Apple Macintosh and Newton serial connection

	             
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The mating DIN-8 plug is listed in the Mouser Electronics (800-346-6873) catalog as stock number 171-2508 ($1.52). It's also available from Digi-Key (800-344-4539) as part no. CP-2080-ND ($1.22). (Both these vendors charge a $5.00 fee for orders less than $20 or $25.)

To connect two Macs to each other or to connect a Mac to a Newton, use a Mac printer cable. Cut a Mac printer cable in half get two cables pre-assembled to DIN-8 plugs.

When Macs are connected to each other using a printer cable, you need to use a communications program to send files between the computers. A more elegant solution is to use AppleTalk networking (which is built-in on every Mac) on LocalTalk or PhoneNet connectors. This lets you share printers and the drive in one computer can appear on the desktop of the other. AppleTalk connections can also be used to connect a Newton to a Mac.

If you need to connect to an old Mac 128/512K, the DB-9 male to DIN-8 plug cable (Item number ACC 1312, $4.95 plus $3 for overnight shipping) is available from MacWarehouse (800-255-6227). This cable also can connect old Macs to newer serial printers such as the HP DeskWriter or Apple Imagewriter II. The DB-9 end is not pinned to mate to a PC.

The modem port (also called the "GeoPort") on the Quadra 840AV and Quadra/Centris 660AV has an additional pin which is documented in the Apple Tech Info Library. However, the 8-pin DIN plug mates with that 9-pin jack. The GeoPort is also on the Power Macintosh 6100 series, 7100 series, 7200 series, 7500/100, 8100 series, 8500/120, and 9500 series

The catalog for MCM Electronics lists an "Apple Mac to Serial Adapter Cable" (order # 83-2330) described as "mini DIN 8 pin male to DB-9 female." I haven't tried it but it may work. MCM's phone number is 800-543-4330. The price in the catalog is $6.19 plus shipping. Orders under $20 are charged a $5 service fee.

Cable Depot has a list of Serial Cables for Apple at http://www.connectworld.net/cabled/apple.html. One of those cables, part no. 2817-1, is described as "Macintosh +/SE/II/IIGS Converter Cable, 8 PIN Mini DIN-M to DE-9F Molded 10 ft. " I haven't tried that one either but it sounds like a possibility.

If you want to build the cable, here is the pin-out:

DIN-8 to DB-25 data from ohmeter measurement by Brian Wood <beww@intac.com> of cable furnished in Newton Connection Kit.

Newton OS 1.x

NEWTINST.EXE works under Windows 3.1. However, I do not know of anyone who has used it successfully under Windows 95. If you get it to work under Win95, please send a message to me.

Apple's Newton Connection Kit for Windows works under Win95. It comes with a cable so you probably would not be reading this if you had it.

Mac users can install packages with PDA Package Downloader or Apple's Newton Connection Kit for Macintosh.

Newton OS 2.x

For other useful PC utilities, see Clay Irving's PC Utilities for the Newton

The Newton-to-PC cable is also described at http://www.newton-inc.com/dev/techinfo/qa/serlcabl.htm. That page suggests that you connect the Newton or Mac's pin 1 (Handshake output DTR) to the PC's pin 1 (Carrier Detect) in addition to pin 6 (Data Set Ready). Charles B. Cranston's Macintosh Serial Port Hardware page also says that the CD line must be asserted for the PC to accept data.

Brian Cole's "Mac Serial Port Summary" describes the Mac/Newton serial port and shows how to connect it to modems and PCs. "Mac Serial Port Interfacing" is another page which discusses the connection of Macs to RS-232 serial devices.

• RS-232 pin-out on PCs
• another copy of this page

Last revised: Tue, Sep 15, 1998