, 7th edition, rev. January 1991, Macintosh Family Computers, Computer Ports, "Modem and Printer Connectors - DE-9" and "Modem and Printer Connectors - Mini DIN-8", pp. 6-7. Hosted as File:Apple Service Technical Procedures Peripheral Interface Guide Jan 1991.pdf.
  11. ↑ Dale Mahalko, photographs Apple LocalTalk box interior 1 and Apple LocalTalk box interior 2 - auto termination switch, 22 May 2011, Wikimedia Commons, File:Apple LocalTalk box interior 1.jpg and File:Apple LocalTalk box interior 2 - auto termination switch.jpg (retrieved 2026-10-04). Board markings read from the photographs.
  12. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 793, AppleShare PC: A Description (Discontinued), last reviewed 16 October 1987, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: "An AppleTalk Connector Kit" in the system requirements.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mike Rogers and Virginia Bare, Hands-On AppleTalk (Brady Books, 1989), pp. 51-52 (PDF pp. 65-66). Hosted as File:Hands-On AppleTalk 1989.pdf; see Hands-On AppleTalk 1989. Supports: male three-pin DIN plugs on each cable end; connector boxes with a DB-9 or DIN-8 plug; kits sold by the node with one connector box, a three-metre cable and a barrel connector; custom-wiring kits.
  14. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 11995, Imagewriter LQ: Connector Cables for Apple Computers (3/95), in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL09433_to_TIL17062.pdf. Supports: M0197 (590-0552) or the M2068 LocalTalk connector for Macintosh computers other than the 128K and 512K, the PowerBook MiniDock, the PowerBook Duo Dock and the Apple IIGS.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 9630, Desktop Network Troubleshooting (10/94), revised 17 February 1997, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL09433_to_TIL17062.pdf. Supports: the 8-pin end of the connector in the printer port of a Macintosh and in the network port of a shared device; two cables, or one cable and one terminating resistor, at each PhoneNET-style box; shutting down for 30 seconds; swapping the terminating resistor, connector module and cable one at a time; shutting down before any hardware change.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Rogers and Bare, Hands-On AppleTalk, "Choosing Your Cabling", pp. 136-140 (PDF pp. 150-154). Supports: LocalTalk sold in connection kits with a three-metre cable, 10 and 20 metre cables sold separately, a custom-wiring kit; self-termination by a resistor in each port; 300 m at standard speed; early cables slipping out of the connector box and the locking connector introduced with the LocalTalk name; daisy-chain topology only; PhoneNET wiring, its distances, its terminating resistor on an RJ-11 plug, mistermination as the leading cause of problems on telephone-wire networks, and the replacement of PhoneNET by PhoneNET Plus.
  17. ↑ Apple Computer, Apple Facts, November 1996, networking section, archive.org item applefacts11.96ocr (retrieved 2026-10-04). Supports: the LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit DB-9 and DIN-8 and the LocalTalk RJ-11 Connector still listed.
  18. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 8672, LocalTalk: Additional Cable Grounding Not Needed, created 13 August 1991, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf.
  19. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 1722, LocalTalk: Alternate Sources For Cable, last reviewed 6 February 1986, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: the LocalTalk Custom Wiring Kit making 8 cables; a second kit needed for more connectors; Advanced Electronics Support Products, Montrose (CBL6242 PVC, CBL6228 Teflon, plugs 815-0878A) and Belden (9999 PVC, 8999 Teflon, plugs 815-0878A).
  20. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 3796, LocalTalk Custom Wiring Kit Is Teflon-Shielded, last reviewed 11 April 1989, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Farallon Computing, Modems, PhoneNETs and Key Switch Telephones (20 February 1987), reprinted as Apple Tech Info Library article 2145, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: modems that connect the yellow and black wires shorting the PhoneNET signal pair, and the setting or jumper that stops it on each modem listed.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Farallon Computing, Network Termination Issues: "The Terminator" (Part 2 of 2), reprinted as Apple Tech Info Library article 3993, created 3 August 1989, reviewed 27 July 1993, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. A Farallon text. Supports: Apple's LocalTalk box disengaging its terminating resistor when a cable is inserted; PhoneNET connectors being unterminated by design and needing 120-ohm resistors; MOV surge protection in PhoneNET connectors; one user per StarController port.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 3801, Farallon PhoneNET: Troubleshooting Information, last reviewed 11 April 1989, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: drops from a backbone with resistors at their ends as the usual cause of odd behaviour; only two resistors per network, or one at the end of each StarController drop; extra resistors pulling down the signal so that some nodes stop receiving it.
  24. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 4067, LocalTalk: PhoneNET and Surge Suppression Information, last reviewed 30 May 1989, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: Farallon's advice that the first connector from the wall be a PhoneNET connector; LocalTalk connectors lacking the surge protection needed on telephone wire; the adapter reducing shielding and mismatching impedance.
  25. ↑ Rogers and Bare, Hands-On AppleTalk, p. 59, Figure 3-17 "Limits of common cabling systems" (PDF p. 73). Supports: the device and length limits for LocalTalk and PhoneNET at 230.4 kbaud, and their extension with repeaters and bridges.
  26. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 3819, LocalTalk: 32-Device Limit Is a Recommendation (8/95), reviewed 14 August 1995, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: the 32-node limit as a performance recommendation; node addresses 1 to 127 for users and 128 to 254 for servers, 0 and 255 reserved; each connector box loading the network whether or not its device is on.
  27. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 7324, AppleTalk: 32 Device Limit Refers to Physical Connections, created 29 April 1991, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 1664, LaserWriter: Using non-AppleTalk connectors with AppleTalk, revised 9 April 1991, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: cable M0185 for a Macintosh Plus; the pinout for a direct cable from a Macintosh Plus, Macintosh (DB-9) or Macintosh XL to a LaserWriter; setting the LaserWriter to AppleTalk; a fully shielded cable to avoid FCC Class B problems.
  29. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 1976, Macintosh: Converting Macintosh XL AppleTalk Connectors, created 18 July 1986, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: Macintosh XL DB-25 pins 2 (TX−), 3 (RX−), 19 (RX+) and 20 (TX+) against Mini-8 pins 3, 5, 8 and 6; wire colours not consistent, so test each wire; soldering and shield clamping steps.
  30. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 2102, LocalTalk: Soldering connectors of the Custom Cable Kit, last reviewed 11 December 1986, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: intermittent problems from residual flux; the stamped and rolled pin with a channel along it; flushing with a solvent-free contact enhancer such as TWEEK; common flux solvents destroying the plastic connector.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 1682, AppleTalk: Troubleshooting The Network, last reviewed 6 January 1988, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: the three usual causes (System and Finder versions, loose connections, circular or improper wiring); the Chooser test working outward from the printer; AppleTalk on the printer port; a bus with only two end points.
  32. ↑ Farallon Computing, Network Termination Issues: "The Terminator" (Part 1 of 2), reprinted as Apple Tech Info Library article 3992, revised 3 August 1989, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. A Farallon text. Supports: termination becoming an issue when moving from LocalTalk to PhoneNET, on longer networks and with heavier traffic; devices disappearing from the Chooser ("ghosting") with poor termination.
  33. ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 5756, LocalTalk or PhoneNET: Cable Tester, last reviewed 11 June 1990, in the archive.org collection APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TIL00001_to_TIL09432.pdf. Supports: the AESP AT-Tester for LocalTalk (Mini DIN 3) and PhoneNET (RJ-11) cables.


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