LPS CONNECTIONS
Connectivity requirements for other workstations are discussed
only briefly. If your facility uses another type of workstation, you
may find the connectivity products you need listed in the “Third
party connectivity products“ appendix. If you need additional
information to determine the connectivity hardware and software
appropriate to your system, contact the Xerox Connection, or
your site representative. Please refer to the back of this book for
information regarding the Xerox Connection.
Interfaces
Workstations are nearly always connected to a 4890 LPS through
a local area network (LAN). If the hardware connections include
a front end, then the front end can also accept data from a
workstation through a 9-track tape.
Communication protocols and
Workstations that use an Ethernet connection with XNS protocol
workstations
do not require a communication module for communication
protocol conversion. All other network communication
protocols require conversion. Non-Ethernet networks also
require conversion to Ethernet.
Data streams produced by workstations
At present, most workstation applications produce PostScript
data streams. Therefore, most workstation environments require
a front end as part of their hardware connection to the 4890.
Exceptions are the applications for Sun workstations that produce
Interpress data streams, and PC applications that produce line
printer and LCDS data streams.
Interfaces supported by the printer
The interface option appropriate to your facility depends on the
operating environment of your LPS.
You can elect to configure your printer to switch between online
and offline modes for added flexibility.
Online interfaces
Online interfaces allow a platform to communicate directly with
the 4890 printer. The majority of online connections involve
mainframe platforms.
The 4890 LPS supports direct connections to IBM and IBM-
compatible host mainframes. Non-IBM compatible mainframes
require additional interface hardware and software for online
connectivity to the printer, as shown in figure 4-3. Remote IBM
connections using System Network Architecture (SNA) or
bisynchronous protocol require additional interface hardware and
software as well. Online connectivity is also available for PC and
PC-compatible workstations.
4-6
XEROX 4890 HIGHLIGHT COLOR LPS PRODUCT REFERENCE
