Apple LaserWriter Plus: Difference between revisions
Rebuild from the Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers Volume I, hosted here but previously unused. Apple treats the LaserWriter and Plus as one machine differing only in ROM, so this page is now Plus-specific and cross-references rather than duplicating: the 661-0436 vs 661-0437 board ROM complements and Apples full field ROM-upgrade procedure with its three board-variant configuration-block cases. Deleted the duplicated specification blocks and the invented 760 W / 6.3 A / 2599.2 BTU... |
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| name = Apple LaserWriter Plus | | name = Apple LaserWriter Plus | ||
| image = [[File:Laserwriter.jpg|250px]] | | image = [[File:Laserwriter.jpg|250px]] | ||
| caption = Apple LaserWriter Plus | | caption = Apple LaserWriter Plus | ||
| manufacturer = Apple Computer, Inc. | | manufacturer = Apple Computer, Inc. | ||
| type = Laser printer | | type = Laser printer | ||
| interface = AppleTalk (DB-9), RS-232 (DB-25) | |||
| compatible = Macintosh; MS-DOS computers via RS-232 | |||
| dimensions = 11.5 in. H x 18.5 in. W x 16.2 in. D (28.2 in. with trays) | |||
| interface = | | weight = 77 lb | ||
| compatible = Macintosh | | power = 100-115 V AC 60 Hz (domestic); 220-240 V AC 50 Hz (international) | ||
| dimensions = 11.5 | |||
| weight = 77 | |||
| power = | |||
}} | }} | ||
<templatestyles src="Template:StyledTable/styles.css" /> | |||
The '''Apple LaserWriter Plus''' is the [[Apple LaserWriter]] with a larger ROM. Apple's service documentation treats the two as one product throughout: a single tab section, a single parts list, a single set of troubleshooting tables, and '''one specification line that differs''' — "512K ROM (LaserWriter) and 1 MB ROM (LaserWriter Plus)".<ref name="asg">''Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I'', Apple Computer, Inc., January 1992 (072-0631-B) — hosted on this wiki as [[:File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf]]. Covers the LaserWriter, LaserWriter Plus, LaserWriter II SC/NT/NTX/IIf/IIg and Personal LaserWriter SC/NT/LS. Introductory safety section: the high-voltage, optical-fibre, fuser-cooling, ESD, not-being-grounded and lifting warnings; the LaserWriter Safety Rules; the toner-safety paragraph; the laser-safety paragraph and the three laser warning labels. Tab 2, LaserWriter/LaserWriter Plus: parts list with part numbers (pages 3–4); print engine specifications (page 7); status lights (page 8); service test print and user test print (page 9); the pre-power-on checklist and troubleshooting flowcharts and tables (pages 10–51); the LaserWriter Plus ROM upgrade (pages 52–53); the laser power adjustment (page 54); the image skew adjustment (pages 55–56); and preventive maintenance including the page counter, the maintenance schedule and the Standard Maintenance and 100,000-Page Service checkpoint tables (pages 57–60). Tab 3, LaserWriter II: parts list (pages 4–5); controller-I/O board specifications (page 10); print engine specifications (page 11); status LEDs (page 12); test pages (page 13); the pre-power-on checklist, the IIf/IIg status-LED diagnostic chart and the troubleshooting tables (pages 14–54); the laser power output check (page 55); the NTX memory and ROM upgrades (pages 56–57); the IIf/IIg memory upgrade (page 58); and preventive maintenance (pages 59–60). Tab 6, Ports and Cables: the peripheral cable table, external connector diagrams, connector pin-outs and switch configurations.</ref> | |||
Everything mechanical, electrical and procedural is therefore on the [[Apple LaserWriter]] page and is not repeated here: the specifications, the safety rules, the four status lights, the test prints, the pre-power-on checklist, the laser power and image skew adjustments, the preventive maintenance schedule and the parts list. '''This page covers only what is specific to the Plus.''' | |||
== | == What Is Different == | ||
= | {| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:80%;" | ||
|+'''LaserWriter against LaserWriter Plus'''<ref name="asg" /> | |||
! !! LaserWriter !! LaserWriter Plus | |||
! | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Marking engine || Canon LBP-CX || Canon LBP-CX | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Processor || 12 MHz 68000 || 12 MHz 68000 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | RAM || 1.5 MB || 1.5 MB | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | '''ROM''' || '''512K''' || '''1 MB''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Resolution || 300 dpi || 300 dpi | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Speed || 8 ppm || 8 ppm | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | I/O board part number || 661-0436 || '''661-0437''' | ||
|} | |} | ||
The larger ROM is what holds the larger font set. '''Apple's Volume I guide does not state a font count for either model''', so no such figure is given here; the guide does list Times, Courier, Symbol, Palatino, Helvetica, Helvetica Narrow, ITC Bookman, ITC Avant Garde, ITC Zapf Chancery, New Century Schoolbook and ITC Zapf Dingbats as the built-in font families of the [[Apple LaserWriter II NT|LaserWriter II NT]], which carries the same 1 MB ROM.<ref name="asg" /> | |||
The | |||
== ROM Layout == | |||
The two boards are distinguishable by their ROM complement in the parts list:<ref name="asg" /> | |||
* '''LaserWriter I/O PCB (661-0436)''' — '''eight''' ROMs, in high/low pairs H0/L0 through H3/L3, part numbers 342-0081 to 342-0088. | |||
* '''LaserWriter Plus I/O PCB (661-0437)''' — '''sixteen''' ROMs, H0/L0 through H7/L7, part numbers 342-0089 to 342-0104. | |||
Both boards also take a '''LaserWriter Configuration Block''', part number 750-0102, and a 16-pin IC socket, 511-1603.<ref name="asg" /> | |||
== The ROM Upgrade == | |||
Apple published a field upgrade from LaserWriter to LaserWriter Plus. This is the one procedure that belongs only on this page, and it is worth following exactly because there are three board variants with different configuration arrangements.<ref name="asg" /> | |||
# Switch off, put the printer on a grounded workbench pad, and put on your grounding wriststrap. | |||
# Remove the top cover and the LaserWriter I/O board; place the board on the grounded pad. | |||
# '''Using an IC extractor, remove all ROMs from rows E and F on the I/O board.''' There may be '''four, eight or sixteen''' ROMs installed — remove them all. | |||
# '''If the board has no 16-pin socket at location E-20''', fit one: desolder and discard the four jumper wires at the socket location, desolder all sixteen holes, then fit the socket on the component side so its sixteen pins match the holes, and solder all pins. | |||
# '''If the board is a 256K/512K I/O board''', install the configuration block at the socket labelled '''"512K"'''. | |||
# '''If the board is a 512K/1M I/O board''', install the configuration block at the socket labelled '''"1M"'''. | |||
# '''If the board has the 512K/1M jumper''', install the jumper at the set of pins marked '''"512K"'''. | |||
# Install the upgrade ROMs, matching the marking on each chip to its socket location. '''The notch along the edge should face the three rows of RAM on the board.''' | |||
# Replace the I/O board and switch on. '''The printer should produce a user test print within two to three minutes.''' | |||
# Find the PostScript ROM revision number on the user test print. '''The upgrade is successful if it shows Rev 3.0.''' | |||
# If no user test print appears, verify the ROMs are properly installed; if they are, fit known-good ROMs from a LaserWriter Plus Kit, or run the LaserWriter/LaserWriter Plus built-in diagnostics. | |||
Steps 5 to 7 are the trap: the configuration block or jumper position depends on '''which board you have''', and getting it wrong produces a printer that does not produce a test print at all — exactly the symptom step 11 addresses. | |||
=== | == Diagnosing a Plus == | ||
The same principle as the base model, with one addition specific to this page:<ref name="asg" /> | |||
The | |||
* '''Service test print''' — jumper '''J205-1 to J205-2''' on the DC controller PCB. Tests the '''print engine''' alone. | |||
* ''' | * '''User test print''' — produced at every power-on unless suppressed. Tests the '''I/O board''', and reports the PostScript ROM revision, the operating mode and the page count. | ||
