HP LaserJet 5P, 5MP, 6P, 6MP.

HP LaserJet 5P and 5MP printers were designed to meet the needs of individuals and small work groups. The printer is based on the Canon "VX" series engine.

The 5MP includes Adobe PostScript Level 2 for compatability with Apple Macintosh systems (hence the "m").

The LJ5P was introoduced in March 1995 and the 6P a year later in April 1996; the two models are very similar to the 6P - they use the same engine.

  • Laserjet 5P C3150A - 6 ppm, 2MB RAM
  • LaserJet 5MP - C3155A - 6 ppm, 2MB RAM, PostScript
  • LaserJet 6P - C3980A - 8 ppm, 2MB RAM
  • LaserJet 6MP -C3982A - 8 ppm, 2MB RAM, PostScript
  • LaserJet 6p xi - C4213A
  • LaserJet 6p se - C4212A

The "MP" models were aimed at the design community using Apple Macintosh computers who wanted PostScript. The printers include a PostScript ROM on a SIMM and an extra megabyte of base memory.

These printers are more than 10 years old and clearly obsolescent. However they were fast for the time, had high quality print and a convenient small shape so many of them are still in use. Business text like invoices will print perfectly well but the limited memory means these printers will struggle to print anything beyond the simplest graphics.

Control:

Simple button controls. There are few settings to change on these printers and they are managed via the computer's printer driver.

Print speed at 6ppm is slow by today's laser-printer standards but will more than match most small office and home-user needs. Some documation says 8ppm but that applies to the 6P.

Print resolution was a high standard for the time, - 600 & times, 600-dpi with 120 levels of gray. This allows excellent text and diagrams. The limited resolution and greyscale and the small memory give moderate photographic quality. A variety of fonts are built in.

Paper Handling:

Multifunction tray for 100 sheets and 1 x 350 sheet input tray. A4, letter and legal papers from 3x5 to 8.5x14 inches (76x127 to 215x356 mm).

Tray 1:

Multifunction tray for 100 sheets:

Tray 2:

A4 etc up to 350 sheets.

Face Down:

Paper output is to a small face down tray on top of the printer.

Face Up:

There is a relatively straight path from the multifunction tray to the fold - down face up tray at the back of the printer.

Duplex:

Manual page-turning only. There isn't an auto-duplex unit.

Processor:

Intel 80960J RISC running at 20MHz or 24MHz in the 6M

Memory:

The 5P has 2MB RAM and a maximum of 50MB The 5MP has 3MB RAM and a maximum of 35MB - a PostScript ROM occupies part of the memory map.

Interface:

All models have two (type B and type C) IEEE 1284 Compliant Parallel Interfaces. (JetDirect EX print servers can be connected to one of the parallel interfaces to provide Ethernet connectivity).
The 5P has a SIR port and the 6P an IrDA compliant Infrared port.
The 5MP and 6MP also have an Apple LocalTalk port.

The pair of ports allowed the printer to be shared by a couple of users as though they had a print-switch - a useful feature in an age when networks were expensive.

Network:

These printers can be used with external parallel-port print servers.

The HP LaserJet 5P printer uses HP's Enhanced PCL 5, a printer language that is standard for desktop laser printing in PC operating environments, such as Microsoft Windows.

The HP LaserJet 5MP printer also includes the Adobe PostScript Level 2 printer language, used with the Apple Macintosh and Unix.

The HP LaserJet 6P uses PCL 6. (Some information suggests it can be rolled back to PCL 5)

System Compatability:

The 5P / 6P was primarily intended for general office use with DOS / Windows systems and the 5MP/ 6MP for use with Apple Macintosh computers. In practice these printers became so commonplace that most systems including Linux have drivers for them.

Consumables:

Single piece print cartridge holding the toner, developer, drum and waste hopper.

Print cartridges are still available both as HP originals and in refurbished form.

C3903A - Cartridge for 5P, 5MP, 6P etc. Yield 4,000 pages at 5% cover. - C3903A

SI1011 Silver Reed Refurbished Black Toner Cartridge for the HP 5P, 5MP 6P etc. Subsitutes for HP Code C3903A.

As usual with laser printers there are different models for the 5P and the 6P. There are also models of fuser suiting the two supply voltages commonly found: 220 volt for the UK, Europe and most of the rest of the world and 110 Volt for the US and Japan.

5P Fuser

  • RG5-1700- LaserJet 5P/ 5MP fuser 110 V RG5-1700-290CN (also known as C3150-69003 RG5-1700-000CN
  • RG5-1701 LaserJet 5P/ 5MP fuser 220 V RG5-1701-080CN (also known as C3150-69004 and 5182-2807, 5182-2808.

6P Fuser

  • RG5-4110 Fuser Assembly 6P / 6MP 110 Volt - RG5-4110-000CN
  • RG5-4111 Fuser Assembly 6P / 6MP 220 Volt - RG5-4111-000CN

Maintenance Kit

  • H3973-60001 (5P 120V: Includes fuser, MP tray pickup roller, D-shaped pickup roller, Separation Pad. HP kits contain the transfer roller as well. Installation procedure requires the service manual. (HP Partsurfer says "No longer Supplied")
  • H3966-60001 (6P) As above.
  • H3967-60001 (6P 220V: Includes fuser, MP tray pickup roller, D-shaped pickup roller, Separation Pad. HP kits contain the transfer roller as well. Installation procedure requires the service manual. (HP Partsurfer says "No longer Supplied")

Spares:

HP 5P and 6P printers are now more than 10 years old and most spare parts are no longer supplied by HP. Where spares are available supplies may be intermittent.

RB1-2205 - Tray 1 / Multipurpose Pick Up Roller for HP 5P RB1-2205 / RB1-2127

RB1-6332 Tray 2 Pickup Roller RB1-6332-000CN

RF5-0343 Separation Pad RF5-0343-000CN

RF5-0596 Transfer Roller RF5-0596-000CN

RB1-9181 Delivery Roller (shaft with 3 rollers) RB1-9181-020CN

RB1-2205 MP Tray 1 Pickup roller for HP Laserjet 5P - RB1-2205

C3903A HP Laserjet 5P/5MP Black Toner Cartridge -C3903A

RG5-2785 - (6P) MP Input Tray RG5-2785 (6P)

RG5-2784 -(6P) Face Up Tray RG5-2784 (6P)

RG5-2802 - (6P) Fixing Film, 110v RG5-2802 (6P)

Service:

We don't offer service contracts or repair for these printers at present.

Options and Accessories:

Note that these printers are so old that the optional parts are not likely to be obtainable direct from HP. They may be available from 3rd party manufacturers and as ex-equipment spares.

C3133A - 8 MB memory SIMM - C3133A

C3146A - 16 MB memory SIMM - C3146A

C3987-67901 Adobe PostScript SIMM and 1MB RAM - C3152A (discontinued)

C3987-67901 EXC Combo Simm

R75-4000-000CN Spare 250 sheet paper cassette - R75-4000-000CN (Discontinued)

Copyright G Huskinson & MindMachine Associates Ltd 2012