US 4,282,583 A · Microprogrammable processor control printer system

Abstract

A self-diagnostic printer controller circuit and system may be fabricated in an inexpensive and flexible manner by functionally dividing the tasks of the printer system into separate modules which are intercommunicated through a plurality of buses on a mother board. One of the modules is a central processing unit particularly adapted to performing the required operations in a printer system. The printer system may contain a plurality of additional options, one of which is an internal vertical format unit in which paper instructions may be stored and selectively retrieved by the central processor unit to be used as data to direct the operation of the other modules according to the selected format. The printer has a stepper motor for vertically advancing a printing medium being printed and the VFU includes a format memory for storing information establishing the desired format for printing onto the medium. Vertical advance control means, connected to the stepper motor and to the format memory, are included for accessing vertical format information from the format memory and for causing the stepper motor to advance the medium vertically by a distance established by the accessed information. The VFU also includes circuitry, responsive to a "direct access" command received from the external data source, for loading into the format memory new vertical format information supplied from the external data source.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A printer of the type used to print data from an external data source onto a printing medium, said printer having stepper means for vertically advancing the medium, said printer including a processor controlled vertical format unit comprising:

format memory means for receiving momentary input signals and storing information from the input signals establishing a first vertical format for printing onto said medium,
vertical advance control means, connected to said stepper means and to said format memory means, for accessing the first vertical format information from said format memory one or more times and for causing said stepper means to advance said medium vertically by a distance established by said accessed information each time the information is accessed, and
direct access means for causing new momentary input signals to be supplied to the format memory means to thereby load into said format memory means new information establishing a second vertical format.

A printer having advance means for vertically advancing the medium to be printed, said printer including a vertical format unit comprising:

a vertical format memory for storing form information establishing the vertical format in which data is to be printed on said medium, wherein said form information can be used repetitively, and
form initialization means for selectively entering momentary input signals containing form information into said vertical format memory, said form initialization means comprising:
(a) form data selection means for ascertaining the source of form information to be entered into said vertical format memory, said source being selected from the group including manual switches, a tape reader and an external data source which also supplies data to be printed to the printer, and
(b) program control means, cooperating with said selection means, for commanding acquisition from said ascertained source of said form information and for entering said information into said vertical format memory.

1 more element

In a processor controlled printer having a device for advancing the medium to be printed, the improvement comprising:

a vertical format unit for receiving momentary input signals and storing format information contained in the input signals establishing the vertical distance said medium is to be advanced subsequent to the printing of certain lines on said medium, wherein said format information can be used repetitively,
clamp means for preventing the vertical movement of said medium, and
processor control means, cooperating with said device, said vertical format unit and said clamp means, for programmatically directing the printing of said certain lines of print while causing said clamp means to prevent movement of said medium during such printing, for interrogating said vertical format unit after printing of said certain lines to determine the distance said medium subsequently is to be moved, and for directing said device to advice said medium by said determined distance while causing said clamp means to allow such vertical movement of said medium.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Microprogrammable processor control printer system

Life of this patent

Microprogrammable processor control printer system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12