ASIC and image forming apparatus incorporating same including variable image processing

An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) connectable to a control circuit in an image forming apparatus including a scanner, a plotter, and the control circuit, the ASIC comprising:

• means for communicating with the control circuit;
• means for performing fixed-length compression on image data generated by the scanner as multi-level image data, to output multi-level, fixed-length compressed image data;
• means for performing tone processing on the image data generated by the scanner to reduce the image data and output reduced-level image data;
• first means for selecting one of the multi-level, fixed-length compressed image data and the reduced-level image data, as first selected image data to be transmitted by the means for communicating to the control circuit;
• means for performing fixed-length decompression on image data received by the means for communicating from the control circuit, to output fixed-length decompressed image data;
• and
• second means for selecting one of the fixed-length decompressed image data and the image data received by the means for communicating, as second selected image data to be output to the plotter.

A device comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to,
• perform fixed-length compression on first image data received from an apparatus to generate compressed first image data;
• perform tone processing on the first image data to generate reduced-level first image data;
• multiplex between the compressed first image data and the reduced-level first image data, based on a first selection input, to select first multiplexed image data;
• perform fixed-length decompression on second image data received from the apparatus to generate uncompressed second image data;
• multiplex between the second image data and the uncompressed second image data, based on a second selection input, to select second multiplexed image data;
• and
• send the first multiplexed image data and the second multiplexed image data to the apparatus.