Apple Personal LaserWriter LS
| Apple Personal LaserWriter LS | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Personal LaserWriter LS (All About Apple museum, CC BY-SA 3.0) | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | Laser printer |
| Release date | March 1991 |
| Discontinued | May 1993 |
| Interface | RS-422 serial (mini-DIN-8) |
| Compatible | Macintosh (QuickDraw) |
| Model | M2000 (LS), M2002 (LS/L) |
| Power | 600 W maximum |
| Resolution | 300 dpi |
The Apple Personal LaserWriter LS is a 300 dpi, 4 page-per-minute QuickDraw laser printer for the Macintosh, connected by a serial cable. Apple introduced it in March 1991 and discontinued it in May 1993.[1] It has no processor and no ROM on its I/O board: the Macintosh renders each page with QuickDraw and the LS driver, and the printer receives a bitmap. The engine is the Canon LBP-LX shared with the Apple Personal LaserWriter SC and Apple Personal LaserWriter NT, but the LS has its own DC controller board, power supply unit and lower case, and its paper cassette was an option.[2][3]
Apple later built a cost-reduced version, the LS/L, and sold it under the same Personal LaserWriter LS name. Parts are not necessarily interchangeable between the two.[4]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | Canon LBP-LX |
| Resolution | 300 dpi |
| Speed | 4 pages per minute |
| Processor and ROM | None |
| RAM | 512K, expandable to 1 MB |
| Interface | RS-422 serial |
| Printing protocol | QuickDraw |
| Paper | 50-sheet multipurpose tray; 250-sheet cassette optional |
| Size and weight (LS) | 8 in (20.3 cm) high, 15 in wide; 31 lb (14.5 kg) |
| Power | 100-115 V AC, 50-60 Hz, or 220-240 V AC, 50 Hz |
Telling an LS from an LS/L
[edit | edit source]| LS | LS/L | |
|---|---|---|
| Family number on the rear cover | M2000 | M2002 |
| Power switch | Left rear | Right rear |
| Rear cover | Opening for the I/O board bracket | Solid plastic |
| Logic boards | Serial I/O board 661-0631 and DC controller PCB 661-0650 | "Controller PCB, LS/L" 661-0669, drawn by Apple as the serial controller board |
| Power supply unit | 661-0636 (110/115 V), 661-0637 (220/240 V) | 661-0668 (110/115 V), 661-0667 (220/240 V) |
| Service test print | Button on the DC controller PCB | Button reached through the rear panel after removing its cover |
Apple's addendum also lists a fan and sensor PCB (981-0030), a PCB duct plate, a PCB mounting plate and a PCB shield for the LS/L alone.[4] Some LS printers have a solid bottom cover and some a hollow "picture frame" cover. Apple's replacement for either is the solid cover, 949-0313; the picture-frame cover does not fit every LS.[3]
Memory
[edit | edit source].png)
The LS has 512K of DRAM on the I/O board and four empty sockets. To upgrade to 1 MB:[5]
- Work on a grounded mat with an earthing wrist strap.
- Remove the top cover and the I/O shield.
- Fit four 256K × 4 DRAM chips, 150 ns or faster, in the upgrade sockets.
- Move jumper JP801 to the two pins nearest the "1M" marking on the I/O board.
- Refit the I/O shield and the top cover.
Apple's own service part for these chips is 334-0114, a 256K × 4 DRAM rated at 80 ns.[3]
Serial port
[edit | edit source]The LS's mini-DIN-8 serial port does not use the handshake lines of the NT's RS-422 port:[6]
| Pin | Signal | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLK | Receive/transmit clock output |
| 2 | NC | Not connected |
| 3 | TxD− | Transmit data − |
| 4 | SG | Signal ground |
| 5 | RxD− | Receive data − |
| 6 | TxD+ | Transmit data + |
| 7 | NC | Not connected |
| 8 | RxD+ | Receive data + |
Apple's January 1992 service guide names the LS as the only LaserWriter of the time that connects through a serial port; the NT connects by AppleTalk and the SC by SCSI.[7]
Status lights and test prints
[edit | edit source]The three lights on the front access door (Ready, Paper-Out, Paper Jam) show a jam or a paper-out condition only when the LS is driven by its LS driver from a Macintosh. The LS prints no user test page at switch-on; the service test print button on the DC controller PCB exercises the engine.[8] Apple's troubleshooting for the LS starts at Flowchart 4; the SC and NT start at Flowchart 1.[9]
Faults specific to the LS
[edit | edit source]Apple's Table C1, LS I/O Board Failure:[9]
- Check that the printer is connected to a Macintosh and the serial cable is secure.
- Check that the Personal LaserWriter LS driver is in the System Folder.
- Select the LS driver and the right port icon (printer or modem) in the Chooser.
- If the printer is on the Macintosh printer port, make AppleTalk inactive.
- Turn background printing off so that error messages appear on screen, then switch the printer off and on again.
- Fit a new LS I/O board.