* ''' | |||
= | '''On a Plus, the user test print is also the way you verify the ROM set.''' A machine that prints a perfect service test print but no user test print has an I/O board or ROM fault, not an engine fault — and on an upgraded machine, the first thing to check is the configuration block position.<ref name="asg" /> | ||
=== | == Safety == | ||
Identical to the [[Apple LaserWriter#Safety|LaserWriter]], and it applies in full: an '''invisible''' laser behind an optical fibre that can permanently damage your eyes, a fuser that needs '''five minutes off''' before you touch it, a high-voltage supply, and ESD-sensitive CMOS on the I/O board — which you will be handling during the ROM upgrade above. '''Remove jewellery, do not be grounded when working on plugged-in equipment, and handle the ROMs by their edges.'''<ref name="asg" /> | |||
== Service Manual == | == Service Manual == | ||
<pdf width="800" height="500">File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf</pdf> | <pdf width="800" height="500">File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf</pdf> | ||
== See Also == | |||
* [[Apple LaserWriter]] | |||
* [[Apple LaserWriter II NT]] | |||
* [[Apple LaserWriter II SC]] | |||
== | == References == | ||
<references /> | |||
{{Navbox-AppleVintageAccessories}} | {{Navbox-AppleVintageAccessories|state=collapsed}} | ||
[[Category:Apple Vintage Accessories]] | [[Category:Apple Vintage Accessories]] | ||
Revision as of 19:23, 23 September 2026
| Apple LaserWriter Plus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Apple LaserWriter Plus | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Laser printer |
| Interface | AppleTalk (DB-9), RS-232 (DB-25) |
| Compatible | Macintosh; MS-DOS computers via RS-232 |
| Dimensions | 11.5 in. H x 18.5 in. W x 16.2 in. D (28.2 in. with trays) |
| Weight | 77 lb |
| Power | 100-115 V AC 60 Hz (domestic); 220-240 V AC 50 Hz (international) |
The Apple LaserWriter Plus is the Apple LaserWriter with a larger ROM. Apple's service documentation treats the two as one product throughout: a single tab section, a single parts list, a single set of troubleshooting tables, and one specification line that differs — "512K ROM (LaserWriter) and 1 MB ROM (LaserWriter Plus)".[1]
Everything mechanical, electrical and procedural is therefore on the Apple LaserWriter page and is not repeated here: the specifications, the safety rules, the four status lights, the test prints, the pre-power-on checklist, the laser power and image skew adjustments, the preventive maintenance schedule and the parts list. This page covers only what is specific to the Plus.
What Is Different
| LaserWriter | LaserWriter Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Marking engine | Canon LBP-CX | Canon LBP-CX |
| Processor | 12 MHz 68000 | 12 MHz 68000 |
| RAM | 1.5 MB | 1.5 MB |
| ROM | 512K | 1 MB |
| Resolution | 300 dpi | 300 dpi |
| Speed | 8 ppm | 8 ppm |
| I/O board part number | 661-0436 | 661-0437 |
The larger ROM is what holds the larger font set. Apple's Volume I guide does not state a font count for either model, so no such figure is given here; the guide does list Times, Courier, Symbol, Palatino, Helvetica, Helvetica Narrow, ITC Bookman, ITC Avant Garde, ITC Zapf Chancery, New Century Schoolbook and ITC Zapf Dingbats as the built-in font families of the LaserWriter II NT, which carries the same 1 MB ROM.[1]
ROM Layout
The two boards are distinguishable by their ROM complement in the parts list:[1]
- LaserWriter I/O PCB (661-0436) — eight ROMs, in high/low pairs H0/L0 through H3/L3, part numbers 342-0081 to 342-0088.
- LaserWriter Plus I/O PCB (661-0437) — sixteen ROMs, H0/L0 through H7/L7, part numbers 342-0089 to 342-0104.
Both boards also take a LaserWriter Configuration Block, part number 750-0102, and a 16-pin IC socket, 511-1603.[1]
The ROM Upgrade
Apple published a field upgrade from LaserWriter to LaserWriter Plus. This is the one procedure that belongs only on this page, and it is worth following exactly because there are three board variants with different configuration arrangements.[1]
- Switch off, put the printer on a grounded workbench pad, and put on your grounding wriststrap.
