DEC LA120-DA DECwriter III DECprinter III Dot Matrix Pedestal Printer 180 CPS

DEC LA120-DA DECwriter III DECprinter III Dot Matrix Pedestal Printer 180 CPS

The DEC LA120-DA is a pedestal-mounted serial dot matrix printer sold under both the DECwriter III and DECprinter III names. It features bidirectional printing at 180 characters per second, a 1K character line buffer, and a 25-pin male RS-232 serial interface. The printer is physically self-contained on its own metal pedestal stand with a full integrated keyboard for local operation and setup.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)
• Model: LA120-DA
• Also sold as: DECwriter III / DECprinter III
• Print method: Dot matrix, bidirectional
• Print speed: 180 characters per second
• Character buffer: 1K standard; optional 4K expansion
• Interface: 25-pin male serial (RS-232)
• Baud rates: 14 selectable rates, 50 to 9600 baud; 8 split baud rates
• Duplex modes: Half-duplex and full-duplex, 5 modes
• Character pitch: 8 selectable horizontal pitches
• Line spacing: 6 selectable line spacings
• Multi-part forms: Up to 6-part; special model supports 9-part
• Setup memory: Nonvolatile memory retains configuration
• Power: 120/220/240V AC, 60/50Hz, 270W, 6/3A, 1-phase, 3-wire
• Form factor: Pedestal-mounted with integrated keyboard
• Part number: 3613210-01 (per rating label)
• Configuration reference label: REV 120, part 3615918-00

Applications

The LA120 / DECwriter III was a workhorse output terminal for Digital Equipment Corporation minicomputer systems of the late 1970s and early 1980s, used extensively with PDP-11, VAX, and DECsystem installations. In that era, DEC sites ran the LA120 as a logging printer, job-output terminal, and hardcopy device attached directly to a host via RS-232 serial lines or over DEC's own serial terminal multiplexers. Its pedestal form factor made it a standalone desk-level unit that operators used for system console output, batch job listings, and transaction records. The selectable baud rates (up to 9600 baud) and nonvolatile setup memory made it well suited to fixed-installation environments where configurations needed to persist across power cycles. The DECwriter III name was used for the terminal (keyboard-equipped) variant, while DECprinter III referred to the printer-only version — both share the same LA120 mechanism. Today these units are primarily of interest to vintage DEC collectors, PDP/VAX restoration projects, and museums preserving DEC computing history.