connecting an SCSI printer to a G5

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Level 1

8 points

connecting an SCSI printer to a G5

I'm trying to hook up an old HP printer with a 25-Pin (male) SCSI cable to a PowerMac G5. Any ideas how to do this? I've seen 25-Pin (female) to 50-Pin (male) adapters that I think will hook up to and a 50-Pin (male) SCSI to USB2 cable that can go into the G5. Does this sound right?

PowerPC G5, Mac OS X (10.4.11), SCSI 25-pin male to PowerMacG5

Posted on Sep 3, 2008 10:10 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Sep 3, 2008 10:33 AM in response to araff

Be careful. SCSI 25 pin and Parallel 25 pin look exactly alike! The primary difference is that SCSI usually has a switch to go between 0 and 6, or 0 and 12 for ID switches. Printers normally were PC Parallel back in the old day of printer technologies, whereas scanners were more often SCSI. Does your printer owners manual say it is SCSI?

Secondly, the printer needs Mac OS X compatible drivers to work at all with the PowerMac G5, since it won't boot into Mac OS 9, and most Mac OS 9 printer drivers don't work in Mac OS X. See my FAQ*:

http://www.macmaps.com/printersx.html

And find a printer that works with your Mac OS X software if you can't find your own printer as working with it.

- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

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Answer 2

Sep 3, 2008 10:36 AM in response to araff

Are you sure it's SCSI and not a parallel (Centronics) interface? The connectors are very similar. I don't remember any SCSI printers, but then again all my printers had the Mac printer port back in the day.

If it is a parallel interface, you'd need something like this.

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Answer 3

Sep 3, 2008 5:11 PM in response to araff

SCSI would have a diamond shaped symbol stamped in the metal adjacent to the connector. I would also have a button that changes the SCSI ID number. Look for an Ethernet connector or round serial connector. A serial or Ethernet connection will easily address AppleTalk. I have a Dayna Etherprint that uses telephone wires as cabling and PhoneNet serial adapters. I used this setup on an old HP Laserjet.

Regards

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