Engine faults, the Cleaning Page and the registration adjustment are common to the family; see Apple Personal LaserWriter NT Troubleshooting Guide and Apple Personal LaserWriter NT General Maintenance.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I, Personal LaserWriter tab
- Apple Service Guide Laserwriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993, which adds the LS/L
- Service Training Personal Laserwriter Sc Nt Ls Service Course Version 1.1 1996
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Apple Personal LaserWriter SC, Apple Personal LaserWriter NT, Apple Personal LaserWriter NTR
- Apple Personal LaserWriter 300, Apple's next QuickDraw laser printer
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Apple, "Personal LaserWriter LS: Technical Specifications", Apple Support document 112413 (formerly SP440), retrieved 2026-10-02. Source for: no processor; QuickDraw; RS-422 serial; 600 W maximum, 5 A, 2052 BTU/hour at 110-115 V, 50-60 Hz; no ROM; 0.5 to 1 MB of RAM; 4 pages per minute; 300 dpi; minimum life 150,000 pages; introduced 1 March 1991, discontinued 1 May 1993; 31 lb.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apple Computer, Inc., Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I (072-0631-B, January 1992), Personal LaserWriter tab, I/O Board Identification, p. 8, and Specifications, pp. 9-10 (PDF pp. 148-150), hosted as File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf; described at Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I. Source for: the NT, SC and LS I/O boards and their parts; I/O board specifications of the LS, SC and NT (processor, ROM, RAM, interfaces, printing protocols, built-in fonts); the Canon LBP-LX engine, 300 dpi, 4 pages per minute, paper feed, materials, capacities and printable areas; NT and SC 9.8 in (24.8 cm) high, 15 in (38 cm) wide and 32 lb (15 kg); LS 8 in (20.3 cm) high, 15 in wide and 31 lb (14.5 kg); 10-32.5 °C, 20-80% humidity; 100-115 V AC 50-60 Hz or 220-240 V AC 50 Hz.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, Personal LaserWriter tab, Exploded View and Parts List, pp. 2-5 (PDF pp. 142-145). Source for: I/O boards for the LS (661-0631), NT (661-0565) and SC (661-0566); NT RAM SIMM 1 MB 661-0520, ROM SIMMs 1 MB at J2 (661-0570) and 256K at J3 (661-0602); SC SIMM 256K 661-0402; LS DRAM 256K × 4, 80 ns, 334-0114; DC controller PCBs 661-0567 (NT and SC) and 661-0650 (LS); fuser assemblies 661-0568 (110/115 V) and 661-0575 (220/240 V); power supply units 661-0569 and 661-0574 (NT and SC) and 661-0636 and 661-0637 (LS); high-voltage power supply PCB 661-0573; laser assembly 661-0571; scanner assembly 661-0572; transfer roller 870-0103; separation pad 870-0295; fan 720-0513; interconnect PCB 982-0048 (NT and SC); the solid LS bottom cover 949-0313 replacing either LS cover.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Apple Computer, Inc., LaserWriter Printers Volume I Addendum (Apple Service Guide, September 1993), Personal LaserWriter SC/NT/NTR/LS and LS/L, pp. 15-22 (PDF pp. 18-25), hosted as File:Apple Service Guide LaserWriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993.pdf; described at Apple Service Guide Laserwriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993. Source for: the SC, NT, NTR, LS and LS/L using the same print engine; the LS/L as a cost-reduced LS sold under the LS name, with parts not necessarily interchangeable, power switch on the right rear, solid rear cover and family number M2002, against the LS with its switch on the left rear, an opening for the I/O board bracket and family number M2000; the NTR as a networkable PostScript printer 3 to 5 times faster than the NT, with RS-232, RS-422 (LocalTalk) and Centronics ports; NT information in Volume I applying to the NTR and LS information to the LS/L; the corrected parts list (pp. 15-18); NTR and LS/L I/O board specifications (p. 21); the LS/L test button behind a cover on the rear panel (p. 21); the NT and NTR top-half printing fault (p. 22).
- ↑ Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, Personal LaserWriter tab, LS Memory Upgrade, p. 48 (PDF p. 188).
- ↑ Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, Ports and Cables, Connector Pinouts, p. 8 (PDF p. 211). Source for: the Personal LaserWriter LS RS-422 pinout.
- ↑ Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, General Information, Connecting to a Macintosh Computer, p. 2 (PDF p. 197). Source for: the Personal LaserWriter NT connecting by AppleTalk, the SC by SCSI, and the LS as the only LaserWriter connected by the serial port.
- ↑ Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, Personal LaserWriter tab, Status Lights, p. 11, and Test Prints, pp. 12-13 (PDF pp. 151-153). Source for: the three status lights on the front access door; the I/O board self-test on the SC and NT; the SC and NT status light table; the LS lights showing paper jam or paper out only when used with the LS driver; the service test print button on the DC controller PCB on all versions; the SC user test print with the SCSI ID switch at 7; the NT user test print and its contents; the LS printing no user test print.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, Personal LaserWriter tab, Flowcharts 4-6, pp. 20-23 (PDF pp. 160-163); Troubleshooting Procedure, p. 14 (PDF p. 154); Table C1, LS I/O Board Failure, p. 27 (PDF p. 167).