ImageWriter LQ Service Source
The ImageWriter LQ Service Source is Apple's 18-page Service Source file for the ImageWriter LQ, a wide-carriage letter-quality dot-matrix printer announced in August 1987 at US$1,399.[1] The printer has a 27-pin print head.[2] Apple's specification page gives a maximum of 216 dpi, 180 W maximum power, 38 lb, and production from August 1987 to December 1990.[3]
Contents
[edit | edit source]The page numbers are those of the PDF.
- Basics: General Information (p. 3)
- Troubleshooting: General (p. 5), then symptom charts for Power (p. 6), Communication (p. 7), Paper Feed Problems (p. 8), Carrier (pp. 9-10), Printing (pp. 11-14), Cut Sheet Feeding (pp. 15-16), Color Printing (p. 17) and Miscellaneous (p. 18)
What this manual does not contain
[edit | edit source]The General Information page says the manual "contains only the Specifications, Symptom Charts and the Illustrated Parts List chapter for the ImageWriter LQ" and that "the rest of the procedures are in the form of a Paperless Printer file located in the Printables folder", naming Troubleshooting, Take Apart and Adjustments as the chapters delivered that way.[4] The file itself holds only Basics and the symptom charts. It has no Specifications chapter, no Illustrated Parts List, no Take Apart or Adjustments procedures, no Apple part numbers and no schematic. The symptom charts refer to adjustments ("Home Position Switch Adjustment", "Print Head Gap Adjustment", "Platen Gap and Parallelism Adjustment", the colour ribbon adjustments) that are in the Paperless Printer file, which the wiki does not hold.[4]
The printer's own specifications, DIP switch tables and user cleaning procedure are in the ImageWriter LQ Owner's Guide (Apple part number 030-3068-B), which is hosted here.[5]
Useful entries in the symptom charts
[edit | edit source]- Power light off and no carrier motion: Apple's order is external power, the voltage selector (international units), the primary fuse, the three secondary fuses, the power switch, then the main board, transformer and noise filter board.[4]
- Carrier strikes the right-side frame when printing on four-part carbonless forms or on the perforated edge of tractor paper: forms must be no thicker than 0.55 mm; then check paper alignment, the paper thickness lever and the card guide adjustment.[4]
- Carrier strikes the left-side frame during the power-up home seek: test the home position switch, adjust it, and check that the deflector pan is seated against the platen bar before replacing the main board.[4]
- Uneven self-test pattern (four lines light, three dark): the printer is sensing the colour ribbon carriage. Press the black ribbon cassette fully down on the left so that it operates the ribbon microswitch.[4]
- Intermittent network problems, with the print head resetting when idle or the printer stopping: replace ROM 02 on the logic board with ROM 03.[4]
- No communication with an option card fitted: DIP switch 2 position 4 must be on. No access to the second or third sheet-feeder bin: DIP switches 2-5 and 2-6 set the number of bins.[4]
- Words touching or overlapping: update the LQ driver to version 2.0 or later.[4]
Specifications from the owner's guide
[edit | edit source]| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Print speed | Draft 250 cps at 10 cpi; NLQ 90 cps at 10 cpi; LQ proportional 115 cps at 216 dpi |
| Graphics resolution | Up to 320 (h) by 216 (v) dpi |
| Paper width | 3.5 to 15 inches pin hole to pin hole; 15.5 inches maximum |
| Paper thickness | 0.05 to 0.55 mm; original plus four copies |
| Ribbon | Cassette, fabric, 25.4 mm by 20,000 mm, continuous; optional colour ribbon of the same size |
| Power | 120 V AC ±10 %, 60 Hz (US); universal versions 100, 120, 140, 220 and 240 V AC ±10 %, 50/60 Hz |
| Power consumption | 180 W maximum operating, 20 W maximum standby |
| Interface | 8-bit serial |
| Weight | 17 kg (38 lb) |
The owner's guide says the print mechanism needs no lubrication. Apple's user cleaning procedure is to brush or blow out paper dust with the cover open and the ribbon removed, wipe the carrier rod with a lint-free cloth, and clean the platen with pre-wetted platen cleaning pads.[5]
Related documentation
[edit | edit source]- ImageWriter II Service Source, the nine-pin printer's volume, whose General Information page repeats this volume's text
- ImageWriter LQ Owner's Guide (1987)
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ AppleLink, "Apple new product summary", September 1987, Known Users archive. Describes the ImageWriter LQ as "a versatile letter-quality, wide-carriage dot-matrix printer, compatible with both Macintosh and Apple II systems" and lists the prices of the printer and its sheet feeder, bins, envelope feed and colour ribbons.
- ↑ "Apple unveils new products", United Press International, 11 August 1987, UPI Archives.
- ↑ Apple, "ImageWriter LQ: Technical Specifications", support.apple.com/en-us/112248.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Apple Computer, ImageWriter LQ Service Source, imagewriter_lq.pdf (PDF dated 1995), PDF p. 3 (General Information) and pp. 6-18 (symptom charts).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Apple Computer, ImageWriter LQ Owner's Guide, 030-3068-B, 1987, ImageWriter LQ Owner's Guide 1987.pdf. Chapter 8 Troubleshooting p. 131; chapter 9 Care and Maintenance pp. 143-146; appendix C Printer and Interface Specifications pp. 184-190 (Table C-1 specifications, Table C-2 DIP switch settings).
Download: imagewriter_lq.pdf (186 KB)