- Remove the top cover and the LaserWriter I/O board; place the board on the grounded pad.
- Using an IC extractor, remove all ROMs from rows E and F on the I/O board. There may be four, eight or sixteen ROMs installed — remove them all.
- If the board has no 16-pin socket at location E-20, fit one: desolder and discard the four jumper wires at the socket location, desolder all sixteen holes, then fit the socket on the component side so its sixteen pins match the holes, and solder all pins.
- If the board is a 256K/512K I/O board, install the configuration block at the socket labelled "512K".
- If the board is a 512K/1M I/O board, install the configuration block at the socket labelled "1M".
- If the board has the 512K/1M jumper, install the jumper at the set of pins marked "512K".
- Install the upgrade ROMs, matching the marking on each chip to its socket location. The notch along the edge should face the three rows of RAM on the board.
- Replace the I/O board and switch on. The printer should produce a user test print within two to three minutes.
- Find the PostScript ROM revision number on the user test print. The upgrade is successful if it shows Rev 3.0.
- If no user test print appears, verify the ROMs are properly installed; if they are, fit known-good ROMs from a LaserWriter Plus Kit, or run the LaserWriter/LaserWriter Plus built-in diagnostics.
Steps 5 to 7 are the trap: the configuration block or jumper position depends on which board you have, and getting it wrong produces a printer that does not produce a test print at all — exactly the symptom step 11 addresses.
Diagnosing a Plus
The same principle as the base model, with one addition specific to this page:[1]
- Service test print — jumper J205-1 to J205-2 on the DC controller PCB. Tests the print engine alone.
- User test print — produced at every power-on unless suppressed. Tests the I/O board, and reports the PostScript ROM revision, the operating mode and the page count.
On a Plus, the user test print is also the way you verify the ROM set. A machine that prints a perfect service test print but no user test print has an I/O board or ROM fault, not an engine fault — and on an upgraded machine, the first thing to check is the configuration block position.[1]
Safety
Identical to the LaserWriter, and it applies in full: an invisible laser behind an optical fibre that can permanently damage your eyes, a fuser that needs five minutes off before you touch it, a high-voltage supply, and ESD-sensitive CMOS on the I/O board — which you will be handling during the ROM upgrade above. Remove jewellery, do not be grounded when working on plugged-in equipment, and handle the ROMs by their edges.[1]
Service Manual
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, Apple Computer, Inc., January 1992 (072-0631-B) — hosted on this wiki as File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf. Covers the LaserWriter, LaserWriter Plus, LaserWriter II SC/NT/NTX/IIf/IIg and Personal LaserWriter SC/NT/LS. Introductory safety section: the high-voltage, optical-fibre, fuser-cooling, ESD, not-being-grounded and lifting warnings; the LaserWriter Safety Rules; the toner-safety paragraph; the laser-safety paragraph and the three laser warning labels. Tab 2, LaserWriter/LaserWriter Plus: parts list with part numbers (pages 3–4); print engine specifications (page 7); status lights (page 8); service test print and user test print (page 9); the pre-power-on checklist and troubleshooting flowcharts and tables (pages 10–51); the LaserWriter Plus ROM upgrade (pages 52–53); the laser power adjustment (page 54); the image skew adjustment (pages 55–56); and preventive maintenance including the page counter, the maintenance schedule and the Standard Maintenance and 100,000-Page Service checkpoint tables (pages 57–60). Tab 3, LaserWriter II: parts list (pages 4–5); controller-I/O board specifications (page 10); print engine specifications (page 11); status LEDs (page 12); test pages (page 13); the pre-power-on checklist, the IIf/IIg status-LED diagnostic chart and the troubleshooting tables (pages 14–54); the laser power output check (page 55); the NTX memory and ROM upgrades (pages 56–57); the IIf/IIg memory upgrade (page 58); and preventive maintenance (pages 59–60). Tab 6, Ports and Cables: the peripheral cable table, external connector diagrams, connector pin-outs and switch configurations.